WHAT ABOUT HALLOWEEN
What about Halloween? Is it something Christians should be participating in, or does it have its roots in the occult, as many suggest? On 
researching this event, I came up with this general consensus of Halloween’s origin. It originated as the Celtic Festival of Samhain, the lord of death and evil spirits. The Celtics saw November 1st as the day of death because the leaves were falling, the temperatures were dropping, and the days were getting shorter. On October 31st, the eve of the Feast of Samhain (Nov. 1st), Samhain allowed all of those who had died during the previous year to return and visit the living. The Druid priests would gather up animals and even humans and offer them as a death sacrifice to appease Samhain and to keep the evil spirits away from them. These priests would go from house to house and ask for fattened calves, black sheep, and even humans for the sacrifices needed. If the occupants gave the priest the offerings, they were promised prosperity. If they refused, they were cursed, hence the custom of the “Trick or Treat” that we know today.
Halloween has always been celebrated as a celebration of death. Our founding fathers did not allow this custom to be practiced in the new world and it was only in the late 19th century, when a large influx of Celtic peoples came to this country and brought their customs and pagan traditions of Halloween with them, and we began to observe it.
Where does this leave us Christians? Let’s look at the representative elements of Halloween. When one thinks of this holiday, the first things that might come to mind are ghosts, goblins, Dracula, witches, scary houses, etc. All of these elements are elements of fear. The Scriptures teach us that God has not given to us the spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind. (2 Tim. 1:7) What are we telling our children if we allow a time of celebration to promote fearful things in their lives?
These elements also represent images of evil and satanic practices. The Scriptures teach us in Deut. 18:9-13 that we are to detest anything that represents divination, sorcery, witchcraft, demonic spells, consulting with the dead, mediums, etc., and that these practices were the reason that God drove the nations out of the land before He gave it to the children of 
Israel. He commands us to be blameless in this respect.
Some may argue that the origin of Halloween is not as I have described. Giving the benefit of the doubt, let’s look at how this day is commercialized and marketed to the world. What types of costumes are predominant? Are they not demons, witches, ghosts, etc? What types of activities are promoted, even by many churches? Are they not haunted houses and graveyard visits? Even bobbling for apples has demonic origins, as the one who first retrieves an apple without the use of hands would be guaranteed good favor during the year by the spirits.
All of these activities represent a part of the spiritual realm from which we, as Christians, have been delivered.
Ephesians 5:8 tells us for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. We are also told in Colossians 1:13 (ESV) — He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, We have been delivered from this world of darkness and we are not to enter into it again by playing with its images and symbols.
The book of Ephesians tells us not to be deceived by empty excuses for these sins (5:6) and not to take part in or have fellowship with the fruitless deeds and enterprises of darkness (5:11). We are to expose them because we are children of the light. We are told in Eph. 5:17 not to be vague, thoughtless or foolish but to be understanding and firmly grasping the will of God.
I ask each of us to carefully and prayerfully consider how we present this activity to our children and grandchildren. This would be a great time to teach our children how Jesus has already delivered us from this kingdom of darkness.
Joshua 24:15
Choose you this day whom you will serve……. but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Deuteronomy 18:9-12
9 “When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. 10 For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling or sorcery, or allow them to interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11
or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is an object of horror and disgust to the LORD.
2 Chronicles 33:6
He …..practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
2 Kings 9:22
King Joram demanded, “Do you come in peace, Jehu?” Jehu replied, “How can there be peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother, Jezebel, are all around us?”
