A few groups of Christians, including some fundamentalist and evangelical Protestant Christians, some Catholics, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, equate Halloween with pagan practices. Some Christians choose not to celebrate the holiday because they believe it is associated with the devil and is evil.
ChristianAnswers.net states, “The October 31st holiday that we today know as Halloween has strong roots in paganism and is closely connected with worship of the Enemy of this world, Satan. It is a holiday that generally glorifies the dark things of this world, rather than the light of Jesus Christ, The Truth.”
Is Halloween really wicked and demonic?
Brief History of Halloween
Halloween is a compilation of pagan and Christian influences. It is, in fact, a symbol of the melding of divergent cultural and spiritual traditions. It is difficult to separate out the specifically pagan and specifically Christian elements of the holiday.
Halloween shows some similarities to the Celtic Samhain festival, which took place on the eve, October 31st, and day of the celebration, November 1st. The Celts believed the veil between this world and the next became blurred at this time of year, which marked the transition from summer to winter.
Celts thought spirits of the deceased could return during Samhain. People welcomed the spirits of relatives who had passed, while warding off harmful ghosts by wearing costumes and masks. Celts also celebrated the autumn harvest during the festival.
The Romans, who took over Celtic lands, also influenced Halloween. The Romans celebrated two festivals, Feralia and Pomona, which took place around the same time as Samhain. Feralia honored the dead, and Pomona honored the Roman goddess of the fruit of trees.
After Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, the Roman Empire became increasingly Christian. Christianity spread throughout Europe, including the Celtic regions.
The Roman Catholic Church designated November 1st as All Saints’ Day, perhaps in an attempt to supplant Samhain with a church holiday. All Saints’ Day was also called All Hallows or Hallowmas, with October 31st becoming known as All Hallows Eve. Eventually, All Hallows Eve became known as Halloween. Later, the church designated November 2nd as All Souls’ Day, a Christian day to honor the dead that included many festivities similar to those enjoyed on Samhain.
Some Christians’ Fear Halloween's Association with Paganism
Generally, Christians’ misgivings about Halloween are a consequence of their fear that the holiday is associated with pagan practices. In turn, some Christians equate paganism with the occult and devil worship.
Jehovah’s Witness Brenda Martin comments, “While it is true that the vast majority of those who celebrate Halloween would claim to spurn Satanic practices, we should, nevertheless, be aware that historically this holiday has close connections with the occult. … Pagan rites and traditions tainted by spiritism simply have no place in Christian worship; they are far from harmless.”
Pat Robertson, quoted on ReligiousTolerance.org, states, "I think we ought to close Halloween down. Do you want your children to dress up as witches? … [The children] are acting out Satanic rituals and participating in it, and don't even realize it.”
Fears about the dark elements of the holiday, however, frequently indicate a lack of understanding of the history and purpose of Halloween. The site Catholicism.About.com observes, “The ‘occult’ aspects of Halloween – ghosts and demons – actually have their roots in Catholic belief.” The purpose of the holiday historically was to honor ancestral and benevolent spirits and ward off malevolent ones, not draw out the devil.
Celebrating Halloween Today
Some very conservative Christians view celebrating holidays associated with other religious traditions as unwise at best and risky to their eternal salvation at worst. Since Halloween was influenced by Pagan traditions, which do not recognize Jesus Christ as savior of humanity, some Christians are fearful that it is associated with dark forces and Satanism.
It seems, however, that some Christians fail to recognize that Halloween was influenced as much by Christianity as by Paganism. Nevertheless, arguments over the origin, history, and purpose of Halloween may be moot as the holiday is primarily secular and non-religious as it is practiced today.
Sources:
Halloween, History.com. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
Is Halloween Satanic?, AltReligion.About.com. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
Jehovah's Witnesses – Halloween, en.AllExperts.com. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
Should Catholics Celebrate Halloween?, Catholicism.About.com. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
Should Christians Participate in Halloween?, ChristianAnswers.net. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
The Story of Halloween, Holidays.net. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
Aimee Larsen Stoddard - Aimee is a professional writer/editor. She has a BA in English and is currently completing an MS in Theology.
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