Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

This is a question we have been asked several times recently, so we decided to address it. In this article, we want to answer the question: Where does Summit Church stand on Halloween? In order to give an intelligent answer, let's first consider the facts.

How did Halloween originate?

The origin is Celtic in tradition and deals with the end of the summer sacrifices to the Druid gods. It was also the beginning of the Celtic year, and they believed that the god of death, Samhain, would send evil spirits to attack people. In order to deceive the evil spirits, the Celts would dress up like evil spirits themselves. Thus, most of our modern day Halloween practices can be traced back to these pagan rites. (Source: Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?, Elliot Watson, www.cbn.com)

How does modern witchcraft view Halloween?

Halloween is actually one of their two high and (un)holy days. The belief that evil spirits are released on Halloween is very prominent in their practices. This, along with the worship of Samhain (the god of death) is promoted among contemporary occultic groups like Wicca (source: Watson).

Based on this knowledge, what should our response be as a believer in Jesus Christ?

During this time of year, it seems that most everyone around us embraces Halloween. Nearly every retailer has some sort of Halloween display, many of which feature witches, ghosts and other scary stuff. This year, 7 in 10 Americans will celebrate Halloween, spending some $6.9 billion on the holiday, according to the National Retail Federation. Even in public schools where it is forbidden to put up a cross on Easter, witches and ghosts line the walls during Halloween. What should our response be to all this? (Source: A Tricky Holiday: Should Christians Ignore or Embrace Halloween? Sarah Hamaker, www.crosswalk.com)

Our guide and standard should always be the Word of God.

1 Corinthians 10:20 - "No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don't want you to participate with demons." (NLT)

2 Corinthians 6:14-16 - "Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God."

1 Thessalonians 5:22 - "Shun the very appearance of evil."

If you are a parent, God has given you an awesome responsibility to raise your children in a Godly manner. Their ability to resist evil, spiritual influences is much less than yours. If you allow them to celebrate Halloween, you are potentially opening them up to unwanted influences that they are not emotionally ready to handle. As the above Scriptures teach, what part does the light have with darkness? If everything pertaining to Halloween deals with fear and darkness, why should we want to have anything to do with it? Furthermore, we do not think it is wise for Christians to participate in anything that is part of the dark world. This includes vampires, witches, werewolves, seances, Ouija boards, and Harry Potter (not to mention these are forbidden by Scripture).

Suggestions

Rather than celebrate evil, this is a great time to teach your children some basic spiritual truths. Here are some suggestions (age appropriately):

• There is a real spirit world with goodness from God and evil from the devil (Ephesians 2:1-10).
• Greater is Jesus Who lives in us than the devil who is in the world (1 John 4:4)
• Those who celebrate Halloween are either ignorant to what it is really about or they are intentionally promoting evil which they believe is the ultimate power (Source: Watson).
• Great opportunity to use this time of the year to share Jesus with those who don't know Him. Turn the evil into good!

The reason many people celebrate Halloween is because they do not believe witches, ghosts and even the devil exist. Therefore, they see no harm in celebrating it. But, as believers, we know differently and should act accordingly.

Conclusion

Because of the above reasons, Summit Church does not celebrate Halloween nor do we promote it in any way. We do not even believe that there is a Christian substitute for it. We encourage you to pray about your response and involvement in Halloween. You must be led by your personal conviction based on the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

                   Pastors Hal & Lisa Boehm