Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
by Jill Southern
Our verse for today, from Ephesians 5:11, is calling us to not only have no association with any type of dark activity, but also to shed light on evil to those around us. Satanists and witches celebrate October 31 as those who follow ancient Celtic rituals of pagan origins, making contact with the spirits of the dead, ghosts and demons.
Many people today aren’t aware of the pagan origins of Halloween. Most of the symbols, decorations and customs are related to occult and dark forces. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface attempted to Christianise Halloween and to establish November 1 as All Saints Day, to honour martyrs, making October 31 All Hallows Eve, which became Halloween.
Today the popularity of Halloween has grown massively, and Americans alone spend over five billion dollars on it annually, making it the country’s second largest commercial holiday. So, is it wrong to celebrate Halloween for a Christian? Yes, because God hates mixture, and He wants all our love, and all our worship.
Halloween was never exposed by the Church for what it was, but was rather incorporated into the Church’s holy days. Are Christians responding in the same way today by hosting Halloween parties for their Sunday school children? As you consider, this Halloween, what its origins are and what it stands for, look at what lies beneath the surface. God is calling us to follow Him in the truth of His word, ‘to come out from among them and be separate and touch not the unclean thing’ (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Prayer: Dear Lord, would You help us to understand how dangerous the time of Halloween is. We choose to follow You in obedience to Your word, and help us to share with others its origins and to warn them of its dangers. Protect us Lord, this Halloween, from all the enemy's deceptions, as we make You, Jesus, Lord of our whole lives. Amen.
Jill Southern is the founder of Ellel Ministries Pierrepont and directed the work for 21 years. She has recently stood down from that role but still teaches on the NETS programme and has the passion to train and equip God`s people to fully walk in their destiny and calling. She is the Regional Director for Ellel Ministries International in South East Asia and China and is also on the Executive Leadership of the ministry.
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