What does the Bible say about HALLOWEEN?
Should Christians celebrate it?

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Halloween is celebrated around the world - but what is its origins? Is the origin of the holiday and its traditions from the Bible? Is the holiday just HARMLESS FUN? Why do church people celebrate it? Where did we get the word Halloween?

Without a doubt the holiday and its celebrations do not come from the Bible! It comes from the Catholic church and its running out of days in which to celebrate a particular saint. Halloween came from "All Saints Day" or "All Hallows" which the church picked as November 1 - a day to celebrate ALL the saints.

Origin of the holiday

The origins of Halloween and its symbols are fairly well known. For example, the Library of Congress (U.S.) research center states:

"Virtually all present Halloween traditions can be traced to the ancient Celtic day of the dead . . . In old England cakes were made for the wandering souls, and people went "a' soulin'" for these 'soul cakes.' . . . " (Halloween: The Fantasy and Folklore of All Hallows, The American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress)

"(while) some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, derived from the Old Irish Samuin meaning summer's end" (Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, pp. 11–21)

Why do religious people celebrate it?

Why do people, including MANY who profess to believe the Bible and state that they consider themselves Christians, celebrate Halloween? The simple answer is to THEM (not God) it does not make any difference. They will say they see no harm in cavorting about dressed like a devil or a skeleton. They enjoy giving out candy to children and having 'fun' at parties. In fact, in recent years many adults have gravitated to the festivities of the holiday because they can enjoy themselves completely - without feeling 'burdened' by the expectations and responsibilities of other holidays (e.g. Christmas, Easter, etc.). They also do not see anything ultimately wrong with having their children have "harmless holiday fun" through stories involving spells, witches, demons, death, suffering and so on.

What does the Bible say about Halloween?

God commands His people,

"When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess . . . take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them . . . and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'HOW DID THESE NATIONS SERVE THEIR GODS? I ALSO WILL DO LIKEWISE.' You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods . . ." (Deuteronomy 12:29-31, NKJV throughout)

"There SHALL NOT be found among you anyone . . . who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an ABOMINATION to the LORD . . . " (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)

Halloween is an entirely worldly celebration with no basis in the Bible. God reminds us through the Apostle John:

"Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father IS NOT IN HIM. " (1John 2:15).

Simply put, the holiday and its symbols originated not in the Bible but with people deceived by the devil to worship FALSE (pagan) gods. No true believer in God should be involved in the holiday, with its celebration of pain, suffering, evil and death - not to mention its worship (at times cleverly disguised) of God's adversary. Of course, if there is no God, it doesn't make any difference. But God EXISTS, and he clearly forbids indulging in evil practices!

For all its trappings and 'fun' Halloween is condemned by God and should be avoided.