Although the history of Halloween is gray, Christians are beginning to view the holiday through new eyes and are reclaiming the holiday as independent of it’s past.
When I was a child, the end of the year was the best time to be alive, especially around October. My city thrived on holidays like Halloween. Homes were decorated with pumpkins, cobwebs and bright orange lights; the elementary school would host costume contests; the teachers would pass out candy. But as I got older I began to realize that not every Christian celebrated the holiday. Many insisted that celebrating Halloween was sinful, though even back then I disagreed.
This is not a new argument. The debate around Christians celebrating Halloween has been a heated topic for generations, with many stating that the origins of Halloween should be enough to convince anyone not to celebrate it.
The tradition of Halloween can be traced back roughly 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival, Samhain, in which pagans celebrated the new year. This was an important time for pagan Celtics who often worshipped nature because they believed that a plentiful harvest meant survival in the following winter months.
Samhain was celebrated with feasts across Europe but harvests and seasons weren’t the only things the pagans celebrated during this time. Alongside nature, they also tried to appease ghosts and spirits, which they believed walked the earth during this time. To avoid torment by these spirits, pagans would dawn masks and wear costumes to blend in with them. All of this troubled Christians of the time.
As Christianity spread, new holidays came with it. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III declared that Nov. 1 would become a day to celebrate saints who had given their lives to God. That day became All Saints Day, while Nov. 2 was called All Souls Day and the holiday proceeding both on Oct. 31 was the Eve of All Saints Day, otherwise known as All Hallows Eve.
Today, people within the Catholic church still celebrate the two November holidays, although many Christians still have reservations towards Halloween. This is usually due to its origins or its influences within the Christian sphere.
Some fear that images of ghouls, witches and evil things will negatively affect children and their pure faith. Others argue that by dressing up as scary monsters for Halloween, as the pagans did, people are inadvertently “participating with demons,” which contradicts the teachings of 1 Corinthian 10:20-21 which reads: “No, but 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; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.”
However, I think these arguments miss the point of Halloween in today’s time. Halloween is not a religious holiday anymore. It does not encourage people to consult with demons, worship evil or celebrate pagan ways. Rather, it focuses on bringing happiness to children and communities. Is it evil to dress a child up as Cinderella for a day? Is it pagan worship to eat candy corn?
Granted, these concerns have not existed for generations without reason. We must always be diligent with our beliefs and practices, but times are changing. Christians are beginning to celebrate the holiday more as a day of fun while either ignoring its religious past or embracing a new identity that is molded from their faith.
Kim Cabales is a junior nursing major at Azusa Pacific University. Moving to America from the Philippines gave her a unique perspective on Halloween as she says people in the Philippines prefer to celebrate All Saints Day. To her, All Saints Day is a more appropriate holiday to celebrate as a Christian than Halloween, which she calls “a show holiday.”
“My theology is indifferent [towards] Halloween,” Cabales said. “I think it’s more of a capitalist holiday.”
Other students at APU agree with Cabales, but add that the communal aspect of Halloween should be emphasized the most when speaking about the holiday.
Jaclyn Russell, biblical studies junior, said, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Halloween. It’s not like Christmas or Easter where the emphasis is on spiritual things. It is more about spending time [with friends and family] and having fun.”
Perhaps it is the commercial side of the holiday that allows it to penetrate the homes of many; perhaps, it is the communal aspect. Whichever it may be, the fact remains that both Christians and secular people celebrate it.
A study conducted by LifeWay Research in 2015 indicated that a third of American participants either avoid Halloween or what they consider pagan aspects of it while 59 percent celebrate it or have no issue with the holiday. A follow-up study conducted in 2016 showed that two-thirds of participating Protestant pastors in America encouraged members of their congressions to participate in Halloween events near or in the church.
With the support of churches across the nation and the innocent joys of children during the holiday, I think it is safe to say that Halloween is not a sinful holiday.