Christians and Halloween
This blog was originally published in October, 2025. However, due to its timely, ongoing message, I am posting it once more.
Annually in October, we see stores filled with various Halloween items – decorations, costumes, and all sorts of ways to observe this day. It has become one of the largest holidays in the United States with an estimated economic impact in 2026 of $13.5 billion dollars. For some Christians this presents a dilemma. What is Halloween? How should a Christian approach this holiday?
The name “Halloween” comes from the All Saints Day celebration of the early church as a solemn remembrance of Christian martyrs. The celebration began as All Hallows Eve that eventually morphed into “Halloween.” All Saints Day was established to counter pagan influences that had crept in and 
to directly challenge a pagan holiday. The result was that the church only succeeded in lending a Christian approach to a pagan ritual. Today Halloween has become associated with demonic activity including Satan. As Christians, I believe that we should never give Satan an inch – he will take a foot, a yard, a mile, our souls.
Of course, the Bible is silent on Halloween, as it was not in existence when the Bible was written. So there is no direct authoritative instruction on how to deal with the holiday. But we can use the Bible to draw some principles regarding this day. I believe there are four possible approaches that Christians can take in approaching this day.
Participate. One can take the approach that Halloween is no longer a pagan holiday and is ok for Christians to participate. And it does have spiritual roots, but is now a cultural holiday. As such, it can be seen as innocent fun. It can also be an opportunity to build a sense of community. However, Halloween does utilize demonic themes. Ephesians 5:11 (AMP) reads “Do not participate in the worthless and unproductive deeds of darkness, but instead expose them [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character]. And in Ephesians 4:27 (AMP) Paul writes “And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].” Given these scriptures, I choose not to participate in anything related to Halloween.
Consider Alternatives. Rather than participate in this holiday, we can utilize alternatives such as
Trunk or Treat. Many churches have such alternatives. One word of advice here. If you’re going in this direction, get it right. I once saw a church advertising its “Trick or Trunk” event! Care must be taken to avoid anything of the devil. Some churches may hold a Fall Festival on an alternative date. This can be a valid non-confrontational approach that separates Christians from bad influences and reaches out in a positive manner.
Passively Ignore the Day. Ignoring Halloween can be difficult to do, as schools, workplaces, restaurants, and other establishments may decorate, wear costumes, and otherwise promote the day. I once had a pastor who actively avoided stores during the months such decor was on display. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 4:21 “What do you desire? That I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?” Having such a spirit and love can go further toward reaching the lost than a spirit of contentiousness.
Actively Oppose It. In actively opposing the day, refrain from belittling those with different views. For example, some people will pretend the NFL Superbowl is a minor event with statements such as “I heard there’s a football game today.” Everybody has their likes and dislikes and it doesn’t do anyone any good by belittling things liked by another person. But we can discuss with the other party why we oppose Halloween without talking down to those with other opinions. In our opposition to Halloween we can easily become distracted from the central issue of our Christianity.
Active opposition can be difficult, especially with young children who feel they are missing out on candy, costumes and the like. This is where participation in alternatives may prove to be helpful. However, this can be an opportunity to teach our children about our Christian beliefs as opposed to those following another path. Remember that your objective is to help them see the truth, not to win a debate.
Ruler of This Earth. Whether we consider Halloween to be good or evil is dependent on our personal 
beliefs and interpretation of the holiday’s traditions and history. Be aware that Satan is, for now, ruler of this earth. 2 Corinthians 4:4 reads “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” John 12:31 tells us he is a defeated ruler “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.” Satan is doing his best to keep humans away from God. He is our adversary. Nowhere in the Bible are we given permission to toy with evil. We are to shun it. As Christians we are to replace the false with what is true.
Worship the King. Lord, we pray for the triumph of good over evil. We know the victory is yours and we can have a part in your victory. We know we will participate in great worship as described in Revelation 4 “And when the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and they will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.’” Amen.
Come Lord Jesus.
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All scripture unless otherwise indicated is from the New American Standard Bible.