Is Halloween Pagan?
Every year, toward the end of October, the church experiences a difficult division amongst believers. Questions begin floating around the congregation: “Should Christians celebrate Halloween?” “Is Halloween pagan?” and the like. There are so many different aspects to consider when tackling this topic, but we’ll just look at a couple.
First, “is Halloween pagan?”
There is no clear answer to this question, as there is no historical timeline to follow. No one is certain of how it became a day where kids dress up and go door to door to gather candy from their neighbors, or what it originally began as. However, I propose, as I will explain, that even if Halloween began as a pagan holiday, it does not matter today. Some say that we should have nothing to do with anything which has roots in paganism. But people who say this cannot be consistent as Christians.
You are probably unaware that baptism was practiced before Jesus was born. It was practiced by the Babylonians in the rituals and worship of their pagan gods. If it is true that Christians are never to have anything to do with anything that was done by pagans, then why would Jesus command us to be baptized? This is what I call an “argument from origin.” The fallacy lies in assuming that something always has the same meaning and purpose as it originally did. For example, even if trick-or-treating was derived from an ancient practice that pagans used in their worship of their false gods, it is fallacious to suggest that a little girl dressed like a ladybug, hopping from door to door getting candy from her neighbors is unknowingly worshiping pagan deities.
Second question: “Should Christians celebrate Halloween?”
This question depends on two main points: 1) How are you “celebrating” Halloween? 2) Conscience
If your way of observing Halloween includes getting drunk, dressing immodestly, or engaging in necromancy (contacting the dead), then the answer is clear from scripture. These things are wicked and should not be part of the Christian’s life. If, however, you are letting your kids dress up in innocent costumes and go trick-or-treating, there is nothing inherently wrong with that. But there is something else which deserves consideration, and that brings us to the conscience.
I don’t think it necessary to spend a lot of time explaining that we as believers are to follow our conscience in areas not clearly explained in scripture as being right or wrong. I do, however, find it necessary to explain what we are to do when two consciences disagree. Romans 14 is very clear that it is the believer whose conscience is affirming of an activity who is to bear with the believer with the weaker conscience, that is, a conscience that forbids them from participating in something.
If I have a brother or sister in Christ who came out of the occult and subsequently feels that anything having to do with Halloween is wrong, I want to walk in love toward them and not cause them to stumble. For example, nowadays that might mean not sharing pictures for them to see on facebook (you can actually post a picture and specifically change your privacy settings so that it won’t show up on their news feed). This principle is usually left out of sermons on the conscience. Romans 14 tells us that for the one who thinks it to be sin, for him/her, it is s in. So why would I want to encourage someone to participate in something for which their conscience will condemn them? We need to be sensitive and long-suffering with the weaknesses of our brothers and sisters.
There is so much more that could be said on this subject and I will of course link some helpful resources that will help you to think deeper and more importantly, biblically, on this subject.
Recommended Resources:
Videos:
Halloween Is Not Pagan by InspiringPhilosophy
A Pastor Shares His Thoughts on Halloween by Mike Winger