Should Christians celebrate Halloween? What the Bible says and what churches do

Where the name comes from

“Halloween” is a Christian word. “Hallows” comes from an older English word meaning “holy”, and “e’en” is short for evening (Vatican News, 2019); All Hallows is All Saints. All Hallows’ Eve is the evening before All Saints’ Day on November 1. The 1907 Catholic Encyclopedia notes that the feast’s vigil seems to have been kept as early as the feast itself.

The same encyclopedia records that Pope Gregory III (731–741) consecrated a chapel in St Peter’s in Rome to all the saints and fixed its anniversary on November 1, and that Gregory IV later extended the November 1 celebration to the whole Church. All Souls’ Day, the commemoration of all the faithful departed, follows on November 2. For the feast itself, see our page on All Saints’ Day.

Calendars still differ. Eastern Orthodox churches keep the Sunday of All Saints on the first Sunday after Pentecost, not on November 1, so October 31 is not the eve of All Saints in their calendar (Orthodox Church in America).

The Samhain question

A popular story says Halloween “is really” Samhain, a Celtic festival of the dead that the Church took over. The history is less tidy than that.

Samhain (Irish Samain, probably “summer’s end”) is real. Medieval Irish texts treat it as a quarter day on November 1, a time of gatherings and feasting, and some tales say the fairy mounds stood open at Samhain. What is disputed is the further claim that it was a pagan feast of the dead and the Celtic New Year, and that the Church moved All Saints to November 1 to replace it.

The historian Ronald Hutton examined this claim in The Stations of the Sun (Oxford University Press, 1996). As his work is quoted and summarized by Deacon Stephen Hayes and by the historian-blogger Tim O’Neill, Hutton traces the “Celtic New Year” and “feast of the dead” picture to two late nineteenth-century scholars, John Rhys and James Frazer. He found no direct record of such a festival. He also points out that by about 800 the November 1 feast of All Saints was kept in England and Germany, where Alcuin promoted it. Early Irish churches, meanwhile, kept a feast of all saints in April. That pattern makes a Celtic reason for the November date unlikely; Hutton favors a Germanic or English origin.

None of this proves that no folk custom on October 31 has pre-Christian roots. Some, such as Hallowmas bonfires and fortune-telling games, are of uncertain origin and may be older than the Christian feast. Other customs grew up around the feast, such as giving “soul cakes” to poor people who came to the door. O’Neill notes that modern trick-or-treating spread mainly in the United States after the Second World War. The fair summary is that the name and date are Christian, some customs are of uncertain origin, and the “stolen pagan festival” story is weaker than it is often presented.

For Christian decisions, origins also matter less than people assume. Paul told the Corinthians they could eat meat sold in the market, even though some of it had been offered to idols, unless eating it would harm someone else’s conscience (1 Corinthians 10:25–29). What a custom means now, and what it does to you and your neighbor, carries more weight than where it may have started.

What the Bible says

These are the passages Christians most often cite. Scripture is quoted from the Berean Standard Bible; the explanations that follow each are our own.

Deuteronomy 18:10–12 — no occult practice. Israel is told that no one among them may practice divination, interpret omens, practice sorcery, cast spells, consult a medium or spiritist, or inquire of the dead, because these things are “detestable to the LORD” (Deuteronomy 18:10–12). This is the clearest line in the debate. Ouija boards, séances, tarot and spells fall inside it, however playful they are made to look.

Ephesians 5:11 — darkness and light. “Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:8–13). In context, Paul is talking about conduct: sexual immorality, impurity, greed and crude talk (Ephesians 5:3–6), set against goodness, righteousness and truth. Christians who avoid Halloween read it as a call to stay away from a night that celebrates death and evil. Others reply that a child dressed as a pirate is not a “deed of darkness”. Either way, the verse asks what the actual activity is, not what the calendar says.

Romans 14 — days and conscience. “One person regards a certain day above the others, while someone else considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5–6). Paul was writing about Jewish feast days and food laws among the Roman Christians, not about Halloween. Still, he sets out a pattern for disputed customs: whoever observes a day does it “to the Lord”, neither side should belittle or judge the other (Romans 14:3), and no one should put a stumbling block in a brother’s way (Romans 14:13). He also warns that “everything that is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). A Christian whose conscience is troubled by Halloween should not take part; one who takes part in faith should not be condemned.

1 Corinthians 10:23–31 — freedom for the good of others. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23). Paul’s test is love: seek the good of others, and give up a freedom when using it would wound someone else’s conscience. The passage ends with the rule that covers October 31 as much as any other day: “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Philippians 4:8 — what to dwell on. Paul tells the Philippians to think on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable (Philippians 4:8). Many Christian parents apply this to decorations, films and costumes: a cartoon pumpkin is one thing, gore and glorified evil are another.

Two verses in five editions

Older translations can change how a verse sounds in this debate. Read these two in all five of the site’s editions.

Deuteronomy 18:10. The King James Version lists “an observer of times”, which can sound like a ban on keeping calendar days. The Hebrew word there, me’onen (Strong’s H6049), describes someone who practices magic or soothsaying. The BSB renders it “conjury”, the WEB “one who tells fortunes”, the ASV “one that practiseth augury”. The verse forbids occult practice, not festivals.

1 Thessalonians 5:22. The KJV’s “Abstain from all appearance of evil” can sound like “avoid anything that might look bad”. The Greek word eidos (Strong’s G1491) means form or kind, which is why the BSB, WEB and ASV read “every form of evil”. The verse follows “test all things. Hold fast to what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21–22). It calls Christians to test and discern, which is exactly what the Halloween question requires.

What churches say

These summaries use each tradition’s own sources. Where a tradition has no single official position, that is stated.

Catholic. The Catholic Church keeps October 31 as the eve of a holy day, and for Catholics All Saints (November 1) is the point of the night. The Catechism of the Catholic Church rejects “all forms of divination”, including conjuring up the dead, as well as magic and spiritism (paragraphs 2115–2117); it says nothing about costumes or sweets. Practical guidance comes from bishops and parishes. In a memorandum quoted by Vatican News in 2019, Bishop David Konderla of Tulsa asked Catholics to keep the feast’s Catholic meaning, to avoid what is contrary to the faith, and to express “the beauty and depth of the Feast of All Saints” in how they celebrate. In 2014 the Archdiocese of Quebec invited families to dress as saints or biblical figures after trick-or-treating and join an all-night vigil ending with the All Saints Mass. The organizers said they were not rejecting Halloween but helping families prepare for the feast (Vatican Radio).

Evangelical Protestant. Evangelicals have no central authority, and their practice ranges widely. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association does not give a yes-or-no ruling. Its 2019 answer says, “We encourage each family to develop their own approach to Halloween”, and places that responsibility on the adults in the household (BGEA Staff). Many evangelical churches use the night for outreach, inviting neighbors to fall festivals and “trunk-or-treat” events; the survey figures below show how common this is.

Reformed. The Reformed tradition holds two strands. The older, strict strand rejects religious holy days altogether. The Westminster Assembly’s Directory for Public Worship (1645) states that “There is no day commanded in scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord’s day”, and that “Festival days, vulgarly called Holy-days, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued.” By that rule, the vigil of All Saints has no religious standing at all. Other Reformed writers point to Reformation Day on the same date. Scott Manor, president of Knox Theological Seminary, writes that the Christian history of the day can serve as a guide and that attention should be refocused on Christ. In practice, Lifeway Research found in 2016 that 55 percent of Presbyterian and Reformed pastors encouraged members to invite neighbors to a fall festival or similar church event.

Orthodox. No common Orthodox ruling on Halloween was found. October 31 is not a vigil in the Orthodox calendar, since All Saints falls after Pentecost. Some clergy speak strongly against Halloween. In a 2012 letter to parents, Irenei (Steenberg), now bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia’s Diocese of Great Britain and Western Europe, urged families to “stand fast against this ridiculous trend” and spend the evening at church services. In a 2015 OrthoChristian.com collection of priests’ answers, Fr John Whiteford (ROCOR, Texas) judged taking part “not wise”, while Fr John Baker (Orthodox Church in America, Chicago) said he takes his children trick-or-treating, with a rule against costumes of “evil or dead stuff”. Fr Baker called his answer his personal thoughts; neither answer is presented as his church’s official position.

Pentecostal. Pentecostal churches have no single ruling on Halloween. We found no Halloween position paper among those published by the Assemblies of God, one of the largest Pentecostal fellowships. In practice, many Pentecostal churches use the night for outreach: in Lifeway Research’s 2016 survey, 75 percent of Pentecostal pastors encouraged members to invite friends and neighbors to a fall festival, trunk-or-treat or “judgment house”.

Reformation Day on the same night

October 31 is also Reformation Day for many Lutheran and Reformed Christians. On that date in 1517, Martin Luther wrote to Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz, enclosing his theses against the preaching of indulgences. Luther signed the letter “From Wittenberg on the Vigil of All Saints, MDXVII” (Works of Martin Luther, 1915 translation). The famous picture of Luther nailing the Ninety-five Theses to the Castle Church door that day is less certain. The earliest account comes from Philip Melanchthon in 1546, and he arrived in Wittenberg only after the event. Since the early 1960s historians, starting with Erwin Iserloh, have debated whether the posting happened at all, and some recent scholars call the question insoluble (R. Scott Clark, Heidelblog, 2020). Either way, the Reformation began with a letter dated to the evening before All Saints.

What pastors and churchgoers do

Lifeway Research, based in Nashville, has surveyed Protestant pastors about Halloween in 2016 and 2022, and American adults in 2015.

Protestant pastors, 2022. In a phone survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors taken September 6–29, 2022 (margin of error ±3.2 points):

• 71 percent encouraged members to invite friends or neighbors to church events (67 percent in 2016).
• 58 percent encouraged members to build relationships with trick-or-treaters (52 percent in 2016).
• 34 percent encouraged handing out gospel tracts (26 percent in 2016); evangelical pastors 42 and mainline pastors 28 percent.
• 13 percent encouraged members to avoid Halloween completely (8 percent in 2016). That figure was 20 percent among pastors older than 65 and 32 percent among African American pastors.

Protestant pastors, 2016. The earlier survey of 1,000 Protestant senior pastors (August 22 to September 16, 2016, ±3.2 points) broke the invitation figure down by tradition. Overall 67 percent encouraged members to invite friends and neighbors to a fall festival, trunk-or-treat or judgment house; by tradition the share was Holiness 82, Baptist 77, Pentecostal 75, Methodist 73, Lutheran 56 and Presbyterian/Reformed 55 percent.

Americans, 2015. In a phone survey of 1,000 Americans taken September 14–28, 2015 (margin of error ±3.6 points), about 3 in 5 said Halloween is “all in good fun”. Twenty-one percent said they avoid Halloween completely and 14 percent that they avoid its pagan elements. Among evangelicals, 28 percent avoided it completely and 23 percent avoided its pagan elements, while 45 percent called it all in good fun. Seventy-one percent of Catholics chose “all in good fun”, compared with 49 percent of Protestants.

In short, about one Protestant pastor in eight (13 percent in 2022) encourages members to avoid Halloween completely, while most encourage some form of outreach. In 2015, 28 percent of evangelical adults said they avoid it completely.

Our take

This is our own view, not a ruling for any church, and some readers will disagree with it. We think most Christian households can open the door on October 31, and that both the loudest case against Halloween and the most relaxed case for it miss what Scripture actually settles.

Retire the “it’s really Samhain” argument. The name and the date are Christian, and on Ronald Hutton’s reading the picture of a pagan feast of the dead that the Church took over goes back to two nineteenth-century scholars, not to medieval records. Even where a custom is older than the feast, Paul let the Corinthians eat market meat without asking whether it had been offered to idols, and drew the line only at worship of idols and at harm to someone else’s conscience (1 Corinthians 10:20–21, 25–29). Keeping away from Halloween simply because it “is pagan” rests on weak history and on a test Paul did not apply to the meat market.

Be stricter about the occult than “all in good fun”. About 3 in 5 Americans in Lifeway’s 2015 survey called Halloween all in good fun, and for costumes and sweets we agree. But Deuteronomy 18:10–12 forbids divination, spells and inquiring of the dead, and we think that covers the Ouija board at a party, the tarot reading “just for fun” and the mock séance. The ban itself is the one line in this debate Scripture draws for certain, and those games are the part most easily laughed off on the night.

A dark porch is usually a missed chance. In many neighborhoods Halloween is the one night of the year when neighbors walk up to a Christian’s door of their own accord. Paul’s test is the good of others (1 Corinthians 10:24), and a kind word and a treat meet it better than a locked door. Most Protestant pastors in Lifeway’s 2022 survey (58 percent) already urged members to build relationships with trick-or-treaters; we side with them.

Leave the abstainers alone. A Christian whose conscience says no should stay home and must not be mocked for it (Romans 14:3, 23). What we argue against is the claim that every Christian must stay home, not the household that chooses to.

One more thing: the night only makes Christian sense because of the morning after. A church that spends more energy fighting Halloween than keeping All Saints has its priorities backwards.

Questions for your household

Scripture leaves room for different answers, but it gives clear questions to ask:

1. Is anything occult involved? Fortune-telling, séances, spells or “contacting” the dead are out, however playful they look (Deuteronomy 18:10–12).
2. Can I do this in faith and with thanks? If your conscience objects, stay out without judging others; if it does not, take part without despising those who stay home (Romans 14:5–6, 13, 23).
3. Does it serve my neighbor? Opening the door with a kind word and a treat may serve your street better than a dark porch, or a church event may serve them better still (1 Corinthians 10:24, 31).
4. Is it true, honorable and pure? Choose decorations, films and costumes with Philippians 4:8 in mind.
5. Will we remember the saints? Whatever you decide about October 31, the next day is All Saints. Families of many traditions can use the night to thank God for those who finished the race of faith before them.

A prayer for October 31

Lord Jesus, light of the world, keep us from every work of darkness and from judging one another. Give us wisdom to choose what is true and good, kindness toward every neighbor at our door, and thankful hearts for all your saints. Amen.

This prayer is original to this page.

Over to you

Lights on, lights off, or the church hall instead: what will your door look like this October 31, and what decided it? Then send this page to someone who decided differently and talk it through.