There are many great questions that demand an answer: Who thought the Beastie Boys were a good idea?;  Why do some people call soda “pop”?; and, our question today, should Christians celebrate Halloween? Grab your pumpkin themed apparel and pitchforks readers, let’s open the murky doors to the night when the world seems to creep in a long moon shadow and every dark hallway leads your feet to a netherworld gate.  

As a disclaimer, your author does have an opinion.  I grew up celebrating Halloween in my very orthodox Lutheran home and my whole family enjoyed it immensely.  I like Halloween, but I don’t think everyone should like Halloween. Almost none of my friends celebrated, or celebrate, Halloween and I don’t hold it against them at all; I’m just sad they have to spend a night not having fun when everyone else is having fun dressing up and eating free candy…. From strangers…. Who are also dressed up as monsters…. Okay, it’s weird as all get out, but I still like it.

Judging from those of you who kindly took the time to respond to our questionnaire, most of you don’t have particularly strong feelings either way about Halloween, either feeling that isn’t a big deal if we do celebrate it and not the end of the world if we don’t.  I believe these attitudes stem from a healthy balance of Christian freedom that gives us the right to make culturally related decisions as individuals, free in Christ and no longer bound to our cultures.

My in-person questions also had the same sort of ambivalence. Usually, it would come down to: I do, but I get it if you don’t, or I don’t, but I don’t think it’s a big deal.  I only got one person who said “probably not” and then changed the subject. The funny thing is, I remember this being a much bigger deal when I was a kid. Churches used to have talks about how Halloween was Satan’s holiday, and there’d be spam emails and fliers but I really don’t see much of that anymore.  I always thought it was pretty ridiculous, even as a child, I mean, I’m stupid, but I think I know when I’m praising Satan thank-you-very-much.

I do understand why people would be concerned with Halloween’s connection to witchcraft and Pagan worship, but, Easter and Christmas also have connections to pagan worship and the solstices and equinoxes are part of witchcraft.  Halloween as we know it is a Christianized version of an ancient Irish festival, as well as the eve of All Saints Day which is one of the most lovely festivals during the church year. The sinister connections of Halloween really aren’t all that sinister, especially in its modern cultural context.  Little children running about dressed as Luke Skywalker and Sonic the Hedgehog ( I mean kids are still into that, right?) are hardly drawing up a witch fire and making druidic sacrifices any more than we are worshiping Saturn by taking a day of rest and gift-giving on Christmas.

I guess it’s good to see a healthier attitude forming around Halloween in Christendom but I still kinda miss the hyperbolic messages that would thunder through the ears of little heathens like me every time the leaves turned to rust and the pumpkins began growing faces.  Have fun, be safe, eat an unhealthy amount of Butterfingers. Go in peace to serve the Lord, and yes, that can include Trick or Treating.

…. Please don’t stone me.