To listen to this podcast episode, click Why I Do Not Celebrate Halloween

Before I tell you why I oppose the celebration of Halloween, and yes, even the silly, cute, benign adaptations of it found in little community events and church functions, it is important to discover what Halloween is. Is the holiday just a day for children to dress up and get candy and have little innocent scares or is this a day of sacrifice to the evil one and the celebration of Death? The answer is yes. 

    The celebration of Samhain goes back well over 1,000 years to the Celtic pagans in the British Isles and France where they believed that on this day, in which they celebrated the harvest and anticipated the dark days of winter, the dead, underworldly spirits, and monsters were able to traverse the gap between this world and theirs. Once on this side of death, these spirits and creatures were free to roam and cause mayhem, even capturing and eating humans or imprisoning them in the underworld. It was for this reason the pagans placed sacrifices outside of their homes to ward off any prowling spirits, and they donned costumes of animals or monsters and went house to house singing songs to appease the dead and trick the evil spirits into thinking they were not human, and thus would not be molested. In return, the inhabitants of those homes would reward the singers with cakes (i.e. treats). 

    In the 9th Century, Pope Gregory moved All Saint’s Day, originally held in May for over a century, to November 1st to coincide with, and in an attempt to override, Samhain. As a result, Samhain was renamed All Hallow’s Eve, or, Halloween. In this, we see a continuing pattern throughout history of the Catholic Church stacking a “Christian” holiday on top of a pagan one in order to co-opt the latter and therefore Christianize the pagans. Unfortunately for the pagans, and the Catholics, this attempt did not achieve what it was intended to do. All that resulted was the pagans went along to get along and the Catholics lived and died believing they had brought Christ to the world. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

    In short, volumes have been written and the internet is full of articles on the origins of this festival. I do not want to belabor the subject with a concise history of Halloween, but rather, I will explain thoroughly why I do not, and believe no follower of Adonai should, participate in the rites and rituals (i.e. traditions) of this pagan holiday. 

• Celebration of death
  • Now some will say that Halloween, and it’s sister holiday Dia de Muertos in Mexico, is not a worshipping of death as much as it is a celebration of those who have died in the previous year. This may be true, but both holidays are marked with depictions of skeletons, zombies, and other forms of dead and dying humans. While it is true we all must die (“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” Hebrews 9:27), it is never approvable unto Adonai for us to celebrate the passage of one’s loved ones in a way that satirizes human corpses. Dead bodies, including bones, are unclean and must be handled swiftly and precisely, but never paraded about or glorified. 

• We are not to make markings or cuttings upon our own flesh for the dead 
  • “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.“ Leviticus 19:28
    • This could, and probably does, speak directly of marring/scarring oneself, but almost certainly could include painting and dyeing skin to commemorate or appeal to the dead.
• In several places in Torah, Adonai explicitly states that he who touches a dead body will be unclean for 7 days
  • “And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.” Numbers 19:6
  • This is not to say that one should never touch a dead body, because that would preclude any body from being buried or otherwise disposed of. However, the Father clearly considers death and dead corpses to be unclean, and we are not to glorify that which is unclean. 
  • “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:16-17

• Monsters: It is common for people to say, “Oh, look at all the little cute ghouls and goblins and witches and Mickey Mouse and Spiderman and Cinderella!” as if they are all one-and-the-same in cuteness and innocence. Hmm…
  • Ghouls: A ghoul is a demon-like being or monstrous humanoid that originated in pre-Islamic Arabic religion and folklore. It derives its name from the Arabic “ghul” which means to cast spells, scream, and wrath, among other similar features. It is associated with death and dying, and especially is known (according to lore) to live in graveyards and consume human flesh, either from decaying corpses or through fresh kills. What immediately came to my mind when reading descriptions of ghouls is a passage from the Apostolic Writings in the Book of Mark and Chapter 5:
    • “And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.”
    • Notice this demoniac lived among the graves, howled and screamed, made cuttings in his flesh, and what did he eat? Most likely the flesh of the dead who were buried in the caves.
    • A ghoul is nothing less than a demon-possessed human being. If you are letting your kids dress up like that, the nicest thing I can say is, You are Stupid!!!

• Goblins: Depictions of goblins vary in pop culture, but in their original depictions in European folklore, they derive their name from the Greek “kobalos” meaning “rogue” or “evil spirit.” They are usually depicted as being mischievous and malevolent, often committing acts of treachery, thievery, and murder for sport. Yeshua Messiah had words to say about unclean spirits in Matthew Chapter 12:43-45
  • “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.”
  • This sounds like a malevolent spirit to me, who goes and finds more spirits to return and cause more destruction and mischief than before. This is neither cute nor innocent.

• Witches: perhaps one of the most common depictions of the Halloween season aside from carved pumpkins is that of a witch. Sometimes whimsical, other times frightening, but always ugly, the witch is depicted as quintessential Halloween. Our little girls dress up as them, and women dress in witch-like lingerie at adult costume parties, but witches abound everywhere during the month of October. Are they harmless caricatures held over from the Middle Ages from whence their hooked noses, pointed hats, and broom-riding personas arose, or is there a more sinister side to them? Let’s look at their history and what Elohim has to say about them.
  • Circe was a witch from Greek mythology who, in Homer’s Odyssey, turned men into pigs. Other witches, going by various names in folklore, cast all kinds of evil spells on unwitting enemies and ate babies, among other sinister and treacherous acts. While these practices were more likely than not “old wives’ tales,” and mythological, actual practitioners of witchcraft were more akin to necromancers and conjurers of spirits, using their spells and evil skills to speak to the dead and tell fortunes. 
  • Throughout history, women who were odd, practiced natural healing using herbs and potions, and were unmarried were often accused of witchcraft and ostracized or worse, tortured and executed. These women were often victims of an overzealous community that was either religious, superstitious, or (most often) both. These healers are most likely not actually witches, probably never ate babies or cast spells, almost certainly never rode a broom through the air. It is not this type of “witch” that is the problem, nor have I ever seen a trick-or-treater dressed as an herbalist (unless he was dressed as Willie Nelson or Snoop Dogg).
  • Adonai strictly forbad His Chosen people to mimic or participate in the customs of the heathen. Here is what He had to say in Deuteronomy 18:9-12:
    • When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
    • He said these practices were abominations and He would drive out these people because of them. In other words, the reason these heathens were being slaughtered and conquered without mercy was because of these satanic practices! And your children dress up like cute caricatures of these evil people so they can get some free candy. 
  • In Galations 5:19-21, Adonai through the Apostle Paul equates witchcraft to murder and other abominations:
    • 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 
    • Furthermore, He succinctly commands in Exodus 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

    A common defense of the little kiddies enjoying trick-or-treating is that they can dress up as cute animals, princesses, superheroes, and movie characters and just enjoy a good time, soliciting candy and running around town. My response to this is found in Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. and 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. 

Just as the Catholic Church did over 1,500 years ago, modern churches of every denomination don’t even think twice before incorporating pagan practices into their sanctuaries and childrens’ ministries. So-called “Harvest Festivals” and “Trunk or Treats” abound in parking lots and gymnasiums while children dressed in all sorts of costumes come from the nooks and crannies of their community to enjoy Satan’s day at God’s house. I’ve heard the justification of “well kids are going to go out and do it, so at least we can make it safe for them and give them God’s word while we’re doing it!” Well, why don’t you go ahead and make a bronze calf (instead of the golden one) and bring it inside the church. At least it isn’t *exactly* like the pagan one, right? That logic won’t hold water, and Adonai will not hold us blameless. You know what He said, and if you ignore it because you love your traditions more than His Word, then that’s what you’ll have to answer for.

If it sounds like I’m being harsh, understand I just shared multiple Scriptures with you explaining my position, and the Father did not sugarcoat His rules regarding dabbling in darkness. I don’t say this to prove that I’m right, but I wish to see Adonai’s people follow Him in His righteousness and to forsake all semblances of darkness. Standby on future discussions regarding Easter and Christmas and American Patriot holidays.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

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