How did this holiday get started anyway?

Halloween is actually a combination of holidays. Samhain (Sah-win), which meant, “end of sum mer” to the Celts (selts), was a festival marking the end of the food-growing season. Spirits of the fruits and vegetables were believed to visit the earth on October 31. This was their New Year celebration. Huge bonfires were lit on hilltops to scare the ghosts of the harvest away. They also believed that “Jack-o-Lantern” was the spirit of the pumpkin. They carved a pleasant looking face to show Jack as a good spirit, not a nasty one. “Trick or treat” began in Ireland when people went from house to house begging for food on Halloween. They promised good luck to those who gave something, and bad luck to those who did not.

A group of Irish Celts, called Druids, who lived in Ireland and Scotland about 2,000 years ago, were devil worshipers who celebrated on this holiday. They believed evil spirits roamed the earth on Halloween. Spooky costumes were worn to fool the spirits into thinking that those wearing the costumes were spirits, too. The spirits would not bother them if they thought they were ghosts and goblins!

The Jewish people also celebrate a special holiday towards the end of October called the Feast of Ingathering or the Feast of Tabernacles or Trumpets. This is also their New Year celebration. It includes their most holy day of the year, the Day of Atonement. This is the day when all the Jewish people are to repent of their sins.

This Jewish feast was to remind the people to give thanks for the harvest they had just brought in. They also had to sleep in tents during this time. The reason they were to sleep in the tents was to remind them that they were still pilgrims and strangers on this earth.

The October festival was to remind people to look to the spiritual side of life, to remember there is a Hell and there is a Heaven. We get so caught up in our everyday lives that often we almost forget the hereafter. The Jewish people were commanded to remember this every year. They have been doing this for over 4,000 years.

It is obvious that the Druids and Celtics did not invent this holiday. They merely modified it 2,000 years after the Jewish people had been celebrating it. They changed it from a holiday that honored God to a holiday that glorified death and the devil. It is no coincidence that the devil worshippers have taken the most Jewish season of the year and declared it a high satanic holiday. Ever since then the debate has raged over whose holiday it really is.

Halloween means “All hallow eve.” How did this happen? 

Halloween became a Christian holiday around the eighth century. They started to call the night before “All Saints Day,” which is November 1, “Allhallows E’en,” or “Holy evening.” “All Hallows E’en” was later shortened to “Halloween.” The very name means, “All hallow eve or all holy eve.” “All Saints Day” or All-Hallows’ Day, is the day set aside by the church to remember the saints that had gone on before us. 

According to pagan custom this special day began as the sun sets the evening before. It is interesting that this is how the Jewish people count their days, starting with the evening before, showing some of the Jewish roots to this holiday.

Is it true that the birth of the Protestant Reformation started on Halloween? 

Halloween has a great Christian heritage behind it. Anyone who calls himself a Protestant should know that the birth of the Protestant movement started on Halloween.

This is the day chosen by Martin Luther to nail his 95 theses to a church door in 1517. He was complaining about the unbiblical things being practiced by the church of his day and was calling for the church to get back to Biblical Christianity. The result of this action was the great Protestant reformation.

It is not exactly clear why Martin Luther chose this day to do this, but clearly he specifically chose this day over any other day. He knew many people would be coming to church the next day. November 1 was the day set aside by the church to remember and honor all the saints who had died. He hoped this would challenge them to look to the Bible for their answers instead of traditions. It started the Protestant Reformation that swept throughout all of Europe.

Is there any Biblical basis for remembering those who have died and gone on to be with the Lord?

Some people say we should not participate in this holiday because it was birthed from the devil. Some people feel that to celebrate this holiday is just taking the devil’s holiday and dressing it up so Christians can use it.

In the book of Hebrews chapter 11 & 12, we are told to remember the saints of old as an encouragement. Name after name is listed off and their great feats of faith are recorded. Then in Chapter 12:1, we read, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…”

Halloween used to be a Christian holiday. The very name means “All hallows eve or all holy eve.” It was the night before “All Saints Day.”

This holiday should be a reminder about the simple truths of the Christian faith. Jesus Christ the Son of God came and died to save all mankind. Those who partake in the work of the cross will be able to spend eternity with a Holy Righteous God and those who continue to rebel will spend eternity in Hell.

Isn’t it true that much of what goes on today during the Halloween celebrations is rooted in the occult?

Yes, much of what goes on during Halloween is rooted in the occult. Parents ought to take a stand against letting their children dress up as ghosts, devils, skeletons, witches and go out trick or treating. They should not allow their children to dress up as a dead person or a witch.

On the other hand, the scriptures encourage us to emulate or follow the example of good godly people. The concept of honoring somebody is not contrary to the scriptures. The question is whom are you going to honor? We should seek to honor God and look to Biblical role models as our examples. Paul says in Philippians 3:17, “Join in following my example, and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern.” Dressing up as someone is a great way to emulate him.

It is not safe to send children out into neighborhoods to collect candy anymore, but it can be done. It might be better for the local churches to have a harvest party.

Harvest parties are also Biblical, as we read in the O.T., that God ordained one of the Jewish holidays to be the “Feast of Harvest.” The people were to gather and to give thanks for what God had provided.

Ultimately, each person has to come to some kind of decision as to what to do with Halloween. At least consider the fact that the devil does not have any rights to this holiday. We are aware he has convinced many that it is his holiday, but maybe it's time the Church takes it back. If you do decide to celebrate it, make sure you use it to bring glory to God.