You probably already know the answer to that question but let me elaborate on it and what the Bible says about Halloween. Let’s do a short walk through the history of the celebration. Here’s what the History website says concerning the origins of Halloween.

By the 9th century, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands, where it gradually blended with and supplanted older Celtic rites. In 1000 A.D., the church (i.e. Roman Catholic Church, my edit) made November 2 All Souls’ Day, a day to honor the dead. It’s widely believed today that the church was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, church-sanctioned holiday.

All Souls’ Day was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels and devils. The All Saints’ Day celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day) and the night before it, the traditional night of Samhain in the Celtic religion, began to be called All-Hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween.¹

The point of that is to tell you that the origins of Halloween are based in Celtic religion which morphed into Roman Catholicism. It is not a Christian or Bible-based holiday celebration at all. I don’t believe Christians should have any part in it and here’s why:

1. The occult has taken over Halloween and made it their high holy (unholy) day. Witch and warlock covens gather to celebrate it and worship the devil. It is a night of sacrifice to Satan in which an animal (usually a cat or dog) or, in some extreme cases, an infant is killed on an altar as a sacrifice to Satan.
2. Scripture says, “And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret” (Ephesians 5:11, 12). Christian not only are not to participate in this holiday but we’re to expose it for what it is. It isn’t a harmless holiday for dressing up and getting candy. It is rooted in darkness and if we celebrate it we are complicit with it.
3. God warned Israel repeatedly to have nothing to do with the occult whether that was witches, necromancers, sorcerers, mediums, or fortune-tellers. In fact, Leviticus 20:27 commands Israel to kill them and rid the land of them.
4. The False Prophet in the End Times will use sorcery and occult magic to deceive the nations into worshiping the image of the Beast (Revelation 13:14, 15).

You probably already knew that I’d say have nothing to do with it but I can hear the arguments coming: “Irv, what’s wrong with dressing up in costumes and passing out candy to kids? It’s fantasy. It’s make-believe. Lighten up, buddy!” “Irv, there are plenty of other holidays such as Independence Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day that are not Christian holidays and we don’t object to them. Why pick on Halloween?” (Note: none of those secular holidays is religious or celebrate the occult like Halloween.)

So, how should Christians respond to Halloween? Should we turn out the lights and pretend we’re not home when the children ring our doorbells? Should we capitulate to the culture and dress our children in the in vogue costume of the day and send them out trick or treating? Should we do a church hybrid and have a “Trunk or Treat Party” and invite parents to dress their children in costume, come to church, and give them boatloads of candy?

Here are my thoughts on how to handle it as Christians. Have nothing to do with the deeds of darkness! Don’t celebrate it! It is a celebration of the occult. I know. Aren’t we being unkind to the children if we don’t pass out candy? No. They will get plenty from your neighbors. What about our children? Aren’t we depriving them of the fun of dressing up and getting candy? No. Have another night during the year for dressing up your children in costumes, a night not connected with Halloween or the occult. Give them some candy but don’t go crazy and give them a grocery sack full! For churches, have nothing to do with it. No hybrid parties. Nothing! It’s not a good opportunity to reach out in evangelism to the community.

Yeah, I know. You probably think I’m a killjoy. I am but I’m trying to be as biblical in my practice as possible. Join me!

Irv