Every October, a strange phenomenon happens among Christians. Jesus-followers seem to split into two parties: those who celebrate Halloween, and those who don’t. The ones who don’t, trumpet their opinions on social media, and the ones who do, get defensive.
I’m tired of the fear-inducing, guilt-tripping, emotionally charged argument from the “anti-Halloween” side. I’m also tired of the carefree, unserious, nonchalant arguments from the “pro-Halloween” side.
I think I can speak for many Christians when I say this: I’m not interested in looking holy, doing what everyone else is doing, or holding tight to my traditions if they don’t please God. I just want what God wants.
But Halloween isn’t so clear-cut, is it? We wouldn’t have such division if it wasn’t.
We’ve heard the scriptures defending both sides, and those obviously have power. But today I’m going to focus more on the logical arguments behind each side, because that’s personally what I struggle with the most. Both sides are riddled with fallacies, which makes it difficult to find the truth of the matter.
I don’t really have much of an opinion on this, and I’m trying to be fair to both sides. Let’s remember we’re all going to heaven, alright? We’re friends here. And if I’m off-base, let me know in the comments – I don’t have an ego about this.
Here are my honest thoughts on each “side”:
Anti-Halloween
The anti-Halloween Christians passionately quote scriptures like Ephesians 5:11, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”
It’s clear throughout the Bible witchcraft is a sin, and Christians should not seek counsel from witches or practice sorcery. Romans 12:9 says “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” You could also reference 1 Thessalonians 5:22, which calls Christians to “reject every kind of evil.”
These verses are compelling, but it is difficult to discern how far the biblical definition of “evil” stretches. Here are my issues with the Anti-Halloween side:
The Origin Argument
Anti-Halloween Christians argue that because Halloween has roots in satanic practices and cults, Christians shouldn’t participate in any element of the holiday itself.
This does seem compelling, but let’s play devil’s advocate: does the sinful or pagan origin of a tradition, activity, or idea immediately disqualify its legitimacy in every case?
Immediately, I think of the chiropractor. I have my own thoughts on chiropractic work itself, but I know many Christians who believe in chiropractic almost as much as they believe in their faith. Chiropractic has its roots in a cult. Should Christians then refuse to participate?
A more broad example comes to mind: modern medicine and science. Many scientific discoveries came from non-Christians – should we then reject them? This seems like an exaggerated example, but I’m simply pointing out the flaw in the logic. Where does a Christian draw the line between Halloween and science? Is there a line?
The Non-Christian Participation Argument
Anti-Halloween Christians also argue that if non-Christians celebrate Halloween, crime elevates on October 31st, and Satanic rituals occur around the world, Christians should not celebrate the holiday altogether.
To this I ask, does the participation of non-Christians in an event or tradition mean Christians should not participate? Furthermore, does the presence of sinful individuals in an activity suggest Christians shouldn’t participate?
My mind goes to sports. Some fans watch football on Sunday afternoons casually, just for fun. Some fans get raving drunk, become belligerent, and commit crimes at sporting events. Because these people choose to sin while they participate in sports, does that mean Christians should avoid sports?
Let’s look at a more extreme case: the bar. People get drunk, lust runs wild, and hookups initiate. Should Christians avoid bars altogether? Should they abstain from alcohol completely (which also encourages a myriad of sins)?
The Cult Influence Argument
Christians who once followed cults warn of the cult practices that surge during Halloween, and its influence on the holiday as a whole. It is a terrifying thought, I can’t deny.
But to this I ask, do the beliefs and practices of the minority of people participating in a holiday signify the belief of the whole?
Christians celebrate Christmas because of Jesus’s birth – but to non-Christians, the holiday is more about gift-giving and Santa. They certainly would not subscribe to any Christian belief simply because they celebrate Christmas. In the same way, a Christian certainly wouldn’t subscribe to a satanic belief or cult practice simply by celebrating Halloween.
Here, we could also get into the choice involved with demonic influence.
I’ve found some Christians believe demons can possess you regardless of your faith; I’ve heard others say you can’t be possessed unless you invite demonic activity in.
From my limited understanding, the Holy Spirit and demons can’t occupy the same space – and if that’s true, what is the fear in demonic presence as a Christian whose heart has room for nothing else? If there is choice involved, and you choose not to invite that in, what is the issue with walking around your neighborhood to collect candy with your kids?
The Pro-Halloween Side
Okay, you’re probably thinking “unbiased? Ya right.” But I’m not finished.
Pro-Halloween Christians take a more casual stance: they see no issue in dressing their kids up in a cute puppy costume and walking with them around the neighborhood to collect candy.
Sure, they don’t decorate their homes with ghouls and gore, but they enjoy the tradition with their kids. Let’s take a closer look:
The Left-Out Argument
Pro-Halloween Christians argue their kids won’t understand why they can’t celebrate Halloween like the rest of their friends, and may development resentment about the “Christian rules” they have to follow surrounding the holiday.
I’ve seen this issue legitimately in my own life: my father wasn’t allowed to celebrate Halloween growing up, and even as a Christian, he doesn’t talk about his parents’ decision with admiration or reverence – he talks about it with frustration and resentment. He felt left out each year, and thus made the choice to celebrate Halloween with his kids instead.
This argument has legitimacy, but the root is flawed. Let’s play devil’s advocate here as well: aren’t we supposed to be left out as Christians?
There are many things we, as Christians, shouldn’t participate in. If we argued feeling left out justified our participation in any activity, there would be far more Christians who do drugs, sleep around, dress inappropriately, etc. The world will always pressure Christians to act like everyone else. The Christian life should look different.
The Innocence Argument
Pro-Halloween Christians argue that they only participate in the innocent side of Halloween – the cute kid costumes, the door-to-door candy-collecting from neighbors they know, cute and innocent Halloween decorations, pumpkin carving.
They don’t pretend the evil side of Halloween doesn’t exist, they just believe if they don’t actively participate in it, there’s no harm done.
There is a counter-argument here: no matter how much you try to shelter your kids on Halloween, they will eventually be exposed to the not-so-cute side. And the consequence of participating in a holiday where gory lawn decorations, scary costumes, and dark subject matter are everywhere, is that these things soon become normalized.
I don’t even bat an eye anymore at a bloodied corpse hanging from my neighbor’s rafters, and I have to ask myself: is that a problem?
The “Not a Big Deal” Argument
The final argument I hear from pro-Halloween Christians is that it’s simply not that big of a deal. It’s one day out of the year. Their kids are just having fun. It’s not that deep.
This certainly is a tempting response when the Christian answer on Halloween seems so veiled, but we can’t fall into this trap.
Here’s a counter argument: The day Jesus died on the cross was just one day out of the year, but it’s quite a big deal. The culture around Halloween spreads much further past October 31st alone – it permeates the entire month of October. And sure, the kids are just having fun, but a lot of sinful things are “just fun.”
The Final Stance
I’m still unsure. But there is one final thought I will leave with you, the one that’s felt the most compelling to me:
Satan’s ultimate goal is not to rope you in with his demons, get you to glorify gore, and convince you to dwell on dark things.
His ultimate goal is to get you to worship anything but God; ideally, yourself.
Which is equally as tempting and possible whether you celebrate Halloween or not.
I do believe the self-righteous, I’m-better-than-everyone-else attitude of the anti-Halloweeners can be dangerous. I also believe the pro-Halloween argument that “God’s not going to care if I celebrate one day,” can be dangerous as well, placing your judgement in the position of God’s.
At the end of the day, God knows the heart and the intentions.
I did see one post recently that suggested instead of allowing Halloween to “glorify sin and death”, we instead view Halloween as a way of mocking death.
Think about it: all these skeletons, ghosts, and graves adorn the yards of suburban neighborhoods, and yet children walk the streets, safe and unafraid. Sure, we shouldn’t make light of death, but can’t we make fun of it a little bit? Death is defeated. We don’t need to be afraid.
At the end of the day, it’s your call. I’ll leave you with a quote from one of my favorite songs:
“When I see the devil’s eyes
I’ll look away and smile wide
You found me
Then I’ll know you’re also there
‘Cause proof is in the adversaire.”
~ Drag Path, 21 Pilots
XOXO,
Annabelle