So, at the end of October the Halloween season will be upon us once again. The season often causes confusion for many Christians and churches as they wrestle with something that seems intrinsically “dark”, but that within society has generally come to be seen as just a bit of fun. While many families who might engage with the Halloween celebrations and costumes may not go in for the mischievous “trick or treat” aspects, I’ve known of people (particularly the elderly) who are very fearful of responding to a ring on the doorbell on Halloween – fearful of what they may find and what could happen. It might be a bit over the top to equate trick or treat with the legalese of “threatening with menace”, but the effects on some people in their homes can be quite intimidating.
When you look into the origins of Halloween quite a confused picture emerges. The word Halloween comes from “Hallows Eve”, a Christian term which denoted the day (or evening) before All Hallows Day when the dead are remembered and prayed for. In this context there is a view that says that Halloween means “Holy Evening”, which may seem like a far cry from what typically goes on these days. But before the Christian connotations of All Hallows, there does seem to be festivals of more pagan origins, where malignant spirits were thought to roam the earth with mischief on the agenda. Such festivals seemed to spark off activities that either imitated the malignant spirits (hence trick of treat) or, at the other end of the scale, invoke special prayers of protection against such malignant spirits. It could also be a time of practised divination or spiritualism – a seeking to know the future or to contact the dead. Beliefs, attitudes and customs towards Halloween will vary from country to country, even amongst Christians.
So what are we to make of all this? Is it just a bit of harmless fun that is further encouraged and promoted by those who want to sell us Halloween costumes and merchandise, or is there something darker going on that we need to take note of?
I’ve been a minister within the church for some ten years now, and in that time I’ve been called to homes where there have been strange occurrences going on – “bumps in the night”. There have not been many, but each time has seen a family or a person living with something that has made them quite scared. There is a methodical process of dealing with such things, starting with the investigation of the obvious such as a central heating system that may be clanking at various times of the day, but ultimately it can lead you into a place of prayerful cleansing and blessing of a home. Thankfully this isn’t needed too often, but where it is needed the cleansing and blessing in the name of Christ is effective.
On a personal level, such experiences have given me a certain perspective on Halloween – I find it difficult to support the celebration and promotion of things that are potentially representative of darkness. I guess its rather like the different attitudes you can have to war – those who have experienced the realities of warfare are less likely to glorify it. Biblically speaking there are specific guidelines which are against such things as divination and spiritualism, and while Halloween itself isn’t mentioned(!), the existence of evil and demons is recognised. Of note is that none of the powers of darkness are any match for Jesus.
So what will I do if the doorbell rings on Halloween? I’ll answer the door and have a friendly greeting for anyone on the doorstep. I may even have a selection of fruit or sweets for youngsters (and adults). I may even compliment them on creative costumes. But I’ll also offer a prayer for blessing and protection before they go on their way. Halloween needs thinking through.