It’s no secret that people are in love with Halloween these days. Everywhere you go, you can see increasingly elaborate decorations, with some homeowners going all-out in their décor.
Halloween decorations are a big business. The National Retail Federation predicts that this year’s Halloween décor haul will clock in at $4.2 billion. And decorations are getting more realistic, scarier, and darker. Every October, Americans increasingly try to make death look real. Yard after yard turns into a horror-movie set — ghosts shrieking, zombies rising, demons laughing.
Even Christian families have fallen for décor that looks, at best, menacing and, at worst, demonic, pagan, and drenched in occult practices. In Friday’s episode of The Briefing podcast, Dr. Albert Mohler talked about an email from a listener who was concerned about his neighbor’s decorations, which included a cage full of dismembered dolls. When the man asked his neighbor about it, the neighbor said it was no big deal because he’s a Christian.
Don’t get me wrong: I’m not against Halloween per se, but I do wonder if people are taking the dark side of Halloween too far.
The common origin story of Halloween is that it stemmed from the Celtic pagan festival of Samhain, which was supposed to be a time when spirits could pass through to the land of the living. However, as The Culturist explains:
The usual explanation is that, when Christianity spread through Europe, Christian holidays took the place of pagan ones, and intentionally maintained similar themes so local culture could assimilate. In this case, November 1st became All Hallows’, or All Saints’ Day, and the evening prior was appropriately called All Hallow’s Eve — designated as a time for vigil and prayer for the souls of the deceased.
However, it is also argued that the Christian observance of these dates arose entirely independently. Pope Gregory III (who instituted All Saints’ Day to commemorate all saints martyred in the faith) likely had no knowledge of any such Celtic festival. Indeed, any observance taking place the night before November 1st was because it was customary in Catholic tradition to observe an evening vigil the day before a feast day.
Halloween is basically the Christmas Eve to November 1’s All Saints Day. The Catholic Church established the holiday in the 7th century to celebrate Christian martyrs, but by the 9th century, it came to honor all the saints. It was a way to honor those examples of faithful Christianity.
Flashback: Happy Reformation Day
November 2 is All Souls Day, which we more prominently think of by the name Mexicans use to celebrate it: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). All Souls Day finds its roots in the Catholic belief in Purgatory as a place where the souls of the dead rest until they enter Heaven. But even those of us Christians who don’t believe in Purgatory can appreciate honoring those faithful ones who came before us.
The author of Hebrews reminds us: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
If you think about it, these three days, which we collectively call Allhallowtide, aren’t about death and evil. Instead, they’re about eternal life and celebrating those who have achieved it, knowing that we who have professed Jesus as Lord and Savior will, too, one day. If that’s not a mindset shift, I don’t know what is.
🎃 We live in a culture that celebrates darkness, but at PJ Media, we shine light on truth, faith, and freedom — even when it’s unpopular. If you’re tired of media that glorifies evil and mocks belief, join our community of writers and readers who aren’t afraid to talk about what really matters.
Right now, you can become a PJ Media VIP member for 74% off with code POTUS47 — that’s our biggest discount of the year. VIPs get access to exclusive content, podcasts, and uncensored analysis from people who share your values.
👉 Join today and stand for truth — even when the world decorates for darkness.
Use code POTUS47 for 74% off.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member