What are Christians supposed to do with the Halloween festival?
I pondered this same question while my kids were growing up. My family was deeply involved with the holiday then one day the Lord shone his light on the true understanding of what it meant.
History goes back to the 16th Century and has its roots in the Gaelic festival of Samhain, marking the end of the harvest season. It is also known as Halloweens Eve or All Saints Day.
Who is Samhain? He was a horned One, the stag of great antlers, the God of the wild hunt. He was a powerful, special demon that could only arise by two powerful witches through 3 blood sacrifices by the end of Harvest, Oct. 31. He was seen at a time when the boundary between this world and the outer world could be crossed. The OaSis spirits could easily come into our world and take you back to their world. Hence the tradition of costumes came about to disguise oneself from the OaSis. If you looked like a spirit or deceased being, they would ignore you.
Around 1,200 years ago Halloween was appropriated by the early Catholic Church. It’s possible that’s where the Mexican “The Day of the Dead” came from. Halloween traditions were adopted into the Americas in the 19century through Irish immigrants. After learning of Halloweens background, so, a decision was made to turn this festival into something positive, that would bring glory to the Lord. I changed the name to “Fall Festival” and made it into a time of games and fun for all the children and young adults in our community. Christianity should not be interpreted as something negative to our youth with a lot of No, No. We must provide a healthy alternative for them. I once heard a story of a Christian woman who used the pumpkin to illustrate salvation to her Sunday School class. First, you wash it down and scoop out all the junk and carve a happy face because Jesus washes and scoops out all the bad stuff in our life. A light is placed inside the pumpkin to illustrate the Jesus light within when we ask him into our life then a carved happy face tells us we have become one of His children. A cute illustration that can turn something bad into good. So, all my pumpkins have happy faces.
So, as we grow closer to this festive day, as a Christian, what do you think you should do about Halloween?
Following is some scripture that may help you make that decision. Eph. 5:10-11 “Learn as you go along what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless pleasures of evil and darkness, but instead rebuke and expose them.”
I Thess. 5:22,23 “Keep away from every kind of Evil. May the God of peace himself make you entirely pure and devoted to God; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept strong and blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes back again.”
Det. 18:10,11,13 “No Israeli (still good for our generation) may practice black magic, or call on the evil spirits for aid, or be a fortune teller, or be a serpent charmer, medium, or wizard, or call for the spirits of the dead. V. 13 You must walk blamelessly before the Lord your God.”
As a Christian, the choice is yours to make on what you do with Halloween.
Prayer: Father God, keep me on the straight and narrow path and align my will with your purpose and plan for me. Amen
Verse: Eph. 4:15,16 “Instead, we will lovingly follow the truth at all times—speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly and so become more and more in every way like Christ who is the Head of his body the Church. Under His direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly, and each part in its own special way helps the other parts so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
Lupie Riley is married for 58 years, with four children, nine grandchildren, and three greats. She has been a freelance writer for over 40 years. Presently working on a book and her priorities are God first, family, and country.
