“One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.” – Romans 13:5–6
Should Christians celebrate Halloween? My answer to that questions is usually a good, solid, “That depends.” Halloween is a day on the calendar, just like any other day, and it can be used to honor our Lord or to dishonor Him, just like any other day.
A brief history of the holiday helps clarify why some think it is wrong to celebrate Halloween and why some don’t. It is true that Halloween was originally observed as a pagan holiday called Samhain (pronounced sah-win). The evening included wearing masks and placing food outside to deter evil spirits from entering the home. In the eighth century, Christians renamed the day All Hallows Eve and designated it as a time to celebrate the lives of all saints. Some of the fun (and harmless) festivities remained, and over time the name All Hallows Eve was shortened to Halloween. So, we see that over the years Halloween has represented both evil and good.
Now, back to the original question, “Should Christians celebrate Halloween?” Paul’s words in Romans 13:5–6 help us answer that question. A person should only celebrate Halloween so much as they seek to give honor to God in the holiday. Are you celebrating Halloween because you see it as an opportunity to draw close to your neighbors and extend Christ-honoring love in their direction? If so, continue on in faithfulness! However, Christians must always be careful of getting so caught up in the spirit of the festivities that we forget our purpose of loving God, loving others, and making disciples of Christ. This is a caution we should take in all holidays, Christmas, Easter, July 4th, Boxing Day, Secretary’s Day, National Coffee Day, you name it. Let each person be fully convinced in his or her own mind and observe the day in honor of the Lord. So, Christian, go celebrate Halloween…or don’t. Whatever you choose to do, seek to do it for the utmost glory of God!
Pastor Josh