Written by Katelynn Webster
As Adventists, we have always been taught that Halloween should be avoided and ignored at all costs. But as I’ve grown up, I’ve started to become more and more frustrated by that teaching.
I grew up celebrating Halloween; and, yes, I was born and raised Adventist and so were my parents. My parents would dress my sibling and me up every year, and when we were old enough, we picked our own costumes. We would go trick-or-treating in my grandparents’ neighborhood, decorate our lawn with spider webs in the trees and watch fun Halloween movies like “Scooby-Doo” and “Ghostbusters.”
Although I’ve had so many people tell me that all things Halloween are bad, I’ve always believed that the ways I’ve celebrated it aren’t. One point to consider is that, yes, there is evil in this world, but some traditions should be taken with a grain of salt. I do believe that many people in this world observe Halloween to invite evil and demonic spirits into their lives. I’m not ignorant to that. But I don’t believe that everyone who celebrates this holiday has the same intent.
Halloween is a time for many to spend an evening with their family or express their love for a special character by dressing up as him or her. Everyone has his or her own way of celebrating different holidays, which means that not everyone has the same values or traditions. I think this concept is something that our church struggles with at times.
I believe Halloween has a different meaning to each person. For me, it’s a chance to play pretend for a night, watch fun movies and eat way too much sugar while surrounded by people I love being around. I don’t think that should be diminished just because other people take advantage of the negative connotations surrounding it.
3 Comments
Phillip Morgan
November 4, 2022Hallowe’en is a time the world knowingly gives evil a pass.
No matter what your intentions are when you choose to celebrate this satanic event your are a conduit for evil. Abstain fro all appearances of evil.
It is beyond my understanding how some could compromise the truth for the sake of participating for fun in hallowe’en.
Dev
October 8, 2023Phillip Morgan, sounds like you should educate yourself on the history and origin of halloween… Roman origins, Parentalia, the day of the dead, it’s a day to celebrate and honour the loved ones we have lost by going to their place of eternal rest, offering food and drink, spending time remembering them with friends and family
Tina
October 27, 2023Dev, no offense intended, but the history you present is quite scanty. According to Brittanica: “Halloween had its origins in the festival of Samhain among the Celts of ancient Britain and Ireland. On the day corresponding to November 1 on contemporary calendars, the new year was believed to begin.”
It’s darker than that, though. The secret priestly cult of the Druids was the power behind the Celtic kings. They ruled by terror, sorcery and witchcraft. Even the various Celtic kings feared their black powers. The most important religious day for the Druids was the celebration of Samhain, Lord of the Dead. The eve of Celtic New Year, October 31st, was the night to reverence Samhain. It was the time of the falling of leaves and general seasonal decay—so the appropriate time to celebrate the Lord of the Dead. People believed that dead relatives came back to their homes to be entertained by the living, which was ancestor worship. It was considered a time when demonic and evil spirits also came out of their shadowy nether world. If proper food, shelter and provision were not provided, these evil spirits would cast spells, wreak havoc on man and beast, and generally torment the living. If the proper “treat” was not awaiting to appease them, then they would respond with an appropriate “trick”—thus our custom of “trick or treating.” In order to fool and evade the invading spirits, people would themselves dress up and masquerade as evil spirits, witches, ghosts, and ghouls. That’s the origin of the Halloween custom of dressing up as fiendish characters and creatures.
The perverted climax of this dark night was animal and human sacrifice to placate this Lord of the Dead. It was carried out by the priestly Druids who would rip the hearts out of their victims and use the blood for religious rites. They would also use the entrails and other body parts to divine the future and forecast the New Year. The remains were then burned in “bone fires,” from which we get the popular “bonfire.” It’s not quite the sedate celebration of the dearly departed that you’ve made it out to be.
Be advised that the Catholic Church incorporated, repurposed and renamed the festival, changing it from Allhallow-even to All Saints Day. The Papacy did nothing to remove the superstitions out of which the festival arose. And it hasn’t shaken its cultic origins. It remains a Satanic holiday, which is celebrated by modern-day Satinists and witches/wiccans. Witch and Wiccan high priestess, Doreen Valiente, who authored “The Witches’ Rune” and helped pen a significant amount of the occult content that is foundational to modern day Wicca, stated that Halloween is a special holiday for witches. Valiente, said of Halloween: “Halloween is one of the four Great Sabbats of the witches that everyone has heard about. To witches, Halloween is a serious occasion, however merrily celebrated. It is the old Celtic Eve of Samhain.” According to Anton LaVey, who founded the Church of Satan in 1966 and authored The Satanic Bible in 1969, Halloween is the third highest day on the satanic calendar for Satanists.
You certainly can’t seriously claim that people in this day and age gather together to commemorate their dead relatives on Halloween. Evil is closely associated with the “celebration” of Halloween. The vast majority of secular celebrations are focused on witches, devils, and malicious spirits, dressing up in costumes, eating lots of candy, and for adults, partying and getting drunk and other sins. According to a 2023 poll by Pure, the ironically named sex-positive dating app, 58% of adults are likely to wear a sexy costume, and 19% hope their disguise helps them end the night with a sweet treat — under the sheets. Results show that women are putting in more work to look the part and lock in a potential boo because 72% of women are likely to wear a sexy outfit this year — compared to just 43% of men.
To Katelynn Webster, just because you grew up keeping the tradition of Halloween a little differently than is customary doesn’t mean you aren’t celebrating unholy practices. You concluded, “I believe Halloween has a different meaning to each person. For me, it’s a chance to play pretend for a night, watch fun movies and eat way too much sugar while surrounded by people I love being around. I don’t think that should be diminished just because other people take advantage of the negative connotations surrounding it.” I’d be happy to unpack all that rationalizing for you, but it’s been 2 years since you wrote that, so maybe you can see that you went to a lot of effort to justify something you want to do just because you like it. You confess there are “negative connotations surrounding” Halloween, but you dismiss the idea it can affect you. And that’s exactly where Satan wants you. I have a question for you: instead of joining in a well-known celebration of evil, why not host a themed Harvest costume party, that doesn’t involve wicked characters, a different night? If it’s the socializing and remembering the dearly departed you desire, you can do it just as easily on a night devoted to all things evil. Just a thought.