What is a Christian view of Halloween? What does the Bible say about Halloween?
Updated: Oct 28, 2021
Although our current Halloween celebrations have religious overtones, the festival is not biblical in nature. It is associated with "All Saints' Day," but Scripture does not endorse this feast. We are not instructed in the Bible to pray for the deceased. There is no purgatory from which the deceased must flee. The spirits of the deceased do not return to see us on this planet. And, while the Bible does not prohibit us from remembering our loved ones, it does not condone the practice, and seeking to contact them was a capital offense (Leviticus 19:31).
Christians are permitted to celebrate Halloween to the extent that they feel comfortable doing so and that their traditions do not involve the occult.
With this in mind, each component of Halloween may be examined for its present cultural and personal relevance. Endorsing or representing demons, evil, sin, or anything that might cause another to sin is not biblical. However, there is no prohibition in the Bible against constructing gourd lanterns, dressing up as superheroes or princesses, or asking neighbors for sweets. Harvest Parties are a popular Halloween alternative for many churches and Christian organizations. Others encourage their members to use Halloween to meet their neighbors in the hopes of witnessing.
At the same time, if the origins of Halloween persuade a Christian to reject the celebration as a whole, he or she should be able to do so while allowing others to act on their own convictions. We are not to judge anyone who exercises their Christian liberty in a way that violates our personal values inside the church. According to Romans 14:5-6,
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
Verses 13-19, on the other hand, state that we should not use our freedom to persuade somebody to do something that he or she considers to be sinful. "I know and believe in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in and of itself, but it is unclean for anyone who considers it to be dirty" (Romans 14:14).
Our heart attitude should neither be one of trying to defend the secular custom of Halloween, nor one of looking for bad intent when none exists. Instead, we should make every effort to honor God in whatever we do. Our activities should reflect God's leadership on our own lives, whether we go trick-or-treating, attend a Harvest Party, or avoid the day entirely.
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