The question of how Christians should respond to particular holidays is nothing new to the 21st century American Church.  Even the Apostle Paul had to bring balance to the struggles of how the early church responded to “religious festival[s]”, “New Moon celebration[s]”, and “Sabbath day[s]” (Col 2:16).  So, with Halloween being tomorrow, and the perpetual nature of the issue, I thought I’d post a brief article which first appeared in the Ask Hank column of the Christian Research Journal, volume 28, number 5 (2005). 

Note: see additional link at the end.

This article, “How Should Christians View Halloween and Christmas” can be viewed on CRI’s website.  For further information or to subscribe to the Christian Research Journal go to www.equip.org.  Please let me know the conclusions you and you family have come to regarding the celebration of these holidays. 

——————————————————————————–
“Myriad questions surround Halloween. Should we participate? Accommodate? Or should we vigorously denounce Halloween? To answer such questions, its helpful to view Halloween from the perspective of history.1

First, we should recognize that Halloween is indeed rooted in the ancient Celtic feast of Samhain (sah-ween). The Druids believed that on the eve of Samhain the veil between the present world and the world beyond was pierced, releasing demons, witches, and hobgoblins en masse to harass the living. In order to make themselves immune from attack, people disguised themselves as witches, devils, and ghouls; they attempted to ward off evil spirits by carving grotesque faces on gourds illuminated with candles; and they placated the spirits with a variety of treats.

Furthermore, we can learn a lot from how the early Christians responded to Halloween. October 31st, the eve prior to All Saints Day, was designated as a spiritually edifying holiday (holy day) on which to proclaim the supremacy of the gospel over the superstition of ghosts. Thus, all Hallows Eve, from which the word Halloween is derived, was an attempt on the part of Christianity to overwhelm the tradition of ghouls with the truth of the gospel.

Finally, although Halloween is once again predominately pagan there is a silver lining. Like our forefathers, we can choose to celebrate all Hallows Eve by focusing on heroes of the faiththose who, like Martin Luther, were willing to stand for truth no matter what the cost. We might also use the occasion to introduce our children to such great classics as Pilgrims Progress. In the end, the trick is to treat Halloween as a strategic opportunity rather than a time of satanic oppression.2

Like Halloween, serious concerns are voiced every year regarding the validity of celebrating Christmas. Some Christians note that the origins of Christmas are pagan, others maintain that the Bible overtly denounces Christmas trees as idolatrous, and still others suggest that Santa Claus is a dangerous fairy tale. In response let me first acknowledge that when Christmas was originally instituted, December 25th was indeed a pagan festival commemorating the birthday of a false god. While this is historical fact, what is frequently overlooked is that the churchs choice of December 25th was intentional. Instead of Christianizing a pagan festival, the church established a rival celebration. While the world has all but forgotten the Greco-Roman gods of antiquity, they are annually reminded that two thousand years ago Christ invaded time and space.

Furthermore, the Bible nowhere condemns Christmas trees as idolatrous. The oft-cited passage in Jeremiah 10:2-4 might at first blush appear compelling, but context precludes the pretext. Jeremiahs description of a tree cut out of the forest, adorned with silver and gold, and fastened with a hammer and nails so that it would not totter is a reference to wooden idols, not Christmas trees. In fact, Christmas trees originated in Christian Germany two thousand years after Jeremiahs condemnation of manmade idols. They evolved over time from two Christian traditions. One was a paradise tree hung with apples as a reminder of the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. The other was a triangular shelf holding Christmas figurines decorated by a star. In the sixteenth century, these two symbols merged into the present Christmas tree tradition. Next Christmas you might well consider using the Christmas tree in the home of an unbeliever as a springboard or opportunity to explain the reason for the season from the fall in Paradise to redemption in Christ.

Finally, believe it or not, even Santa can be saved! Far from merely being a dangerous fairy tale, Santa Claus in reality is an Anglicized form of the Dutch name Sinter Klaas, which in turn is a reference to Saint Nicholas. According to tradition, Saint Nick not only lavished gifts on needy children but also valiantly supported the doctrine of the Trinity at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. Thus, Christians may legitimately look to Saint Nick as a genuine hero of the faith. This December 25th as you celebrate the coming of Christ with a Christmas tree surrounded by presents, may the selflessness of Saint Nick be a reminder of the Savior who gave the greatest gift of all: Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13 NIV).3“

— Hank Hanegraaff

NOTES
1.        Adapted from Hank Hanegraaff, The Bible Answer Book (Nashville: J. Countryman, 2004).
2.        See also Hank Hanegraaff, Halloween: Oppression or Opportunity? www.equip.org./free/DH010.htm.
3.        For further study, see Paul Maier, The First Christmas (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2001).

——————————————————————————–

*For a more in-depth description and evaluation of Halloween, see Bob and Gretchen Passantino’s very helpful article, “What about Halloween?”