Halloween + Christianity: Navigating Faith + Tradition

Spoiler: Yes I’m still celebrating.

The Halloween debate within the Christian community is by no means new, but I only started to take note of it last year. Goodness, people get SO worked up! But no shade, because I know they’re defending their faith and beliefs that they believe wholeheartedly. I LOVE it! But for me? I was a bit caught off guard because I had celebrated Halloween since childhood, through early adulthood, and even now as a church-going gal. I never batted an eye. So… what was the deal??

We’ll get into it. But first, let’s talk about ME (this is my Only Child coming out). I love this season. I don’t go “all out”, but I am always a fan of a cute couple costume, my family always dressed up in themes growing up, I enjoy painting pumpkins, I’ve been to my fair share of Halloween Horror Nights, and, believe it or not, Insidious is one of my comfort movies (I do love a well-done scary movie).

I never thought much of the debate of Halloween.

But last year while on a daily walk with Hawthorne around my neighborhood I started taking EXTRA notice of the décor, likely because I now had a toddler with me who would be affected and possibly scared by these things. I’m suddenly surrounded by skinned corpses hanging from trees, hands reaching out from front lawns, Freddy Kreuger front and center in an entryway. Yikes dude, this was not the fall leaves, happy pumpkins, and smiling ghosts floating from trees that I was used to.

I felt convicted. Not because I was participating (my Halloween décor is probably better described as autumn décor) but because I finally started to understand the Christian argument against Halloween. And babe faces, this stuff can be scary. And while my faith is all about celebrating life because death has been conquered, I can also see the beauty in celebrating and honoring death like the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos. Families remember their loved ones but in a way that celebrates life instead of just mourning loss. Losing my grandfather unexpectedly this year hit me hardddd, and having always had anxiety about death, this tradition just seems comforting and beautiful.

But that is not what I was seeing. I was seeing the celebration of murder. Flayed corpses in front yards. Rotting bodies coming up out of the ground. No thank you. Kinda tacky. Kinda lazy. Not very cutesy or demure.

This year I am paying even more attention. I am listening more to my Christian brothers and sisters who do not celebrate Halloween at all. I am also listening to the ones who defend it and reclaim it in their own way.

I have been digging more into the origins of Halloween because, let’s be real, Christianity has a history of co-opting, or if you prefer, “adopting and reframing”, Pagan holidays to fit its own story, especially between the 4th and 9th centuries. As Christianity spread through Europe back then, it ran into traditions and festivals tied to agriculture, solstices, equinoxes, and the cycles of life and death. The Church knew these rhythms were central to people’s lives. Banning them usually caused rebellion, so instead, they repurposed them with Christian meaning and blended familiar customs with new spiritual significance.

Halloween is one of those holidays that sparks so much debate among Christians. To really get the conversation, you have to look at both the history and how people interpret it spiritually today.

The Origins of Halloween (Samhain)

The origins of Halloween go way back, over 2,000 years, to the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). Samhain was celebrated in ancient Ireland, Scotland, and parts of Northern Europe. It marked the end of the harvest and the start of winter, which the Celts considered the darker half of the year. They believed that on October 31, the boundary between the living and spirit worlds got thin, letting spirits cross over. Families lit bonfires, left food for ancestors, and wore disguises to confuse harmful spirits. Samhain was not some evil or satanic holiday. It was a spiritual, agricultural celebration rooted in death, renewal, and the rhythms of nature.

When Christianity moved into Celtic regions between the 7th and 9th centuries, the Church chose to fold these customs into their own traditions instead of erasing them. Pope Gregory III made November 1 All Saints’ Day to honor saints and martyrs, and the night before became All Hallows’ Eve, which eventually became Halloween. Over time, Samhain’s focus on ancestral spirits shifted to honoring Christian saints and praying for souls in purgatory, which is more of a Catholic thing, but I digress. Medieval traditions like souling, where people offered prayers for the dead in exchange for food, and guising, where people wore costumes and performed tricks, became early versions of trick-or-treating. When Irish and Scottish immigrants brought these customs to America, Halloween morphed into the community-centered celebration we know today, all about fun, creativity, and connection.

Now maybe I am wild for saying this. Maybe some people will push back. But here is where I land: yes, some parts of these Pagan traditions clearly do not line up with Christian beliefs. At the same time, it feels deeply disrespectful to take someone else’s religion, twist it to serve your own agenda, and expect everyone to just go along with it. Imagine if Islamic leaders swooped in and tried to co-opt our church practices to convert us. Total chaos.

The Argument Against Halloween

Christians are split on Halloween. Some avoid it entirely because they feel the origins and themes clash with biblical calls to holiness, purity, and staying away from darkness. They point to verses like Deuteronomy 18:10–12, which forbids divination and communicating with the dead, Ephesians 5:11, which tells believers to have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, and 1 Thessalonians 5:22, which encourages followers to abstain from all appearance of evil.

For these Christians, Halloween’s focus on fear, death, and occult imagery directly conflicts with the gospel’s message of light and life. They believe believers should focus on what is pure and admirable, like Philippians 4:8 says, and stay set apart from worldly traditions, following Romans 12:2, which calls to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Christianity is based on life. Jesus sacrificed himself and rose three days later to conquer death so we do not have to fear it. Many skip Halloween entirely or only participate in fall festivals or church gatherings because of this. Some do not even approve of Trunk or Treat events, where church families decorate car trunks, kids dress up, and trick-or-treating happens in a parking lot. These events are often used as outreach to non-church neighbors, which sometimes results in them coming to church later.

The Argument For Halloween

Other Christians see Halloween as a chance to redeem the day and bring light into their neighborhoods. They reference Matthew 5:14–16, which calls believers to be the light of the world. Instead of retreating, they see Halloween as a night when neighbors are already out and open to connection, which makes it perfect for kindness, generosity, and outreach. Families hand out candy with uplifting notes, host small gatherings, or participate in light the night events to show love in practical ways.

Some point to 2 Timothy 1:7, which reminds believers that God has not given us a spirit of fear, as encouragement to stand confidently in faith instead of avoiding the holiday out of superstition. Psalm 118:24 reminds us that no day belongs to darkness: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

For Christian parents, Halloween can also be a teaching moment. Romans 12:21 says, Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good, which helps kids understand light versus darkness and points them to Christ’s victory. Others see the day as a chance for cultural connection and hospitality, echoing 1 Corinthians 9:22, where Paul talks about becoming all things to all people to share the gospel effectively.

As For Me….

I will be celebrating Halloween as I always have. Hawthorne and I have dressed in themed costumes since he was a baby. First Hester Prynne and baby Pearl (his name is Hawthorne after all), then Wednesday and Pubert Addams, then a golfer and a cart girl, and this year? You will see.

We have decorated lightly, mostly because of my own laziness, with fall leaves, painted pumpkins, and wreaths that represent this autumn season. We will trick-or-treat with friends who have babies of their own and enjoy walking in the cool 65-degree weather Florida has blessed us with. I am rewatching Wednesday and the remake of Sabrina, which is so bad and so inaccurate but I cannot stop, and I have my Cozy Chai and Red Wine Spotify playlist on loop.

For my woowoo self, I have no spiritual plans for the evening. But I do think it is beautiful that many people choose to honor loved ones who have passed, honoring harvest by carving faces into root vegetables, reflecting on the past year, and holding feasts or gatherings with the harvest abundance of the season. These Pagan practices are beautiful ways to honor nature, Mother Earth, family members, and loved ones who have passed.

It's important for all of us to remember that ALL religious practices, new and old, contain extremist sects that take beliefs so far, it warps into another faith and belief system entirely; I believe this is what happens CONSTANTLY with Pagans and Wiccans (being friends with those identifying as both and have lived with those identifying as both, I feel confident in saying this).

And honestly, many people would be shocked to see how many Pagan traditions we still carry on today without realizing it... hellllloooo birthday candles and Christmas trees.

Ultimately, the debate over Halloween within Christianity reflects a larger question about how believers engage with culture (I was a sociology major after all) whether to separate from it, redeem it, or transform it from within. Both sides share the same end goal: a desire to honor God and walk in spiritual wisdom. For some, that means avoiding the holiday altogether; for others, it means reclaiming it as a chance to shine light, build community, and reflect the joy of the gospel. Either way, follow what feels best for YOU and YOUR faith journey. If you feel completely convicted by Halloween, STAY AWAY! Do something else! Not at all? Galivant in your local Halloween Party as Elphaba and Glinda with your bestie.

But for EVERYONE? Don’t judge what your fellow Christians choose to celebrate or don’t celebrate. And certainly, do not disrespectfully engage with those who hold different religious or faith beliefs than you do, you KNOW you wouldn’t want to be treated the same by someone of another faith.

Okay luv u bye