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.

When America was young, the huge influx of Irish immigrants brought many of these traditions with them.  Pumpkins became more popular than turnips for carving.  Costumed parades and festivities both honored the dearly departed, and warded off harm from evil spirits.  Over time the holiday became more secular in nature.  During the early 1900’s the popular horror genre gave rise to costumes of Frankenstein, Dracula, and the like, and the practice of giving out candy from each home supplanted the communal bonfires and parades.

So there you have it – a rich mix of paganism, Christianity, and secular festivity celebrating movies and stories.  So back to the original question:  What should Christians do with this holiday?  Is there a biblical answer to be found?  Yes, believe it or not, there is.

An answer can be found in chapter 14 of the book of Romans.  Also read the book of First Corinthians, chapter 10.  Basically, the scriptures state that all things are lawful for the Christian, as long as there is no specific scripture disallowing it.  Halloween falls in this category.  As long as Christians are not celebrating Halloween as a satanic holiday there is no law preventing them from celebrating.  It is up to the individual’s conscience.

The apostle Paul states that in the case of things in this category, if you feel it is not sin, then it isn’t because you do it for the Lord.  If you feel it is sin and do it anyway, then it is sin, because you think it is in your heart.  We are warned not to go against our conscience.  We are also warned against being a stumbling block for others.  If you have a guest in you home and it offends them, then you should strive to not offend – not because God says it’s wrong, but because your guest may feel pressured to join you when he thinks it is sin.  In this case you have caused him to sin, because he thinks it is wrong.  

While that seems confusing, it really isn’t.  God wants us to use our heads and think things through.  Start with scripture – not tradition – and look for anything you feel would disallow such an activity.  If you find it, don’t do it.  If, after a careful search, you don’t find such a thing, then God has not disallowed it.  Go for it!  Find a way to do it safely, and have fun!  But remember that each person has both the right and the responsibility to judge for themselves.  It’s not our job to talk them into doing something they feel is wrong.  Respect their right to their belief.