If Halloween wasn't celebrated in the Bible by Christians, then is it okay to still "participate" in it today even though it obviously wasn't done then? Aren't we supposed to follow the example set by those Christians?

by Vernon Curry

Deut 18:10-12 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. NKJV 

I believe passages such as this in the Old Testament would lead us to believe that God's people must stay away from any type of evil spirits. Certainly Halloween day (October 31) goes back to that.  Halloween was a "pagan" day when it began according to the history I can find. In 608 AD the Roman emperor Constantine, in order to appease the heathen people of a newly conquered country, allowed them to continue their ritual Allhallow Eve (Halloween). During this ritual the Lord of Death called together the souls of the wicked who had died during the past year. This ritual is associated with witchcraft and idolatry. We can not participate in any thing which indicates to people that we are pagan or devil worshipers. The idea of children going to neighbors' door dressed in "silly" costumes has nothing to do with worship or evil spirits. If there are any "tricks" done they must not be something sinful. Christians should never participate in sinful practices. It is not wrong to "trick or treat".

Halloween - No, it is not found in the Bible, therefore we cannot observe it religiously. However, we can observe it as a national tradition in the same way we observe the 4th of July, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and etc..

by Michael Gardner

Participating in Halloween happens on several different levels.  Some people concentrate on monsters and use the holiday to desensitized children to abnormal fears of shadows and bumps in the night.  Some use it as a time for expanding the imagination and children become princesses and knights in shining armor.  There are those that use the night to experiment in the occult.  They are fascinated by creatures of the dark and they dress up as things evil.  Mathew 5:16 says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  

Christianity frees us to live an abundant life.  I do not recall Jesus or his disciples ever commanding the observance of traditional holidays or instructed us to stay away from them.  As we live a Christian life we must consider whether our participation lets our light shine or or hides it under a bushel.  Halloween by its nature and history has a great potential for harm.  Even if we can participate in a way that let's our light shine we can still do harm by inferring to a weak brother that any participation is okay.  Read Romans chapter 14. 

What ever else you do, please be careful.  The world has become a crazy place and there are those that take joy in the harm they can do to others.  Hiding harm in the candy of children is particularly sick but has happened far to often.