Halloween-"Unfruitful Works of Darkness"

Halloween can feel like harmless fun—but for Christian parents, the question goes deeper. Is it just cultural, or does it carry spiritual risks?

• Is it a sin to dress your children in their favorite superhero costume and escort them around the neighborhood?

• Can Christian parents celebrate Halloween?

• The bigger question that needs more thought and consideration is: Should Christians celebrate Halloween?

Why am I participating in a holiday that routinely targets children and glorifies death and terror?

• Yes, deaths do occur more during Halloween than other times of the year.

• Halloween is one of the most dangerous holidays, especially for pedestrian fatalities and car accidents.

• Statistics show that Halloween has a 2x increase in pedestrian fatalities compared to other days of the year.

• On Halloween, there is a 24% increase in crime-related insurance claims, indicating a higher risk of accidents and fatalities.

• How so? If it was about increased traffic, we could have more deaths in other holidays. Could it be spirit world offering sacrifices?

Nonetheless, because Halloween so often centers on darkness, death, and the occult, the question lands differently for us as Christian families.

To make a wise choice, it helps to understand the holiday’s roots and how they’ve changed, and most important what does the Bible say.

 What is Halloween-The Pagan Origin of Halloween

The name "Halloween" comes from the All-Saints Day celebration of the early Christian church, a day set aside for the solemn remembrance of the martyrs. All Hallows Eve, the evening before All Saints Day, began the time of remembrance. "All Hallows Eve" was eventually contracted to "Hallow-e'en," which became "Halloween."

As Christianity moved through Europe it collided with indigenous pagan cultures and confronted established customs. Pagan holidays and festivals were so entrenched that new converts found them to be a stumbling block to their faith. To deal with the problem, the organized church would commonly move a distinctively Christian holliday to a spot on the calendar that would directly challenge a pagan holiday. The intent was to counter pagan influences and provide a Christian alternative. But most often the church only succeeded in "Christianizing" a pagan ritual—the ritual was still pagan, but mixed with Christian symbolism. That's what happened to All Saints Eve—it was the original Halloween alternative!

The Celtic people of Europe and Britain were pagan Druids whose major celebrations were marked by the seasons. At the end of the year in northern Europe, people made preparations to ensure winter survival by harvesting the crops and culling the herds, slaughtering animals that wouldn't make it. Life slowed down as winter brought darkness (shortened days and longer nights), fallow ground, and death. The imagery of death, symbolized by skeletons, skulls, and the color black, remains prominent in today's Halloween celebrations.

The pagan Samhain festival (pronounced "sow" "en") celebrated the final harvest, death, and the onset of winter, for three days—October 31 to November 2. The Celts believed the curtain dividing the living and the dead lifted during Samhain to allow the spirits of the dead to walk among the living—ghosts haunting the earth.

Some embraced the season of haunting by engaging in occult practices such as divination and communication with the dead. They sought "divine" spirits (demons) and the spirits of their ancestors regarding weather forecasts for the coming year, crop expectations, and even romantic prospects. Bobbing for apples was one practice the pagans used to divine the spiritual world's "blessings" on a couple's romance.

For others the focus on death, occultism, divination, and the thought of spirits returning to haunt the living, fueled ignorant superstitions and fears. They believed spirits were earthbound until they received a proper sendoff with treats—possessions, wealth, food, and drink. Spirits who were not suitably "treated" would "trick" those who had neglected them. The fear of haunting only multiplied if that spirit had been offended during its natural lifetime.

Trick-bent spirits were believed to assume grotesque appearances. Some traditions developed, which believed wearing a costume to look like a spirit would fool the wandering spirits. Others believed the spirits could be warded off by carving a grotesque face into a gourd or root vegetable (the Scottish used turnips) and setting a candle inside it—the jack-o-lantern.

• However, the origins of Halloween extend all the way back to a group of Celtic pagans living in the Iron Age.

• Halloween originated with the pagan ritual Samhain.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica; Samhain, in ancient Celtic religion, one of the most important and sinister calendar festivals of the year. At Samhain, held on November 1, the world of the gods was believed to be made visible to humankind, and the gods played many tricks on their mortal worshippers; it was a time fraught with danger, charged with fear, and full of supernatural episodes.

Throughout centuries, Samhain continued in mutated forms until around 609 A.D. when Pope Boniface IV declared a new celebration.

Initially, Pope Boniface IV created All Saints’ Day or All-Hallows Day to be celebrated before summer. All Saints’ Day focuses on celebrating martyrs and saints who sacrificed their lives for the Christian faith.

Later, Pope Gregory III moved the celebration to the fall season to coincide with Samhain.

Over the years, All Saints’ Day or All-Hallows Day continued its evolution into the modern celebration of Halloween.

Samhain’s sacrifices evolved into Halloween’s handing out a different kind of offering: candy. Nevertheless, Halloween still contains its roots in a pagan celebration of death and rebirth.

Halloween didn't become an American holiday until the immigration of the working classes from the British Isles in the late nineteenth century. 

While early immigrants may have believed the superstitious traditions, it was the mischievous aspects of the holiday that attracted American young people. Younger generations borrowed or adapted many customs without reference to their pagan origins.

In short, today’s Halloween is a far cry from Samhain, but its historic associations with death and the supernatural are still very much on display throughout neighborhoods and local grocery stores. It permeates the entertainment industry, and even some elementary classrooms.

What is the spiritual truth behind Halloween?

Halloween is not mentioned in the Bible. However, believers have always lived among unbelievers, death, and wickedness.

Warnings in the Old Testament

God explicitly warned against copying how other nations worshiped their gods.

• Leviticus 18:3–4 “You must not do as they do…you must not follow their practices.”

• Deuteronomy 12:29–31 –“You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates.”

Examples of Israel’s failure

• King Jeroboam 1 Kings 12:32–33 He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. 33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.

He invented alternative feast days to turn people from God’s appointed ones.

New Testament guidance

Paul warns against mixing Christian faith with idolatrous practices:

• 1 Corinthians 10:20–21 – “The sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too.”

• Galatians 4:8–10 – Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces[a]? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 

Paul cautions against turning back to “special days, months, seasons and years” tied to former pagan observances.

So how do Christians apply these principles on halloween?

On a general level, Halloween is a time of the year celebrated by advocates of Wicca, a network of practicing witches. As the official religion of witchcraft, Wicca believes October 31 to mark the time when the separation between the spiritual and physical realms is the thinnest. In other words, Halloween is the best time to try and interact with the supernatural realm, according to Wiccans. 

• Many Christians understand, there are hidden traps within Wicca, and it has become very attractive to our teens.[Wicca elevated spiritism, paganism and witchcraft].

• Halloween has always maintained a relationship with occultism. 

• Halloween’s premise includes an intentional and public display of imagery, mischief, and behavior generally looked down upon any other time of the year.

Is Halloween a Christian holiday?

To most historians, it’s unclear how long the ancient celebration remained strictly a pagan holiday. However, the early church held yearly celebrations and vigils for martyrs and deceased saints.

Then, throughout the Early Middle Ages, various figures within the Catholic Church adopted influences from Samhain.

Yet, it is fair to say that the modern interpretation of Halloween hardly resembles anything associated with Christianity or the Bible. 

Is it a sin to celebrate Halloween?

• For followers of Christ, our actions and behaviors are judged according to our obedience to Christ.

• We are defined by our actions and how closely our heart is aligned with God’s desires.

1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 

• Our obedience to God requires a careful understanding of how much God cares about our choices.

• In deciding whether to participate in Halloween, you and your family can consider how your actions might align with God. 

What does the Bible say about Halloween?

Deuteronomy 18:10-12, "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, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you."

What Bible verse is against Halloween?

Ephesians 5:7-15 Therefore do not be partners with them.8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead,    and Christ will shine on you.”15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,

• The Apostle Paul discusses the negative effects of “worthless deeds of evil and darkness.”

• Paul compares sin and our harmful decisions to living in darkness.

Deuteronomy 18:10-13 There shall not be found among you anyone...who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord

C.S. Lewis argued that “conscience reveals to us a moral law whose source cannot be found in the natural world, thus pointing to a supernatural Lawgiver.”

Hollywood gets involved // it’s a billion dollar business.

Hollywood has added to the "fun" a wide assortment of fictional characters—demons, monsters, vampires, werewolves, mummies, and psychopaths. That certainly isn't improving the American mind, but it sure is making someone a lot of money.

Halloween is steadily gaining ground on Christmas as America’s favorite Holiday. In 2014, the National Retail Federation’s annual consumer spending survey revealed that Americans spent a whopping $7.4 billion to celebrate Halloween. $2.8 billion was for costumes ($1.1 billion for children’s costumes and $1.4 billion for adults). Another $2 billion was spent on demonic decorations and the rest on candy.

Halloween: A Satanic Holiday

Halloween, as we know today, is a modernized version of the Druidic festival of the dead. The powerful Druid priests were deemed kings of the occult practitioners, and were known for worshipping evil spirits and sacrificing humans to their demon gods!

The Celts celebrated the day of death in anticipation of the dark, cold winter months. The eve of Samhain marked the special time of the year when the Druids taught that demons, souls and gods were unleashed on the world to bring blessing or wreak havoc and destruction on unsuspecting souls.

“In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic festival of Samhain was observed on October 31 at the end of the summer … The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, goblins, black cats, fairies and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favorable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. It was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2005, "Halloween")

Satanists regard it as a very important holiday for them

“Today, Halloween is a truly occult holiday for many Celtic Neo-Pagans, Wiccan witches and Satanists alike. Many who are involved in the dark arts and traffic in spiritism, view Halloween as a religious holiday and are acutely aware that it is rooted in the occult. (Hutton, Ronald, The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles: Their Nature and Legacy, Oxford: Blackwell, 1991, pp. 327–341).” Doreen Valiente ,Witch and Wiccan high priestess,

Doreen Valiente, who authored "The Witches’ Rune" and helped pen a significant amount of the occult content that is foundational to modern day Wicca, stated that Halloween is a special holiday for witches. Valiente helped formulate modern Wicca (known as Gardnerian Wicca) after it was first created by Satanist Gerald Gardner, who was also a disciple of Satanist Aleister Crowley and a member of Crowley’s satanic organization known as the O.T.O. Unknown to most Wiccan’s, Gardner subsumed many of Crowley’s satanic teachings on ceremonial "magic" into Wicca and used a variation of Crowley’s satanic maxim “Do What Thou Wilt” for the wiccan Rede (e.g., That it harm none, do as thou wilt)

Wiccan high priestess, Valiente, said of Halloween: “Halloween is one of the four Great Sabbats of the witches that everyone has heard about. To witches, Halloween is a serious occasion, however merrily celebrated. It is the old Celtic Eve of Samhain.”

Sharon Graham, who fancies herself as a high priestess of Salem witches, and who was charged in a feud with other witches for intimidating a witness by allegedly placing a raccoon’s head on the doorsteps of Angelica of the Angels and the Goddess’ Treasure Chest, said of Halloween:

"Salem (Massachusetts) is a mecca, especially around Samhain. It is our holiday, our new year, and a lot of witches come here from all over the world."

Halloween is considered a satanic holiday for many confessing Satanists, and for obvious reasons, as it is a day where demons, witches and devils are glorified. The first Greater Church of Lucifer in Houston, Texas chose Halloween as the perfect day to officially open its doors to the public. 

Anton LaVey  According to Anton LaVey, who founded the Church of Satan in 1966 and authored The Satanic Bible in 1969, Halloween is the third highest day on the satanic calendar for Satanists. LaVey wrote in The Satanic Bible:

“After one’s own birthday, the two major Satanic holidays are Walpurgisnacht (May 1st) and Halloween.” (LaVey, Anton Szandor, The Satanic Bible, 1969, p. 96)

The official website for the Church of Satan states on their FAQ page that Halloween is a time when the masses “reach down inside and touch the ‘darkness’ which for [us] Satanists is a daily mode of existence,” as they may freely “indulge their fantasies by donning costumes that allow for intense role-playing and the release of their demonic core.” 

The Christian conscience

• Is Christ being exalted in all the things done on Halloween?

Romans 2:14-16   (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

There are several different ways Christians will engage.

·       Some will adopt a "No Participation" policy. As Christian parents, they don't want their kids participating in spiritually compromising activities—listening to ghost stories and coloring pictures of witches. They don't want their kids to dress up in costumes for trick-or-treating or even attending Halloween alternatives.

·       That response naturally raises eyebrows and provides a good opportunity to share the gospel to those who ask.

·       It's also important that parents explain their stand to their children and prepare them to face the teasing or ridicule of their peers and the disapproval or scorn of their teachers.

We are children of the light -overcomers of all evil in Christ Jesus.

1 John 3:8b “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” 

Colossians 1:13-14 “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” 

 Acts 26:18 “from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God” 

Christians are warned not to participate in the celebration of evil but rather expose them:

Ephesians 5:11 “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them” 

1 Thessalonians 5:22 “abstain from all appearance of evil” 

3 John 1:11 “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.”

Jeremiah 10:2 “Thus says the Lord, ‘Do not learn the way of the nations. “

Abominations. 

As Christians we ought to be repulsed by a holiday that celebrates the very things that our God and Maker calls abominations. 

Abominations are sins like idolatry, and homosexuality that attract the wrath of God here on earth. he does not wait for the day of judgement but punishes them here on earth.

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 is the biblical passage that most directly addresses the customs of Halloween. Note how the Lord warns that He expelled those who had inhabited the Promised Land for engaging in such practices and He warned His people that he would do the same to them should they imitate their practices:

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 “When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do so” 

We see here one of the most inclusive lists of activities upon which Halloween was established that can be found anywhere in the bible, and the practitioners thereof are labeled “detestable.” Those habits are, in fact, the very reason the Pagan nations were driven out of the Promised Land.

· We must prayerfully consider celebrating Jesus and His glorious kingdom of light on Halloween, rather than the kingdom of darkness.

·       Should Christians close their doors on Halloween or rise and share the light of Christ and celebrate the Lord and with winning of souls in a Harvest Festival on October 31st each year.

·       Is it a great time for both children and adults alike and keeps our focus on Jesus rather than the kingdom of darkness?

·        Can we expand on our current VersWin weekend and maybe pass brochures or reach out in for Christ other ways.

My kids celebrated Halloween when I was new in America until I learnt the demonic involvement in the holiday. My wife and I went to the school and told them we do not celebrate Halloween.

you must beware associating in a holiday with demonic background that will bring demonic connections of spiritism, Witcraft, paganism in your generations and seperate you from God.