Why We Shouldn't Celebrate Halloween
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:4 - 5)
If you live in the Americas, it is a very eventful part of the year. With the cold settling in and the nights becoming longer, people begin to bunker for the coming winter months. That being said, people still roam to celebrate certain festivities. One of those festivities being Halloween. For a long time, it has been a very debated question amongst believers: do we or do we not celebrate Halloween? Today, we try to explain what the word of GOD says on the subject by diving into its history and what it means for us in our lives.
To begin, there are no direct mentions of Halloween in the Bible. That being because it is a Celtic holiday, from northern France and the British Isles. It stands important to know the history and origin of the holiday, because during the end times, some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons (1 Timothy 4:11).
Indeed, for the Celtic people, it was the beginning of the year. They believed that the lord of death, Samhain, would send spirits to attack humanity and that the only way to avoid them was through costumes. These costumes were generally those of evil spirits, so to blend in with them. Christians co-opted the festivity once they arrived in the region in the fourth century, so as to be able to convert more people to the faith.
Today, Halloween is a simple celebration with costumes and treats for kids. However, for people who practice Wicca, the official religion of witchcraft, they hold it as a sacred holiday. With the history of the holiday uncovered, it is easier to pinpoint what the Bible says about the subjects in question.
The book of Ephesians reads “Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). As believers, we are supposed to be the light of the world, yet celebrate holidays that promote sorcery? It’s a contradiction in our faith and a compromise that shouldn’t have been done when the first believers arrived in Celtic territory, nor today. God is clear on how He does not want compromise, saying : “You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too” (1 Corinthians 10:21).
We can conclude with a reading of Romans 12:2, which reads “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Just because Halloween is popular to the world, doesn’t mean that you are meant to celebrate it. As a child of GOD, you are called to be set apart for you are not of this world (John 15:19). Therefore, do not be weary if the world sees you as being different for not celebrating Halloween with them, the world hates what is of GOD.