What does the Bible say about Halloween?

Of all the holidays celebrated in our culture today, Halloween is probably the most controversial amongst Christians. While many have fond memories of going trick-or-treating while dressed up as their favorite superhero, princess, or even a character from the Bible, the childhood charm often fades into something darker as we get older. 

October is typically filled with movies featuring murders, horror, and demons. Moreover, straying from the kids’ section while shopping for a costume can do quite a bit to lower your view of humanity. That said, Halloween is hardly the only holiday with a dark side. 

Sinful people—which is all of us—have a knack for taking the good and twisting it into something else. And while that may happen to a greater degree with Halloween than other holidays, does that mean we should write off the festivities completely? 

The answer for some may be yes, and if that’s where God leads you and your family, then you are right to do so. For others, the best approach may be to simply focus on the good and draw clear boundaries against the bad. Either way, though, we’re far more likely to make the right choice when we’ve started by consulting God and his Word.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at where Halloween comes from, how it became so popular, and—most importantly—what the Bible teaches us about the best way to approach it. 

Is Halloween a pagan holiday?

One of the most common accusations levied against Halloween by those who stand against it is that it is a pagan holiday and, as such, should have no place in the lives of Christians. And they’re not wrong, though the full truth of how we got to what we have today is a bit more complicated. 

The oldest version of Halloween is typically considered to be the Celtic festival of Samhain—pronounced “SAH–win”—that began more than two thousand years ago. 

It originated as a pagan celebration marking the end of the harvest season and the start of winter. The ancient Celts believed that it was also a time when the dead could walk among the living. They would light bonfires and wear costumes to either blend in or ward off the ghosts, depending on which accounts you read. 

The celebration took on a Christian flair in the eighth century after Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as All Saints’ Day, a time to honor the memory and legacy of the saints. Even if you’re not Catholic, Hebrews 12 gives evidence of the benefit of remembering and celebrating the heroes of our faith. As the centuries passed, such holidays became even more significant as a majority of the population could not understand Latin and, therefore, what was said at the Sunday Mass.

Consequently, when the holy day reached the Celtic lands, it served the important purpose of helping guide the people there to a greater understanding of Jesus. 

By this point, St. Patrick, Columba, and others had already led large swaths of Celtic culture to embrace Christianity, often doing so by Christianizing elements of pagan worship to make the transition to the faith simpler. As such, it was largely par for the course to incorporate aspects of Samhain into All Saints’ Day as well. Thus, October 31 became known as All Hallows Eve, which was eventually shortened to Halloween.

While it can be easy to misuse that kind of contextualization as a license to incorporate unchristian ideas into our Christian walk, seeking opportunities to apply culturally significant concepts or moments to help people meet Jesus is a very biblical practice. The question we have to ask ourselves today, though, is how much of Halloween can be used for that purpose? 

What does the Bible say about Halloween?

When it comes to evaluating Halloween and the best way for Christians to approach it, Dr. Jim Denison gives us a helpful framework for the discussion. As he describes, “events and decisions in our lives fall into three categories—biblical, nonbiblical, and unbiblical. Halloween is nonbiblical: God’s word does not command it, which would make it biblical, or forbid it, which would make it unbiblical.” 

Consequently, we’re left to decide which elements of Halloween fit into each of those three categories. Let’s start with the unbiblical and work our way forward from there.

Creating barriers against the unbiblical

While the Bible does not directly address Halloween, it is quite clear on several principles that are relevant to our present conversation. To begin, God’s Word is clear that we are not to engage in occult practices like attempting to speak with the dead (Leviticus 19:31), make light of the demonic (1 Peter 5:8), or bring glory to the Devil (Luke 4:5–8). Halloween presents the opportunity to do all three.

As you consider what movies to watch, what costumes to wear, or what decorations to put in your front yard, do not let the playful nature of the holiday deceive you into thinking the occult is any less sinful on October 31 than it is on any other day of the year.

Jesus was clear that Satan “was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). 

One of the Devil’s most dangerous lies is that he’s somehow less dangerous or present in this world than he’s ever been. If anything, he delights in the way our culture has turned him into a cartoon character and refused to recognize his influence in the myriad ways in which people have rejected God’s truth. 

So, however you choose to approach Halloween, remember that Satan would love nothing more than to use this holiday to find a foothold in your life. That doesn’t mean we should necessarily reject it altogether—fear is rarely a good reason to do something—but it does mean we should approach every aspect of Halloween with prayer and discernment. With that principle in mind, let’s take a look at the aspects of the holiday that are nonbiblical. 

Navigating the neutral

As we’ve discussed before, Halloween is a nonbiblical holiday. The Bible does not require us to shun it nor to practice it, so how you approach October 31 is truly and completely a matter between you and the Lord. Consequently, we should be careful about speaking too confidently or absolutely about how other people should approach the holiday.

While certain aspects are unbiblical (as we just saw), and opportunities that fit very well inside of God’s calling for every Christian (as we’ll discuss in a moment), most of what goes on during Halloween is morally neutral. 

A skeleton in the front yard can be fun and playful or creepy and frightening. I drive by examples of both on a near-daily basis. 

In the same way, costumes you’ll see trick-or-treating can offer kids and adults alike the chance to emulate characters and qualities that they love or embrace a darker side that would seem out of place on any other day. Your choice is what determines whether or not the costume honors the Lord, and that is not a choice we should make lightly. 

Ultimately, most of the customs and traditions associated with Halloween fall along those lines of moral neutrality. There is a way to honor the Lord with most aspects of this holiday, just as there is a way to dishonor him. As such, approaching every decision with the goal of bringing him glory needs to be foundational to our thinking, which leads us to the last aspect of evaluating how Christians should engage with Halloween.

How Halloween can bring God glory

At its best, Halloween offers the chance to spend time with family and friends, see neighbors you might otherwise only give a passing glance, and create memories that can draw people closer together for years to come. For many, those memories will be tied to taking your kids and grandchildren trick-or-treating, warmly greeting the families that stop by, or going to a party with friends. 

While spending time with friends, family, and neighbors should not be restricted to Halloween, there are few other occasions when the people God has placed in our lives will naturally come to us. It would be a shame to miss out on those benign and biblical opportunities because they come associated with the unbiblical aspects of the holiday. 

God’s Word is clear that we are created to be his light to the world and called to shine before others in ways that bring him glory (Matthew 5:14–16). As such, the manner in which we either participate or do not participate in Halloween should be guided by the principle of what will bring God the most glory. 

Whether that’s by opening your door to trick-or-treaters, inviting neighbors to a fall festival or trunk-or-treat at your church, or taking your kids and grandkids out to greet those who live in your neighborhood, God has a way to use you this Halloween to draw others to himself. However, we won’t know what that is unless we ask him.

How should Christians approach Halloween?

So, as we finish for today, take a moment to reflect on your current approach to Halloween through the lens described in this article. Are there any elements of your plans that need to change to bring the Lord glory? Are there any opportunities to help others know him better that you’re currently going to miss out on? And are there any ways in which your views of this holiday are shaped by our culture more than Scripture? 

The Bible may not have much to say about Halloween specifically, but the same Holy Spirit that inspired its writing stands ready to help you know how you should approach the holiday this year. Are you willing to listen?