Where does Halloween come from and what is the Bible saying about it?
The answer of the bible
The Bible does not mention Halloween per se. However, the origins of Halloween and its customs are based on misconceptions about the dead and invisible spirits, i.e. demons (see Halloween history and customs).
The Bible warns: "You must not tolerate anyone among you who ... summon spirits or question the dead" (Genesis 18:10-12, The Bible in modern German [1992]). For many, Halloween is harmless fun. But what is behind the Halloween customs is anything but harmless according to the Bible. Therefore, 1 Corinthians 10:20, 21 reads: "I will ... not to get involved with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons" (New Jerusalem Bible).
Halloween history and customs
Samhain: The Halloween tradition "has its roots in a [2,000 year old] Celtic-Anglo-Saxon custom. At that time, the so-called Samhain festival was celebrated to celebrate the beginning of winter", according to the book Abenteuer Erde - Mystische Orte. According to the Great Handbook of World Religions, it was believed that "the dead could come into contact with the living on this festival". But the Bible states unequivocally: "The dead know nothing at all" (Ecclesiastes 9:5, Good News Bible).
Halloween costumes, candy, and "trick or treat": For the feast of Samhain "many customs were performed to ward off the dead Sometimes people dressed themselves up as the dead, so that the dead would not recognize them as living," reads the book "Pumpkin, Spirits, Candy. Others tried to appease the spirits with sweets. In the Middle Ages these pagan customs were adopted in Europe by the Catholic Church. Clergymen encouraged church members to go from house to house in costumes and ask for small gifts. The Bible forbids mixing Christian teaching with false religious customs (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches and zombies: Such beings have long been associated with the world of evil spirits (Celtic Pumpkin Cults - A Brief Cultural History of Halloween). The bible makes it clear: "Evil spirit powers" should be resisted, not celebrated together with them! (Ephesians 6:12).
Halloween pumpkins: In the British Isles in the Middle Ages, people went "from house to house, begging for food and promising in return to say a prayer for the dead. In such processions they carried lanterns made of "hollowed out, candle-lit turnips" (jack-o'-lanterns). "The candle stood for a soul trapped in purgatory" (Halloween-From Pagan Ritual to Party Night). It is possible that the lanterns were also used to ward off evil spirits. In the 19th century, turnips were replaced by pumpkins in North America because they were available in large quantities and could be easily hollowed out and carved. The beliefs behind this custom-soul immortality, purgatory, prayers for the dead-have no support in the Bible. (Ezekiel 18:4
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
