Halloween is that time of the year when the world celebrates its fascination with blood, death, horror, and the occult. Stores stock up with goodies for children as they go “trick or treat.” All of this is done under the banner of “scary fun.” No doubt many parents view Halloween only as a time when their children dress up as witches, devils, monsters, or the latest cartoon hero. Though many think this is all cute, there is a serious side to Halloween that needs to be examined.

While some think that Halloween has some association with Christianity, this is not at all true. All Hallows, or All Saints Day was originally a Roman Catholic holiday honoring martyred saints. In the 8th century Pope Gregory III established November 1 as the day of this holiday. It was one century later that Pope Gregory IV declared that All Saints Day was to be observed by all Roman Catholics. The day prior to the Roman Catholic holiday is the Celtic festival of Samhain. This festival later came to be called All Hallows Eve or Halloween.

The practices and traditions of Halloween are actually the rituals of the Druidic feast of death, Samhain. The Druids were the priestly class of the ancient Celts. In the Celtic religion October 31 was the end of summer. November 1 was the start of the new year for both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon calendars.

On the eve of Samhain the barriers between the worlds are there thinnest. The ability for the living and the dead to communicate freely is heightened on this day. Hell’s gates were believed to be unlocked and the souls of the dead were freed. The Lord of the Dead, who was to be reincarnated, released the sinful souls that had been trapped in the bodies of animals.  According to pagan mythology, the underworld (Hell) was not only a place for the wicked, but also a place of paradise. The Greek poet, Homer, wrote of the underworld as a place where the heroes could go to obtain knowledge or even treasures.

The beliefs of the Druids were similar to those of Hinduism. They believed in reincarnation, animism, and Shamanism. They ask believed that the Lord of the Dead would lighten the punishment of the wicked if gifts were offered for them (similar to the unbiblical teaching of purgatory). Although some have tried to identify Samhain as the Lord of the Dead there is not enough archaeological evidence to support this belief. Rather, the name Samhain is the title of the festival itself.

When the veil between the worlds was thinnest, the festival of the dead (Samhain) was a time to burn great fires (bonfires). The fires were believed to frighten the wicked spirits that the Lord of the Dead had freed. The evil spirits were also believed to play tricks on humans as part of their anger. During the festival, the Celts and their Druidic priests would wear grotesque costumes as they danced around the fire pretending to be pursued by mischievous spirits of the dead. Though the bonfires were lit to scare away the spirits, the costumes were worn so that the spirits would not be able to tell the difference between the living and the dead, and thus was they would not harm the living.

Food was also provided to appease the spirits. The Celts believed that if one did not treat the spirits, they would retaliate with a trick. The fires also served as a sacred rite that included human and animal sacrifices. To this day, most modern Druids and neo-pagans do not practice these sacrifices; however, it is a part of their ancestral past they would rather not talk about.

The Celtic religion was closely related to nature worship. Samhain is considered the Witches New Year. Wicca believes in dualism expressed as god or goddess. The feminine aspect of god, the goddess, is believed to be kinder than the masculine aspect. The feminine aspect is also believed to be the most powerful of the dualistic natures. In fact, Wicca is prominent in the feminist movement, as the male is considered inferior to the creative abilities of the female.

The belief in the mother goddess is prominent among pagan religions. The belief is that we all come from the goddess and will return to her like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean. Sadly, in a 1962 speech in Newport, R.I., former President John F. Kennedy reiterated the same: "We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether...it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came."

The activity of bobbing for apples was a ceremonial tool at Samhain connected to nature worship. It is used for sexual divination. The water represented the veil that is thin between the worlds. The apples were believed to be gifts from the goddess of the underworld. Bobbing for apples at Halloween was believed to reveal one’s future spouse. The first one to bite into an apple was also believed to be the first person to marry in the coming year, similar to today’s practice of throwing the bride’s bouquet for the women and the garter for the men. Keeping one’s head underwater for a longer time was also believed to be a divinatory activity. The longer an unbroken apple peel was said to be the destiny of the length of one’s life.

The jack-o-lanterns were a symbol of a damned soul and emphasized sympathy for the dead. The hideous candle-lit faces carved out of the pumpkins were believed to scare away the evil spirits. The black cats were reincarnations and were supposed to have magic powers. It was not uncommon to have feasts for the dead in return for blessing. A witch’s broomstick was a phallic symbol believed to transform sexual energy into psychic energy. The cauldrons are representative of the womb of the mother goddess. The cauldrons are fertility symbols common to nature worship.

The true practice of Halloween is to honor the mother goddess and to seek an abundant harvest for the new year. Therefore, if the historical roots of the holiday prove to be pagan in every manner, how can Christians participate, even innocently, in a pagan day traced directly to the occult?  Not only are there physical dangers of Halloween such as poisoned candy and the chance of a stranger kidnapping children, but also there are serious spiritual dangers. For instance, Halloween has been a common day to encourage occultic activities, such as divination, spiritism, and the use of the Ouija boards.

Many children have become interested in the occult due to participation in Halloween. Certainly, Jesus’ words of rebuke to anyone that would lead just one child astray (Matthew 18:6) is reason enough to discourage children from participating in Halloween. Furthermore, if all Halloween activities and customs are traced to paganism, no Christian should participate in the holiday even in “innocent fun.”

Even if Christians come up with Halloween alternatives this is still recognizing the holiday. Most churches have harvest festivals and encourage kids to dress in biblical costumes, but this is exactly what Halloween is all about. Halloween is a holiday that glorifies Satan and mocks God, thus to compromise is still to imitate the pagan practices. Satan surely knows the meaning behind Halloween, and certainly God does as well.  Third John 11 states, “follow not that which is evil.” Other Scriptures speak volumes against a holiday that is 100% pagan. One cannot separate the reality behind the symbolism. Other Scriptures speak volumes against a holiday that is 100% pagan. One cannot separate the reality behind the symbolism (Deut. 18:9; Isa. 47:9; Jer. 10:1-3; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; Eph. 5:1, 8-11).

Rather than trying to Christianize Halloween its beliefs and practices are diametrically opposed to the Christian faith. Rather than trying to find Halloween alternatives, why not set the day apart to remember the Reformation?  It was on 31 October 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenburg, Germany. He protested against the unbiblical teachings and practices that were prevalent in his day.

Halloween can be a time to educate, pray, and be active in spiritual warfare concerning truth.

Jesus Christ descended from heaven to this earth (Eph. 4:9) to lay down His life to set forth a propitiation through faith in Jesus Christ to declare His grace through righteousness unto eternal life to declare all that will believe in Jesus Christ’s payment for their sins as being the righteousness of God, apart from good works (Rom. 3:21-25). This same Jesus that descended to the earth also ascended into heaven proclaiming captivity captive, that is, victory over death and evil. As the victorious conqueror, Jesus made a public display of His enemies giving grace to all men who believe in the only way, truth, and life—Jesus Christ (Jn. 14:6; Rom. 3:21-25; 10:6, 7; 1 Cor. 15:23-26; Eph. 4:8-10; Col. 2:13-15; Heb. 2:14, 15; 1 Pet. 3:18).