What is Halloween: A Biblical Look

Each year on October 31, many in the U.S. celebrate Halloween. Children dressed up as everything from princes and princesses to goblins and ghouls knock on your door asking for tricks or treats. And many of those trick-or-treaters likely haven’t received the gift of salvation.

This year, Answers in Genesis is offering an informative new booklet on Halloween—A Biblical and Historical Look at Halloween by Bodie Hodge:

Today, we’ve posted this Halloween booklet as our lead article. To learn 'what is Halloween,' this booklet gives a thorough history of Halloween and offers a biblical perspective on it. Because Halloween is traditionally associated with death, the booklet concludes with the gospel message, explaining to readers that it’s only through the power of Christ that they can be saved to eternal life.

Here are the introductory paragraphs:

In the United States (and other countries), Halloween has become one of the most popular unofficial holidays. On the up side, retail sales boost the economy around this holiday.

On the down side, the holiday has become a time of increased crime in many places (especially arson and other acts of violence) on Halloween night as well as the night before. Even the author’s house was robbed one Halloween by forced entry. So, although the retail industry loves Halloween, many police officers and insurance companies dread it! Of course, there is also a tremendous amount of occult activity associated with this holiday.

Kids and even many adults love getting dressed up for Halloween. And they love the candy, of course. It’s just innocent fun, isn’t it—or is it? But let’s think carefully and biblically about the history, nature, and impact of the holiday.

When did this holiday begin and why? Was it of pagan origins or is there something more behind Halloween history? How should Christians view this day in general? To understand these questions further, we need to go back to the roots of Halloween.

To learn 'what is Halloween' from a biblical perspective, I encourage you to read the rest of this excellent article on our website. And next year, consider ordering Halloween booklets to hand out to those who come to your door. Candy and other treats are good, but there’s nothing that compares with the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken