Should Christians Participate in Halloween--Maybe We Can Even Be a Witness

Is it Best for Christians to Ignore or Participate in Halloween

Should Christians participate in Halloween? Is it a harmless fun time, when children have a chance to get some free candy? Or is it bad for children to go out with other children who might be wearing costumes dressed up like ghosts, witches, and devils? Some Christians take their children out trick or treating; others would never do that; turn their lights off; and refuse to answer the door, much less give out candy to other children. Rather than give a definitive answer to ignoring Halloween or not as a Christian, let's just say some provide fun alternatives for children and use the event to share their faith to parents and children who come to their door.

As Andrew Micklefield points out in the article, Christians and Halloween, on the website, www.thecalvalrywebsite.com, the origin of Halloween is not innocent. A full 500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, druid priests in France and the British Isles held religious ceremonies for six weeks leading to October 31. At that time it was called Samhain. The Druids believed the dark powers of the winter overcame the light powers of summer. They believed this released the spirits of the dead were then free to torment the living. The druids feared the spirits and wore scary costumes to blend in and hide from the evil. Because they believed they spirits were transferred into animals, humans and animals were sacrificed to avoid the upcoming evil. This continued for centuries. It did not even stop when the gospel of Jesus Christ spread to England.

Christians began to look down on such practices more and more. They began to believe something should be done. Pagan temples began to be destroyed. They were rebuilt as churches. Christians' All Saints Day was moved from May to November 1. This holiday celebrated Christians who had overcome the powers of darkness the druids feared and gave believers a chance to witness. The night before began to be known as "All Hallows Evening," later shortened to Halloween.