Coach's Corner

Should Christians be afraid of Halloween?

"Trick or Treat!"

The words suddenly seem sweeter than usual, spoken by an adorable little girl with a ballerina costume pulled over her snow pants. Yet, the phrase lingers in the air along with the condensation from her breath and you feel a chill run up your spine.

And rightly so! I mean, Halloween is bad ... right? Or did you just shiver because you're still standing there on a chilly October night with the door wide open?

The fact is, Halloween definitely did not begin as a Christian tradition. Its roots can be traced back to a pagan tradition originating in Ireland called 'Samhain,' which literally means "End of Summer". ('Pagan' meaning belief in spirits, in this case pantheism, as opposed to a monotheistic belief in God.)

In many ways, but not all, this tradition bore resemblance to our current North American celebrations of Thanksgiving and New Years all rolled into one. As a pastoral culture, this festival marked the end of the year and was a time of harvest and celebration. Animals were brought in closer to the establishments, crops were harvested, and the ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, before the dawn of the new year, the souls of those who had died during the year passed through the world of the living on the way to the otherworld. This pagan tradition included sacrificing animals, fruits, and vegetables, and wearing costumes and masks to fool or placate these departing spirits.

Sounds like something out of a horror story, doesn't it?

Christians well before our time thought so too. So in the mid-700's, Pope Gregory III chose to Christianize the pagan holiday by moving the tradition that celebrates the lives of all the Christian martyrs (All Hallows Day) to November 1st. This meant that October 31st became All Hallows Eve, or Hallowe'en for short. To help ease the transition into Christian community for individuals with Celtic roots, costumes, gifts and bobbing for apples were preserved and incorporated into the new holiday. Centuries later, they remain an accepted part of Halloween.

Despite the Christian dressings put on this ancient festival, it's understandable that this type of tradition, rooted in the pagan calendar would attract those interested more exclusively in the dark side of the supernatural. This explains coinciding celebrations involving the occult and an increase in occult activity on October 31st.

So, should Christians be afraid of Halloween?

The last day of October has become secularized and commercialized to the point where it's origins are all but lost. No sooner does Back-to-School season end and the shelves that were once filled with pencils and paper now contain costumes and candy. Trick-or-treating and costume parties have even replaced even the good intentions of Pope Gregory! It's gotten to the point where the only person that might denounce Halloween would be your dentist.

The fact is that Christians have as much to fear in the current holiday called Halloween as they do in Valentine's Day. Both are almost unrecognizable after the plastic surgery performed by free enterprise. (Maybe your dentist and your wallet are in the same boat on this one.)

At this point, there is another question that seems to rise to the surface. Is there anything redemptive in the holiday of Halloween?

I've heard of kind individuals, inspired by Christ's love for them, taking the opportunity to serve hot chocolate at the end of their block. It's no secret that road-weary parents would welcome a warm beverage as they wander around after Junior in his Batman costume.

Hot drinks aside, this is a great time to make genuine connections with your neighbours. Sitting in a darkened house with a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door creates needless barriers between you and those you share a street with. In at least one way, this holiday is built for those who are looking for ways to 'love your neighbour'. I mean, what could be more loving than giving things away!

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

Posted October 01, 2008