There are many people, who celebrate Halloween on October 31, because Halloween is part of their culture. They participate in Halloween activities and decorate their homes with Halloween decorations and the children put on costumes and go trick-and-treating. But what is Halloween exactly? What is the history of Halloween? Why is Halloween celebrated? What is the spiritual significance of Halloween? But most important, what happens in the spiritual realm during Halloween? Should Christians celebrate Halloween and should Christians participate in Halloween activities? What does the Bible say about Halloween? Is Halloween really an innocent feast, as so many people believe and say? or isn’t it? If it isn’t, why is Halloween dangerous? What is the danger of Halloween that many people are not aware of?
What is the history of Halloween?
The roots of Halloween are found in the ancient Celtic harvest feast ’Samhain’. Samhain marks the end of summer and the beginning of winter. The Celtic calendar marks this day as the beginning of the New Year. Samhain starts from sunset on October 31 until sunset on November 1. This ancient pagan harvest feast was celebrated in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isles of Man. During Samhain many pagan rituals took place.
Samhain was also a feast of the dead. The Celts thought, that on that day, the boundary between the visible realm and the spirit realm was so thin, that supernatural beings, spirits, fairies, and the souls of the dead, would visit the earth.
In order to ease these spirits and the souls of the dead and to ensure that they would leave the people alone, families would place food and drinks for them outside their doors.
Jack-O-Lanterns
They made Jack-O’-Lanterns, which are monstrous carved pumpkins or turnips, that function as lanterns. Although the sculpting and carving of vegetables was an ancient custom and was done by many people groups all over the world, the Jack-O’-Lanterns derive from the Celtic culture and go all the way back to the 19th Century.
The Jack-O’-Lanterns represented the spirits of supernatural beings and were used to ward off evil powers.
On October 31, people were dressed in costumes and went from door to door, to recite verses and sing songs in exchange for food.
The costumes they wore, were related to death. So that the people disguised and united themselves with the spirits of the dead and the souls of the dead. They became their representatives. When they went from door to door, they collected the offerings (food) on behalf of the spirits and souls of the dead.
By taking on the form of spirits and the souls of the dead, they represented the death. They thought that they would be protected against the spirits and souls of the dead. There was no difference anymore between those, who were alive and those, who were dead.
They became unrecognizable and equal to the dead. Therefore, they didn’t have to be afraid, that the spirits and the souls of the dead would recognize them, nor that they would possess them.
The religious feast Allhallowtide
Allhallowtide is a three days religious festival, that derives from Samhain (Celtic harvest feast). During the 8 Century, Allhallowtide became an official festival. During Allhallowtide, the dead were remembered. The dead became the essence of this festival. This religious festival is (still) celebrated by several Christian denominations: the Roman Catholic church, the Anglican church, the Lutheran Church, and the Methodist church.
The church in Rome adopted many pagan habits and rituals and applied them to the church. One of the reasons would be, that they thought, it was a way to convert pagans to Christendom.
But there’s also another reason, why we see many Celtic influences in the church. Because during the Roman occupation of Ireland, many Celts were converted and became Catholics. But…. they didn’t remove their pagan habits and rituals.
They became Catholics but kept their Celtic feasts, habits, and rituals.
Unfortunately, this still happens in our age, when people repent and accept Jesus Christ as Saviour. They repent but don’t remove their old practices, habits, behavior, and rituals. They hold on to their culture (Read also: ‘Every culture disappears in Jesus Christ‘)
Allhallowtide consists of:
- All saints eve (Halloween) – October 31
- All saints day (All Hallows) – November 1
- All souls day – November 2
All saints eve; Halloween
On All saints eve; Halloween, the dead, namely the martyrs, are remembered. They also believed, that on All saints eve (Halloween), the veil between the visible realm and the hereafter, was so thin, that the deceased souls came to the earth to visit and possess people, just like the Celts believed.
The church in Rome also had Jack-O’-Lanterns, which represented the deceased souls of those who were in an intermediate state or place; purgatory. Those who died in the state of grace were on their way to heaven but had to undergo purification for their unpunished sin. So that, they would become holy and could enter heaven.
On‘ All saints eve’ they held church services, where the dead were remembered by means of prayer, incense and by burning candles. After service, they visited cemeteries and placed flowers and burning candles on the graves, in preparation to ‘All Saints Day’
All saints day or All-hallows
During All Saints Day, also called All Hallows, the deceased saints and martyrs are remembered and prayed for. They believed, that there was a strong spiritual connection, between those, who were dead and in heaven and those, who lived on the earth.
These days, many protestant churches also participate and remember the dead and the deceased members of the church. They visit the cemeteries, where their loved ones are buried.
All souls day
On All souls day, all the dead were remembered. In many English towns, the practice of ‘souling’ took place, whereby children and the poor went from door to door, to sing a song or to say a prayer for the residents in exchange for money, apples, soul cake, etc. The soul cakes represented the souls of the dead.
Halloween in America
Due to the large Irish and Scottish immigrant stream during the 19th century and their strong cultural influence, Halloween became part of American culture. Nowadays, Halloween is the largest commercialized feast in the United States.
Halloween events
On Halloween, many schools, societies, organizations, companies, amusement parks, clubs, etc. participate in Halloween and organize Halloween events. Halloween is not only a feast for children but also for adults. Many adults also dress up in scary horrifying Halloween costumes and go to (lounge)bars, clubs, Halloween parties, etc. Some people organize themed Halloween parties themselves for friends and/or family.
A few Halloween activities are ‘trick or treat’, visiting haunted houses, ghost walking tours, watching horror movies, playing divination games (i.e. ouija board game, Charlie Charlie (pencil game), tarot cards) consulting spirits, Wicca rituals, bonfires, etc.
Halloween decorations
Many people decorate their homes and gardens with Halloween decorations and symbols, which represent the dead. We see evil pumpkins; ‘Jack-O’-Lanterns, spiderwebs, scarecrows, skeletons, ghosts, bats, vampires, witches or other zombie-like creatures in gardens and windows. There are even houses, that turn their gardens into cemeteries with traces of (fake) blood.
Many companies, stores, and shopping malls, including Christian companies and stores, take advantage of Halloween. They make effective use of Halloween by turning their merchandise into Halloween-themed merchandise. Because that will increase their revenue. Stores and shopping malls are being transformed into scary Halloween-themed stores and malls in order to attract as many people as possible.
Instead of Christians withdrawing themselves from this pagan holiday, many ‘Christian’ stores and suppliers participate and open their doors for the death and the kingdom of darkness to enter. Many are not willing or are afraid to rise up and take a stand for Jesus Christ, by abstaining from Halloween and therefore they join the world.
Trick or treat
On October 31 after sunset, it’s time for the children to get dressed in a Halloween costumes and to be disguised as a pirate, zombie, witch, magician, skeleton, goblin, vampire, Dracula, superhero (that has occult powers), cat, etc. The children disguise themselves and go from door to door with their lanterns to ‘trick or treat’, while representing the dead. In some places, it happens that when people don’t participate and don’t open the door for the children, their houses will be cursed.
In the northwestern and middle part of Mexico ‘trick or treat’ is called ‘calaverita’ and means little skull. The children go from door to door and ask for a little skull, which is often made of sugar or chocolate.
Through the influence of the American social media and entertainment industry, Halloween and ‘trick or treat’ has gained popularity and has been adopted by many countries worldwide.
Halloween is the festival of the dead
There are many more things to say about Halloween, but one thing is for sure. Halloween is the feast of the dead. Everything revolves around one thing: dead. The dead is the center of attention and is being honored and exalted during Halloween.
By decorating homes with evil scary Halloween decorations, people open the doors of their homes for the dead and evil spirits to enter.
Children, teenagers, and (young) adults unite themselves with the dead, by disguising themselves in characters, who are related to death and the occult dark world. By doing that, a spiritual transmission will take place.
And that’s not all, what about all the Halloween activities, like horror movies, horror hikes, playing occult games, visiting haunted houses, performing rituals whereby spirits are being consulted, bonfires, etc.
When you participate in Halloween you open the door for the dead and evil spirits to enter your life. It doesn’t matter if you claim to be a Christian or not. When you engage in Halloween, you enter the territory of the devil. The devil shall enter your life and eventually destroy it.
A born again believer shall never engage in Halloween
Born again Christians, who walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh, shall never participate in Halloween. Why not? Because born again Christians discern the spirits and the spiritual realm They shall never open the door to allow the dead and evil spirits to enter their homes, the life of their child(ren), and their own lives. They shall never try to Christianize Halloween so that they can participate in the trends and customs of this world.
Born again Christians stay faithful to Jesus Christ. They will stay in Him and represent Life.
They shall abstain from the works of the kingdom of darkness; the world, where the death is king and reigns.
Born again believers shall never become partakers of demonic powers and death. Because they have been delivered from the kingdom of darkness and death.
The death doesn’t reign in their lives anymore. Unless they return to their old kingdom; the kingdom of darkness.
The born again Christians walk in the Kingdom of God representing life instead of death. They shall obey the Word and the Holy Spirit instead of the world. Even if this means, that they will experience resistance and persecution by their families, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and/or colleagues.
As soon as you compromise and participate in the customs of this world, that go against the Word of God, you’re lost. There is no grey area. It is black or white. As soon as you enter the grey area, you’ve already compromised and engaged with the works of darkness.
Teaching and guiding your children in good and evil
If you have children, you should teach your child(ren) the difference between good and evil; between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil. A child should be informed and taught, that ‘trick or treat’ is the work of the devil and not of God.
Remember, that a child is never too young to understand. If you do not claim them for the Kingdom of God and don’t guide and teach them correctly in the Word, then the devil will teach and guide them, by using books, television, (social) media, games, etc..
If a child doesn’t learn from a young age, how to discern the works of God and the works of the devil, then there’s a big chance, that when the child gets older, the child will still not be able to discern the differences.
The child shall rebel against the Word of God and engage himself or herself with the world; the kingdom of darkness.
As a born again believer, you don’t celebrate Halloween. Nor should you replace Halloween with something else or try to Christianise Halloween. But you will abstain from Halloween. The only thing you have to do is to take a stand for Jesus Christ and stay loyal to Him (Read also: ‘The Christian sauce‘).
Although you live in the world, you don’t belong to the world anymore, but you belong to Jesus Christ. You have become an enemy to the kingdom of darkness. Therefore, you cannot be a partaker of the works of the darkness. Your task is to expose the works of darkness and bring them into the light.
Should Christians celebrate the reformation during Halloween?
There are ‘Christians’, who say that believers should celebrate the reformation during Halloween, but this is nonsense!
Why do believers have to celebrate ‘something’ on Halloween? We shouldn’t remember nor honor dead people. There’s only one Person we should remember and honor. There should only be one Person, Who should be constantly in our minds and that is Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, and no one else.
Jesus Christ is alive and He alone shall be remembered and honored. Those, who honor and exalt man, don’t honor and exalt God.
What does the Bible say about Halloween?
What does the Bible say about pagan customs and rituals?
The Bible is very clear and says that we shouldn’t be joined together with unbelievers. We should separate ourselves from the practices, customs, and rituals of unbelievers. When you repent, you should renounce pagan customs and rituals, that connects you with the devil and his kingdom.
When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeed them, and dwell in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hates, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it (Deuteronomy 12:29-32)
They rejected His statutes, and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them, that they should not do like them. And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger (2 Kings 17:15-17)
Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver (Acts 19:19)
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand (1 Corinthians 10:7-8)
What does the Bible say about honoring and remembering the dead?
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14)
Paul wrote to the church of the Thessalonians, commanding them, that they shouldn’t mourn about those who were asleep in Christ. He told them, that the unbelievers, who didn’t know Jesus Christ, were mourning and full of sorrow because they didn’t have hope. But just like Jesus has died and risen from the dead, so shall God connect those, who are fallen asleep in Jesus Christ, with Him (Read also: ‘Can you pray for the dead?‘).
For I have no pleasure in the death of him that died, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye (Ezekiel 18:32)
Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country. (Jeremiah 22:10)
God is the God of the living and not of the dead
But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (Matthew 22:31-32, Mark 12:26:27, Luke 20:38)
Jesus is the resurrection and the Life
Everyone, who accepts Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, and repents of his old lifestyle and walks according to the Word, shall enter Life. The person shall not see death, because Jesus; the Word says:
For as the Father raised up the dead, and quickened them; even so the Son quickens whom He will (John 5:21)
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever lives and believes in Me shall never die (John 11:25-26)
Verily verily, I say unto you, if a man keep my saying, he shall never see death (John 8:51)
Let the dead bury the dead
When Jesus commanded someone to follow Him, the person asked Him, if he could first bury his father. But Jesus commanded Him to preach the gospel of the Kingdom and don’t be occupied with the dead. Jesus told him: “Let the dead bury the dead”
And He said unto another, Follow Me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God (Luke 9:59-60)
The only Person we should remember is Jesus Christ
That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
Jesus is alive, Jesus has risen from the dead, but we should honor and remember Jesus’ death, His work, and His resurrection until Jesus comes. We shouldn’t honor, exalt or remember man or saints. If you do so, then you will honor and exalt the dead.
Jesus has defeated His enemy: the death
Jesus has defeated death. He took the keys of death and Hades, which the devil had stolen from Adam. But the devil and death still have the ability to reign on this earth. They have the ability to possess and captivate the lives of people. Because they are not cast into the lake of fire yet.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death (1 Corinthians 15:26)
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15)
The devil, death, and Hades know that their final destination is the pool of fire. But until that time, they will try to destroy as many people, by keeping them in the bondage of sin, which will lead to eternal death.
The mission of the devil and his demons is to take as many people with them to their final destination; the eternal pool of fire.
They will try everything they can, to seduce believers and to make them sin. So that, they will enter the way of unrighteousness, which will lead to eternal death.
The death is fed and nurtured by people
On Halloween, the devil and death are honored and exalted by their people. Death is the essence of Halloween. When you decide to become a partaker of Halloween, you will become a partaker of death. Death will become the essence of your life.
You’ll walk in (spiritual) darkness. Therefore you shall be tormented by fear(s), anxiety, destructive thoughts, melancholy, heaviness, voices in your head, depression, suicidal thoughts, worry, unhappy feelings, (deathly) diseases, insomnia, uncontrollable anger, aggressiveness, violent behavior, etc.
You will be tormented in your soul and your body, by demonic powers. You’ll live under a spiritual heaviness, and be controlled by the evil forces of the kingdom of darkness. That’s the result of the choice you’ve made.
The only Person, Who is able to help you and deliver you from these evil demonic powers and the kingdom of darkness, is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ alone has defeated the death and has the keys of death and Hades. Therefore Jesus has the highest authority in the heavens and on earth.
The Name of Jesus Christ is above all other names. Therefore repent and turn to Him. Let Jesus become your Saviour and your Lord.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
