Halloween

Today Halloween is almost exclusively an American secular holiday, but many who celebrate have no concept of its religious origins or pagan heritage. Most families treat Halloween as entertainment for their kids, but not all, for others it is a day to carry out shameful acts of depravity, increased crime, vandalism, arson and mischievous behavior. There are also segments of American society that engage in occult activity that is similar to its pagan origins.

The origins of Halloween go back before the time of Christ to the Celtic people of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France. It was a pagan festival on October 31^st called “Samhain” that honored the dead and involved the offering of large sacrifices of crops and animals. The Celtic people were pagan to the core and they had priests called Druids who led the pagan festivities each season. On Samhain the Druids lit fires in honor of the sun-god who they thanked for their harvests. Further, the Druids taught that on the eve of Samhain, Saman, lord of death, called the wicked souls out of the bodies of animals, whom they possessed, to roam among the living. The Celtic people embraced the season by engaging in occult practices such as divination, necromancy and black magic. They looked to conjure up spirits of their dead ancestors regarding weather forecasts for the coming year, crop expectations, and even romantic prospects. This focus on occultism fueled ignorant superstitions and fears. They would create huge bonfires on hilltops to frighten away the evil spirits that lurked in the shadows. They believed these evil spirits were earthbound until they would receive “treats,” such as possessions, wealth, food and drink. If these evil spirits were not “treated” well they would “trick” those who had neglected them by haunting them with scary appearances. Some traditions developed, which believed wearing a costume to look like a spirit would fool the wandering spirits in order to get them to back off. Others believed the spirits could be warded off by carving a grotesque face into a gourd or turnip and setting a candle inside it (jack-o-lantern).

When the Romans conquered the Celtic lands beginning in A.D. 43, they mingled the Celtic traditions with the Roman festivals of the time and celebrated them in late October. This carried on in different traditions for centuries until the 800’s when Pope Gregory IV moved All Saints Day to November 1^st in a seeming effort to give a Christian alternative to this pagan celebration. In fact, the current name of “Halloween” originates from the day before All Saint’s Day, which was called “All Hallow’s Eve” and eventually became Halloween. When the Pilgrims came to this country, they knew about Halloween’s occultic roots and so they banned celebrating that day. Halloween was not celebrated in this country until the mid-1800’s.

The Bible never talks specifically about Halloween or Samhain, but it is clear that the pagan origins associated with that day are contrary to biblical teaching. In Old Testament, witchcraft was a crime punishable by death (Exodus 22:18). Deuteronomy 18:10-12 tells us that God hates occultism, 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD. Nothing changed in the New Testament. The account of Simon the magician (Acts 8:9-11), Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13:6-11), the demon possessed girl at Philippi (Acts 16:16) and the city of Ephesus (Acts 19:19), reveals that sorcery, witchcraft, idolatry and occultism are totally in opposition to Christianity.

In stark contrast to practices associated with Halloween, believers are exhorted in a different direction. Ephesians 5:8-11 speaks of the opposing perspective, 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. Christians are children of God and God is all about goodness. The occult world is full of darkness and evil and should have any attraction to believers, rather they should expose the demonic forces behind Halloween’s occult activities and superstitions.

Celebrating a different holiday on October 31^st for Bible believers is a reality, since the Protestant Reformation began on October 31^st 1517. This is a great day to remember such doctrines as Justification By Faith Alone and Scripture Alone.