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Halloween is just around the corner. Some families view Halloween as harmless fun, others see it as nothing short of a Satanic ritual that Christians should steer well clear of. In this article we will be looking at the origins of Halloween and thinking about what we can do this Halloween time.
Halloween is a festival that has been celebrated for many centuries. Its routes are found in heathen traditions (not in Satanism as many Christians believe). Originally it was believed to be a season when the world of the living and the world of the dead were open to each other. Known as Samhain (Summer's end and the start of a new year) it was believed that on this day the spirits would be able to move around the world freely.
From the basis of this belief many of the modern day customs of Halloween can now be found.
As it was thought that there was this contact with the dead the druid priests would use this day to predict the future. Huge bonfires would be built and sacrifices of crops and animals would be made to the Celtic deities, in the hope of influencing them for good. The fires were also thought to ward off evil spirits and the spirits of the deceased. Over time the fires were made smaller and put into pumpkins that are hollowed out with candles placed inside them. This leads to the modern tradition of creating pumpkin heads.
On Halloween night people would wear masks at night time if they went outside. This was to avoid being recognized by the ghosts, who may do some harm to them at this time. In modern times people dress up in various costumes (some depicting spirits and ghosts).
Trick and treating is a custom where people go from door to door saying trick or treat. If they receive a treat they leave, if not they may play a trick on the occupants. Although historians aren't entirely sure of the origin of trick and treat it is thought to stem from a practice called "souling'. On the night of Halloween the poor would go from home to home to pray for the souls of the families of the dead. In exchange they would be given food called "soul cakes'.
In more recent times, pagans see Halloween as a highlight in their calendar, an opportunity to honour the dead who have gone before. Some Satanists also see it as a night of significance in their religion, expecting fellowship with Satan to be closer on that night.
The Bible is clear that all forms of witchcraft and attempts to contact the dead are wrong. However just as some argue Christmas is now secularized and has little to do with Jesus for the majority of people, others state it is possible to celebrate only the secular form of Halloween.
Others put forward that Halloween should be celebrated as Christians - not as a festival where the dead and the living meet, but as the eve of All Saints' Day. In 835 the Catholic pope chose to move the date of All Saints' Day (the day to celebrate the lives of "hallowed' saints) to November 1st. Hence October 31st was the "eve of the hallowed'. From here comes the modern name: Halloween.
As Christians we can choose to bury our head in the sand on Halloween until it goes away, living in a Christian ghetto where we do not have to interact with the marketplace. But this does not seem to hold with the Lord's injunction to be in the world but not of the world. Instead I prefer to see Halloween as yet another opportunity to share the good news of Jesus. At a time when many are more aware of death and the supernatural, we have an opportunity to show them the truth.
For example we can use the practice of pumpkins to share the gospel: God wants to put his light in us, but first we have to be emptied of our sin, then his light can shine out.
In Kensington Temple each year we seek to hold an alternative party. This allows children who would otherwise be out joining the traditions of Halloween to discover something of the Christian faith while giving Christian parents an opportunity for their children to feel involved with something that is wholesome. This year we are planning a fashion show for the children to take part in. Contact the children's department on 020 8799 6178 for more information.
To make use of this festival for the gospel tracts on Halloween are also available at the KT bookshop. Make the most of this opportunity to share the gospel and to explore what the people you mix with really believe.
