What’s Halloween all about, anyway? All those horrible severed heads and dead people and ghosts! Kids asking for candies wearing costumes made in hell. How in the world are we as a nation celebrating a day like these? How did it start?
In what is now Britain, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the ancient Celtic tribes observed the end of summer with pagan rites. They believed that Samhain, the lord of death sent evil spirits into animals, who then roamed around all winter playing terrible tricks on people. To escape, you had to wear a disguise so that the evil spirits would think you were one of them. That is how the idea of wearing scary costumes got started.
Here is theologian and pastor John Piper’s view on Halloween. After hearing this you decide:
So if you are to ask is it okay for Christians to celebrate Halloween – I would have to say a big NO! Since its origin is of pagan and demonic activity why would I open my child in taking part of a ritual that is demonic in nature. If we think demons are harmless, then we are in for a big disappointment. Demons love it when we celebrate them.
One time Pastor Winston Reyes, pastor of our Victory Metro East was asked to cast out evil spirits in a house in LaVista, QC. I discovered that one of the reasons for the demonic habitation was because a man brought home demonic masks from Bali, Indonesia.
As a Father and somewhat trying to be on the safe side, I’d rather not expose my kids. My kids are aged 4 and 2 so I think they won’t get it yet. On the reasoning that it gives us a reason to meet our neighbors – I think that is a very Western way of Halloween. It might be effective in the US but maybe not here. ( I grew up doing trick or treating in our neighborhood, and I have never met my neighbors). I couldn’t risk my kids at this age to be exposed to dead men hanging on trees, or monster masks and costumes. It might do more harm than good – the price for being relevant might not be worth it.