As yet another celebration of “All Hallows’ Eve” draws closer, Christians once again have to consider what they think about this dark holiday. Should they let their children dress up as witches, goblins or ghouls or should this “fright night” be avoided by those who follow a God of goodness and light?
The answer is anything but straightforward, unfortunately, making it par for the course for parents who regularly have to make difficult choices when it comes to raising their kids. However, one former Satanist is convinced faithful Christians should ditch the celebration. Before getting to that, though, it’s important to look at the history of the holiday to better understand the potential harm that could come from celebrating the day as a Christian.
The History of Halloween
It is believed by many that the earliest origins of Halloween go back to the Celtic festival of Samhain.
The Celts lived in the area now called Ireland some 2,000 years ago. Samhain marked the end of the harvest and summer, and the beginning of the that most dreaded time of year — the dark, cold winter, which was often associated with death. The Celts believed that their festival of Samhain marked a unique day that straddled the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead, allowing them to become blurred.
This festival of Samhain, which was celebrated on October 31st signified the time when ghosts were allowed to return to roam the earth. The Celtic people would wear costumes and light bonfires in an effort to ward off the roaming spirits. They wanted to do this to keep the ghosts from causing mischief by ruining crops and the like.
Eventually, in the eighth century, Pope Gregory III incorporated many of the same traditions of the Samhain Festival into “All Saint’s Day”, which he designated as November 1st. He said this day should honor all martyrs and saints. The night before was called “All Hallows’ Eve”, later changed to just Halloween.
Over time, Halloween evolved into a community, even family-based event. However, many of the beliefs of the Samhain Festival remained, which of course included the convergence of the spiritual and physical worlds on Halloween.
Why a Satanist Thinks Celebrating Halloween is so Bad
By learning the history of Halloween, Christians might find themselves even more confused. After all, it sounds like the holiday had early traditions relating to harvest celebrations along with later celebrations that honored saints and martyrs. In other words, it doesn’t sound so bad.
However, former Satanist John Ramirez says Christians should not take this holiday lightly or rely on its earliest history to determine whether or not they should allow their families to dress up or trick-or-treat.
John Ramirez, who was a high-ranking priest within the Satanic Temple before becoming a Christian, says it is impossible to separate the seemingly harmless activities of Halloween, such as dressing up as princesses or cowboys or enjoying a hayride or “harvest celebration” at church with the way the holiday is viewed by those who serve the devil.
“As devil worshippers, Halloween was very special to us, and we looked forward to celebrating it because we knew the implications and dark power behind the night,” he said. “It is very different from every other night in the witchcraft world. It would be like me saying to believers today, ‘How important is Good Friday or Resurrection Sunday to you?’ Halloween has that much weight and importance to those who dwell on the dark side.”
Conclusion: Yes or No to Halloween?
There are no easy answers here, and each parent has to determine what’s best for their family when it comes to Halloween.
Admittedly, the holiday has dark beginnings, celebrating a time when the spirit and physical worlds converge. In addition, Christians must consider how the holiday is viewed today by those who worship the devil or practice witchcraft. Some Christians will choose to let their children trick-or-treat, but draw the line when it comes to dark costumes.
In other words, yes, their kids can dress up and enjoy a “harvest festival” at church but they can’t dress as a witch, vampire or other dark creature. Instead, they have to dress in fun, light costumes. Other Christians would rather keep their kids from celebrating the holiday altogether, and some Christians don’t have a problem with even the most ghoulish of costumes.
Regardless of the choice made, though, understanding how the day is viewed by those who follow Satan is enlightening, to say the least, and will likely cause many Christians to reconsider their stance.
~ 1776 Christian
