Not really. It is believed that Halloween came from an ancient Pagan festival called “Samhain.” Paganism is a type of religion that worships nature. However, the Bible says we should worship God, the Creator, and not the things He created.
Paganism turned several kings of Israel (like Saul and Solomon) away from worshipping God.
Samhain was a fire festival. Bonfires were lit on hilltops to honor their Pagan gods. The townspeople would take an ember (or, little burning flame) from the bonfire to their home and relight the fire in their fireplace. The ember would usually be carried in a holder, like a turnip or gourd, which is similar to a pumpkin. People felt nervous about walking home in the dark because they were afraid of evil spirits, so in the hopes of frightening them away, they dressed up in costumes and carved scary faces in their ember holders. It kind of sounds like today with our costumes and Jack-o-Lanterns.
In the Middle Ages, Christians tried to stop the celebration of Samhain, but instead of completely replacing everything with a strong foundation in Jesus, they kept some of the Pagan traditions like honoring the dead on special days.
In the early 1900s, artists introduced scary images like skeletons, spider webs and bats – the things we associate with Halloween today.
So, is Halloween a Christian holiday? Not really. It began as a Pagan celebration, but in the Middle Ages, Christian parts were added which unfortunately did not make the celebrations any less pagan. Later, Halloween became associated with the scary symbols we know today.
Dressing up in costumes and receiving candy is fun, but it’s important to understand the history so we can be on guard against anything that would distract us from worshiping the one true God and following His son Jesus. Proverbs (4:23 NIV) says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
This video is from Christian Questions Podcast. For more information please go to https://christianquestions.com
