Is Halloween Okay for Christians?

So Halloween is here again, and most Christians are facing the same discussions they face every year.  Is it okay for Christians to celebrate, or isn’t it?

Christians hold differing viewpoints on this divisive issue.  Some protest that we are being duped into celebrating a pagan holiday.  Some feel that it is decidedly Satanist in nature.  Others see no problem with it at all.  In between the extremes are those who orchestrate the celebration so as to honor God, or at least not honor anything that is anti-God.  So what is the truth, and how should we as Christians be dealing with this popular tradition?

As are many other holidays, Halloween has grown out of the traditions of several cultures.  The ancient Celts are the first culture to record celebrating on this day.  They called it Samhain which, roughly translated, means ‘summers end’.  It was their new year; they celebrated the end of the ‘lighter half’ of the year, and the beginning of the ‘darker half’.  It was a time of gathering in crops, butchering meat, and preparing for the winter ahead.  In many villages all hearth fires were extinguished at sunset and a communal bonfire was lit to begin the festival.  Then individual hearth fires were re-lit from the communal one, thus cementing the feeling of community.  Ancient Britons had a similar festival called Calan Gaeaf, which was basically a harvest festival.

The Celts believed that the border between this world and the spirit world became thin on this night, allowing spirits to pass through.  Each family placed tokens on the doorsteps to honor their ancestors and welcome them home for one night.  Turnips and rutabagas were carved into lanterns and placed in windows to ward off unfriendly spirits, who were believed to be there as well.  It is believed that this led to the Festival of the Dead, practiced in ancient Ireland, Scotland, and other countries.  People built huge bonfires and dressed as harmful spirits in order to ward off harm.  Sometimes spirits were impersonated by young men who would dress in white and wear masks or veils.

With the spread of the Roman Catholic Church, All Saints Day moved from May 13 to November 1 to supplant Samhaim with a Christian festival.  Venerated Christian saints and martyrs were celebrated, and alms of food and treats were given to the poor and needy.  In Ireland and Britain Samhaim became known as All Hallow’s Even, the eve of All Saints Day.  The practice of carved lanterns continued, while a single candle in a western-facing window lit the way for the spirits to return to their own world.