10 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Celebrate Halloween
Summary
The text critiques the celebration of Halloween, emphasizing that its popularity doesn't necessarily make it right, especially from a biblical perspective. Here are ten reasons provided against celebrating Halloween:
1. Halloween originated in paganism. Halloween's roots trace back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, characterized by practices like wearing costumes and making sacrifices to deities, which contradicts biblical directives against engaging in pagan customs.
2. Halloween glorifies Satan. The holiday's focus on dark, scary themes is seen as glorifying Satan rather than God, challenging the principle that worship should be directed exclusively toward the divine.
3. Halloween gives Satan a foothold. Celebrating Halloween is viewed as opening a door to satanic influence, potentially allowing evil to infiltrate one's life, contradicting the biblical admonition to avoid giving Satan a foothold.
4. There’s no such thing as an immortal soul. The narrative around Halloween and All Saints Day promotes the idea of an immortal soul, which conflicts with the biblical perspective that souls are mortal and face judgment post-death.
5. We are to be lights to the world. As Christians are called to be "the light of the world," participating in a festival that celebrates darkness and evil is seen as incompatible with this mission.
6. We are to be separate from the world. The Bible encourages believers to be distinct from worldly practices, and celebrating a holiday like Halloween, rooted in pagan traditions, is seen as contrary to this call for holiness and separation.
7. Halloween teaches children bad behavior. The holiday is criticized for promoting behaviors and themes that are not aligned with Christian values, potentially leading children astray.
8. Halloween promotes a disease-causing substance. The emphasis on consuming sugary treats during Halloween is highlighted as contributing to health issues, contradicting the view of the body as a temple to be cared for respectfully.
9. Yahshua (Jesus) won’t celebrate Halloween. Reflecting on what Jesus would do provides a guiding principle, suggesting that He would not participate in a festival that contradicts worshiping God in "spirit and truth."
10. We are commanded to keep God’s Holy Days. Instead of adopting pagan-influenced holidays, the text encourages observing the holy days outlined in the Bible, aligning celebrations with God's instructions.
The overarching message is a call for Christians to critically assess Halloween's alignment with biblical teachings, advocating for a rejection of the holiday in favor of practices that honor God and align with biblical principles.
Full Transcript
Have you ever wondered WHY we do the things we do — and believe the things we believe? For example, why does the world celebrate Halloween — a festival commemorating death and everything dark, scary, and evil? In this episode, we will see why not everything that is popular is right, and give you solid biblical reasons why we should NOT follow the crowd. Let’s discuss.
It’s Halloween again.
It’s that time of the year when people decorate their stores and homes with pumpkins, spider webs, dead bodies, tombstones, and other scary things.
But have you ever asked yourself, “Why do people celebrate Halloween in the 21st century?”
And if you’re a Christian, is it okay to celebrate — and to teach your children to celebrate — Halloween? This is a serious matter to consider if you want to please your Father in heaven.
Here are 10 reasons why we should NOT celebrate Halloween:
1. Halloween originated in paganism
Any respectable encyclopedia or history book will reveal the dark roots of Halloween. Here’s just one quote from the History Channel:
Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain [pronounced sah-wane]. The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1.
This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.
In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.
To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. During the celebration, THE CELTS WORE COSTUMES, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other’s fortunes.
The Bible clearly instructs us to have nothing to do with occult practices:
When the LORD [YHWH] your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the LORD [YHWH] your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD [YHWH] which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it. ~Deuteronomy 12:29-32
The fact is, syncretism — which is the blending of Christianity with paganism — is absolutely unacceptable to our heavenly Father. We must never use pagan practices in worshipping God.
2. Halloween glorifies Satan
Just look around you, especially at the decorations surrounding this holiday. Does Halloween really glorify God — or Satan? If you’re honest with yourself, the answer is pretty obvious.
Halloween is a holiday dedicated to Satan. It is accompanied by fear promoted by horror movies, grotesque costumes, and witchcraft.
We can’t be worshipping God and Satan at the same time. Notice 1 Corinthians 10:20-22:
...The things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? ~1 Corinthians 10:20-22
3. Halloween gives Satan a foothold
Halloween gives Satan an open door to our minds and our hearts. Every time we celebrate Halloween, we unknowingly invite Satan into our lives. In the Bible, we read this verse:
Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. ~Ephesians 4:26-27
All the elements and aspects associated with Halloween is of the Devil. We can’t let Satan influence us by celebrating a “harmless” holiday. Halloween is such a powerful tool used by Satan to promote his ideas and influence.
So let’s not be deceived. Halloween doesn’t bring us closer to God. It brings us closer to Satan.
4. There’s no such thing as an immortal soul
Most Christian denominations try to “Christianize” Halloween by calling it “All Saints Day.” But as we all know, you can change a dog’s collar, but it will still be the same dog. People may change the name of Halloween to All Saints Day, but it’s still the same pagan celebration.
The Roman Catholics dedicated a specific day to every saint. However, there came a time when there were more saints than the days of the year. Thus, they decided to create a day where they can lump all other saints in one day, and that’s how we got the All Saints’ Day.
However, there is one BIG problem with this celebration: Humans don’t have immortal souls. All Saints’ Day promotes the idea that after a person dies, his or her “soul” continues to live on either in heaven, hell, or even on earth.
But the truth is, there’s no such thing as an immortal soul in the Bible. In fact, you can never find the phrase “immortal soul” from Genesis to Revelation. On the contrary, we read the following:
Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die. ~Ezekiel 18:4
The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. ~Ezekiel 18:20
For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. ~Ecclesiastes 9:5
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. ~Matthew 10:28
All these verses prove that there is no such thing as an “immortal soul.” Instead, when a person dies, he is in a sleep-like state where he or she waits for the resurrection of the dead.
5. We are to be lights to the world
Every Christian must be a light to the world. Yahshua (Jesus Christ) told us:
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. ~Matthew 5:14-16
But Halloween features darkness, violence, witchcraft, and death — not light.
As we grow closer to God, we must also move away from anything that has something to do with the dark side. God abhors Satan and the darkness he has cast upon this world. Thus, we must take the extra effort to overcome the evil influences of Satan, and that includes Halloween.
Can we confidently say that we are becoming a light to the world when we put on a satanic costume? When we watch a horror movie or go to a Halloween party, are we glorifying God or Satan?
You decide which side you will be standing on. It’s either you are a light of the world or a partaker of darkness. There is no middle ground.
6. We are to be separate from the world
Whatever is popular in the world is almost always contrary to the Bible. One of them is Halloween. We know how popular this holiday is. That’s to be expected in a world whose god is Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4).
But as for us, Christians, we are called out of this world. The Apostle Paul wrote:
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
Therefore
“Come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
“I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the LORD Almighty.”
~2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Christians are to live in the world but should NOT be part of the world. There’s a huge difference between the two. Participating in the celebration of Halloween is one way for you to become part of the world.
God called us to be HOLY — set apart for a special purpose. God can’t use us for His work if we continue to be a part of this world’s system.
7. Halloween teaches children bad behavior
Halloween is the time of the year when children are taught to scare people. It’s the time when people tolerate misconduct and unruly behavior.
I mean, when do adults think that if you don’t give children candies, they are allowed to vandalize your home? When are children taught to approach complete strangers in the dark of night?
And is it really cute to let your child dress up like Satan, vampires, ghosts, witches, zombies, or dead people? How can we teach our children to stay away from sin when we adults encourage dabbling with the dark side?
Obviously, try as we might, we can NEVER justify the celebration of Halloween. It does not just corrupt us but also our children and their innocent minds.
8. Halloween promotes a disease-causing substance
Modern scientific studies have shown how refined sugar insidiously destroys our body. Sugar is greatly promoted during Halloween.
Get this: In 2011, it was reported that confectionery sales were as high as $2.3 billion! Undoubtedly, candies and sweet treats take CENTER STAGE during Halloween.
During the past few years, we have seen a dramatic increase in cases of diabetes — not just in the Western World, but also in developing countries. Studies have been made and it has been proven that consuming excessive amounts of sugar and other refined carbohydrates leads to detrimental modern illnesses.
Can a God-ordained festival cause disease and sickness? Of course NOT! Only a demonic celebration such as Halloween destroys our body.
9. Yahshua (Jesus) won’t celebrate Halloween
We are called Christians because we follow our Lord and Master, Yahshua. Thus, if we are going to decide whether we will celebrate Halloween or not, we need to look to Him.
Here’s a key principle that we must all remember. It is the same principle that our Savior taught when He was here on earth:
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. ~John 4:23-24
There are the two criteria that we must consider when worshipping God. Yahshua tells us to worship our Heavenly Father in SPIRIT and in TRUTH.
The questions now are:
- “Does Halloween allow you to worship your Heavenly Father in a holy, God-ordained, and biblical manner?”
- “Does Halloween promote truth?”
Obviously, the answers to these two questions are a resounding NO! Halloween can never allow us to worship God in spirit and in truth. Those Christians who insist and even encourage other people to celebrate Halloween find themselves at odds with our living God!
10. We are commanded to keep God’s Holy Days
If we are not to celebrate Halloween, what should we be observing instead? Leviticus 23 lists all the Holy Days of God.
If we are going to worship God, wouldn’t it be rational for us to ask Him how? When confronted by the truth, are we going to act upon it or continue celebrating humanly devised holidays that are often contrary to what the Bible teaches?
If we genuinely want to please God, we must observe what He commanded rather than borrow pagan, satanic, and evil celebrations.
Final words
These are just ten of the best reasons why we must not celebrate Halloween. If we are going to please God, follow His commandments, and fulfill His purpose in our lives, let’s not be a part of this world’s dark holiday. That’s not the way to go.
So make a stand. Stop celebrating Halloween. Say no to the evil influences of this world!
Until next time, this is Daniel Macaraeg, of BiblicalTruths.TV, reminding you to always be growing, always be giving, and always be grateful.
