Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
Posted 4 years ago - Oct 7, 2022
From: Rob TrahanMaybe…
It depends.
Is that answer sufficient? No? OK, here’s the longer version.
If something helps you and others know and worship God more, then it’s good! If it hurts your ability and the ability of others to worship and know God, then it should probably be avoided.
Our main purpose as believers is to bring God glory in all that we do and grow in our knowledge and love of Him. We should not hinder other Christians who are trying to do the same thing. The Bible doesn’t explicitly say whether we should celebrate Halloween, but it does have some things to say that we can apply to our decision.
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” – Philippians 4:8
Is there anything true, honorable, commendable, lovely about zombie VSCO girls, vampire politicians or Peppa Pig? Does your participation in Halloween activities prohibit you from thinking about what is worthy of praise, honorable, or excellent?
“Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.” – Romans 14:20
What does eating food have to do with Halloween? It doesn’t, but the application does. Paul is saying if your actions cause another believer to sin, you should stop. Your freedom is not worth causing a brother or sister in Christ to sin.
Does dressing up like your favorite movie monster cause others to sin? If so, then it might not be a good idea.
“You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is good for you. You say, ‘I am allowed to do anything’—but not everything is beneficial. Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.” – 1 Corinthians 10:23–24
This is similar to the last verse. Paul is actually answering objections that he knows he’s going to get. Yes, we have freedom under God’s grace. Our sins have been forgiven and many of the old Jewish laws no longer apply. But not everything is helpful, not everything builds up.
Can we seek the good of our neighbor by participating in Halloween activities? More on this in a bit.
“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31
We should always examine what we do to determine if it helps us bring God glory and know Him more or not. For example, an athlete could play his sport in a way that honors God and helps others to see God through him, or he could play in a way that honors himself and causes others to have a bad opinion of God.
So for anything that the Bible doesn’t explicitly forbid, we have to look at those qualifications.
- 1. Does it bring God glory?
- 2. Does it help me know and love God?
- 3. Does it help or hurt others’ ability to know God?
It sure sounds like I’m saying a Christian can’t celebrate Halloween…
I’ll admit, for a lot of Christians, depending on your circumstance, that’s probably the right answer.
But consider this: what other time of the year will you see ALL of your neighbors outside at the same time? What a great opportunity for gospel conversations!
How many churches have some sort of event that evening? There will be so many families at churches that wouldn’t normally be there. That’s fantastic!
I know teens who still get dressed up in goofy costumes and go trick-or-treating. For one night they get to forget about the pressures of adolescence and be kids again. Good for them!
The bottom line is, like with anything else, does your participation in Halloween bring God glory and bring others closer to Him? If it does, then go for it. If not, then find an alternative that does.