On the night of October 31, people will celebrate a very popular holiday, the Halloween. I am not sure if Filipinos really celebrate Halloween. But when I was still in College, I once attended a Halloween Disco held in Tacloban City.
Halloween is actually a shortened name of the festival called, “All Hallows Even” which means the eve (evening) of the “All Hallows Day”. Today “All Hallows Day” is called “All Saints Day”.
But, you might wonder why the Halloween is celebrated on the evening of October 31 while the All Saints Day is on November 1. So, how come that the Halloween became the evening of the All Saints Day?
To let you know, the old way of measuring the day starts on the sunset to the next sunset. So, the evening comes first before the day time. And by considering the old way of measuring the day, Halloween is really part of the All Saints Day.
All Hallows Eve, A Pagan Festival
Historians traced the origin of the Halloween back to the ancient Celtic Festival which is called Samhain (So-Wen). Samhain is the festival celebrated by Celts of Ireland, Britain and France at the end of the harvest season which is also called as the Celtic New Year.
The end of the harvest season usually falls on October or November. But when the Celts adopted the Julian calendar, they fixed the date of Samhain to November 1.
It’s the Julian calendar wherein the day is measured starting on the sunset to the next sunset. In other words, Halloween is the evening of the November 1 if based to Julian calendar, but it is the evening of the October 31 if based on the calendar that we are currently using, the Gregorian calendar.
Samhain is actually a pagan harvest festival and at the same time the celebration to honor the dead ancestors similar to the All Saints Day of the Catholic Church which is celebrated on the same day, November 1.
Christians and the Halloween
The question of one of our subscribers is: “Is the Halloween a Christian festival?”
That question is already answered above. Halloween is originally a pagan festival. The activities included on this festival like trick-or-treating, bonfires, costume parties, etc., are all originally pagan activities. So, even if a Christian Church will adopt this festival and Christianized it, it remains pagan.
Another question is: Should we, as Christian, celebrate Halloween?
Well, the true Christian is part of the body of Christ as taught by the Apostle Paul:
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. (Romans 12:4-5, NKJV)
Now, since a true Christian is part of the body of Christ (Christ is the head of that body), therefore the true Christian follows the teaching of Christ.
So, are pagan’s ways of living acceptable to Christ?
If we will examine the Bible, we will learn that Christ told his followers to avoid the pagan ways of worshiping God, and pagan ways of dealing others. For example:
- Christ commanded his follower to avoid praying in pagan way:7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:7-8, NIV)
- Christ told his followers not to worry of the earthly things because these are the things that pagans are after:31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (Matthew 6:31-32, NIV)
- Christians are taught by Christ not to follow how the pagans love others.44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? (Matthew 5:44-47, NIV)
- The Christian who doesn’t want to be reconciled to his brother in the Church should be considered as pagan:15″If your brother sins against you,[b] go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[c] 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17, NIV)
Now, since Christ obviously is against to pagan and their ways of living, then it is also clear that Christians should not be part of any pagan festivals.
So, what should we do during the Halloween?
Actually, there are lots of things that you can do during the Halloween without taking part of the festival. While other people celebrate this pagan festival, you can spend your time with your family doing any family related activities that can help enhance your relationship to the other members of your family.
Finale
I hope that you are satisfied on my answers to the questions sent to me. And if you have anything to say about Halloween or about my thoughts contained on this article, please feel free to reply this email that Feedburner has sent you. You can also drop your comments at our comment section by visiting (click here >>> Is The Halloween a Christian Festival?) the live version of this article.
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SELaplana, 24 October 2008 at 
Lorna (
why? same reason with selaplana eh hehe 
check out our chocolate site ehehe 
Rev. Leonard Hutsell Says:
Jake Says:
Rev. Dr. William Curtis Says:
October 27, 2008 at 5:39 pm I agree with you on this. Some of my friends find it odd that I get so riled up over Halloween, but the unease and dislike I feel of it in my spirit speaks quite clearly to me on the subject. I’ve come to the point where I typically restrain my discussion of my distaste for halloween simply because I don’t want to deal with defending myself for my convictions but maybe I should speak up a bit more.
October 27, 2008 at 5:40 pm Excellent post and I agree wholeheartedly. I especially like this comment: “We might call this celebration a trivialization and celebration of Satan’s work on earth.”
That is a perfect way to put it!
October 27, 2008 at 6:06 pm Great post! As you already know, I totally agree!
October 28, 2008 at 4:40 am Great post!
October 28, 2008 at 6:09 am Thanks for your post and your refreshingly honest opinion. Thanks for your comment and for stopping by my little place on the web.
October 29, 2008 at 8:47 am Yes, darkness, death and fear are realities in this world. But, a more appropriate response than turning the lights off an hiding in our living rooms is to ask ourselves, “What does Scripture teach us about death and evil?”, “What does Christ’s Kingdom have to offer to the world in relation to death and evil?”, and, “Is this something to celebrate?” I say, “Yes it is!” As a follower of Christ who believes in the realities of sin, evil, and satan, I choose to celebrate Halloween as an opportunity to teach important scriptural truths to my children. To avoid it makes them think we’re afraid of something, when the truth is that that “something” is afraid of us!
All Hallows’ Eve: On this day we celebrate the fact that Christ is the Light that overcomes the darkness of sin, death and evil. We observe the reality of the enemies, sin and death, and look to the promise of our resurrection and new life in Christ. We also observe the reality of evil and rejoice that God is more powerful and has already overcome it. ~ “O Death, where is your victory? O Death, where is your sting?” ~
All Hallows’ (Saints’) Day: On this day we observe that God’s people are to reflect the Light of Christ in our lives. We celebrate and honor the lives and works of our spiritual forbearers–church fathers, martyrs and saints, known and unknown, living and dead–and recognize that only by the grace of God we too might have the faith to live holy lives as Christ commands. ~ “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith.” ~~
All Souls’ Day: On this day we observe that, God’s people are called to be lampstands, sharing the Light of Christ in both word and deed with those in the world who are still walking in darkness. We remember all souls living by proclaiming the Kingdom of God and working to bring peace into our world, to establish justice among us, to lift the burdens of those who are oppressed, to care for the sick, and to assist the poor. ~ “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” ~ ~
It is a wonderful opportunity of witness if we can craft our decorations to emphasize these truths, as well. So, I have no qualm with Believers who choose not to celebrate, and understand and respect their reasons for not doing so. But, it is not the only appropriate Christian response.
RESPONSE:
I love your reasoning behind the three celebrations! How do you celebrate them in effect?
October 29, 2008 at 12:16 pm And when a person says there is no God, he is called a fool.
October 29, 2008 at 1:47 pm I’ll be sure to put in a prayer request with your name on it at the Halloween black mass this year.
RESPONSE:
Bring it. I already know how the story ends.
October 29, 2008 at 2:31 pm Thank you, nathan! I agree 100%. You said it well!
October 29, 2008 at 2:48 pm Nathan,
I saw your response to Jenny’s post over at our blog, http://www.christiansincontext.org.
May I suggest that you actually haven’t “reasoned” at all here? You have only strongly asserted how much you hate Halloween, linking it to Satan. Other than your personally scary story, I wonder if there is good reason to link it to Satan? You even that this is an indisputably Satanic holiday. What is so indisputable about your strong assertions? For that matter, given Jenny’s far more thoughtful post, it appears that we have direct evidence that your point is indeed quite disputable.
Perhaps most of the celebration of death and the like that you are talking about could be avoided if you simply walked past houses with fake body parts strewn about. Then you can still trick or treat and thus meet the rest of the folks in the neighborhood without having to expose yourself or any small children to the directly evil side of it.
And also, maybe we can pin your total fear at being startled by the person in the Scream mask to your self-admitted lack of trick-or-treating experience. That’s the oldest trick in the book, and one I learned to be careful about from a young age!
I should note that I appreciate your sensitivity to the reality of Satan and demonic forces. Most of us brush these aside far too easily.
Andrew
RESPONSE:
We must be thoughtful concerning what we support in this world. I take any reasoning into question that ends in support of this darkness! So many things on this earth seem harmless but in the end lead to spiritual/mental/physical death. We must entreat God for wisdom concerning them!
October 30, 2008 at 6:59 am Brother Nathan,
Please consider deleting “Richard Dawkins” post. It is linked to a porn site that pops up whenever someone moves their cursor over “his” name.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
RESPONSE:
Thanks for the heads up!
October 30, 2008 at 9:12 am >>RESPONSE:
I love your reasoning behind the three celebrations! How do you celebrate them in effect?
October 31, 2008 at 8:58 am I found this blog because Nathan posted on my blog. So, if you are interested in another Christian perspective on Halloween, check out this;
http://ancienttruthmodernsound.com/whats-so-wrong-with-halloween
I’m just offering another perspective, I’m not wanting to fight with anyone. Peace.
October 31, 2008 at 9:34 am Excellent post. I had not thought of the angle of Halloween celebrating death, which God did not create, but is instead an evidence of sin. So, in celebrating the death-loving “holiday” of Halloween, we are in essence celebrating the sin that separates us from God and promoting it.
October 31, 2008 at 6:27 pm Thanks. I, too, hate the idea of ‘celebrating death’. You can dress it up any way you wish, but the message the little children get is ‘monsters, ghouls, ghosts, graveyards, witches, devils’ etc. I simply decline to participate. Funny, today in a department store I was wished a “Happy Halloween”. I’ll betcha they don’t with me “Merry Christmas.”
October 31, 2008 at 8:22 pm Something I try to keep in mind when participating in various functions or events: Would Christ do this? Would Christ approve? Would Christ “turn over the tables”, so to speak, if he saw this going on?
Can I do this and HONESTLY praise God? Am I doing it for selfish reasons? Am I trying to convince or persuade myself that this is okay to do by justifying it?
When I answer all of those questions honestly, I see that I cannot participate in a holiday founded by pagans.
We celebrate the Protestant holiday of Reformation Day on the weekend nearest to Oct 31st. We start on Friday and continue until Sunday- so this year, we started our celebration on the same day as Halloween. It’s just a time when we just do what we normally do- spend time with our family, but throw in a little extra, like playing “pin the theses on the door”.
November 9, 2008 at 9:52 pm Good to know there is a blog for this…
I totally agree…
Halloween is evils day.
Its a pagan ritual christianized by the catholic church.
and many don’t know this.They blindly celebrate it without knowing what it is and were it came from..
Kudos to you…=)