Can You Be A Christian And Celebrate Halloween?
Christianity and Halloween
There has been great divide among Christians and their view on Halloween for much of the 20th century. Some view it as worship of Satan and everything evil. After all, during Halloween season, Hollywood capitalizes on gore with the release of ghastly horror films. Stores pop-up selling all kinds of ghoulish merchandise. Severed limbs, blood liquid, zombie makeup and more. No question, sex, violence, and horror are a few adjectives that rightly describe the season here in America. But, that is not it entirely. It’s a time for families to take their children trick-or-treating, fall festivals, innocent haunted house exhibits, pumpkin patches, and more. Wouldn’t we say the Haunted Mansion in Disney World is one place where we all partake in this innocent fun of the haunted? I believe the bottom line is both the ghoulish and innocence of Halloween’s aim is fun, not necessarily the endorsement of these things. After all, most people do not find these things pleasant in real life.
This concept of fun, taking away the power of these things isn’t a modern concept. This dates back to the pagan Holiday of Samhain (a Gaelic word pronounced “SAH-win”), a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of summer, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts and demons. Again, this costume wearing was not to honor or glorify these demons or ghoulishness, but rather to mock them and take away their power. When the demons would encounter such revelers they would see that they have no scare tactics at their disposal.
This is how I believe Halloween is celebrated in 21st century America today. Granted, sometimes there are cases of violence and true devil worship and all things ghoulish, but the average person is not endorsing such things and it is simply to have innocent fun. If we operate from this perspective, we like the old pagans are mocking the Devil and his demons that seek to put us in despair and hopelessness.
Christ does all the fighting for us. St. Paul in Ephesians 6:10-11 says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power; put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.“ This is the costume we have on at all times thanks be to God. But wait, this is no costume, but our very being. The armor of the Holy Spirit that is sealed on us with all the baptized in Christ Jesus.
Thus, I believe this is a matter of conscious. If you feel bad participating, celebrating, or reveling in Halloween festivities, then you don’t have to. But, if you feel at ease and understand it’s history, and have a healthy disposition about it, then in my opinion as a – trained seminary and pastoral intern, I surmise there is nothing objectionable or at odds with our Christian faith.
But I would be remiss if I didn’t say the Lutheran Church celebrates two holidays at the end of October: Reformation Sunday and All Saints Day. Reformation Sunday – October 31st- celebrates the day Martin Luther purportedly nail the 95 theses on the Wittenberg Castle Church Doors in October 1517, which many regard as the jump start of the Protestant Reformation. All Saints Day, which many Christian denominations celebrate is a day where we honor, celebrate, and give thanks to God all saints-that is Christians living and those who have died (especially within the year). We thank God because as Saints-those who have placed their faith in Christ- we are redeemed, forgiven, and loved by God and have a place in our future heavenly homes in the New Jerusalem when Christ returns.
God bless you on however you choose to spend your Halloween. And I do hope to see you on Reformation Sunday celebration services and All Saints. God bless you my friends.
