Is Halloween evil? Does it have satanic undertones?
Let’s face it, kids love dressing up and who’s to stop that?

I mean what could go wrong with a couple of little kids getting dressed up and going around to stranger’s houses asking for lollies?!  What about those scary clowns…?!

For a satirical take on Halloween check out my short vlog video Should Parents Ban Halloween?

But don't you think it's a little strange that there's so little discussion or concern on Facebook or the media about the potential dangers of sending your kids round to stranger’s houses asking for lollies.

Someone who felt compelled to assuage Christian concern was Dr John Dickson who has written a short and simple historical summary of the Halloween celebration for the Center for Public Christianity: "Halloween vs Christmas". He says:

“...Halloween is much less significant, in both its pagan and Christian forms, but it has a similar history to Christmas. Originally, November 1 marked the end of the summer months, and the pre-Christian Celts believed that the spirits of the departed returned to their homes at that time to visit loved ones. Masks and other disguises were worn to frighten off evil spirits who were trying to cut in on the action. Around AD 610 Pope Boniface IV decided to ‘claim’ this festival for Jesus. He moved All Saints’ (or Hallows’) Day, a feast celebrating the departed in Christ, from May 13 to November 1. The evening before was also sanctified as All Hallows’ Eve or Halloween. It was a time to remember the faithful believers of past ages and to pray that we, the living, might learn from their good example. The Protestants in the 16th century mostly banned the celebration of All Hallows’ Eve and Day, but this had little to do with associations with ghouls and goblins and much to do with anti-Catholicism…”

I was grateful to learn that Halloween was, like Christmas a festival that was ‘de-secularised’ by Christians and claimed for Christian purposes as it became the dominant culture. Sadly in today’s western societies we are now very much seeing the re-secularising of both Christmas and Halloween as Christianity’s influence is increasingly rejected.

I also saw a high quality video whereby Christians have tried to reclaim the festival back to Christianity like in the 7th Century; but I found the poetic form a bit giddying: check it out here, your kids might like it: “Halloween: Trick or Treat?”

Dickson says that in today’s climate, Halloween is no worse than Christmas… “If there are grades of sins, I reckon the Aussie worship at the shopping mall in the build up to Christmas and the consequent neglect of the poor until we’ve paid off the credit card are much more ‘satanic’ than allowing our kids to dress up as goblins or characters out of Harry Potter”.

Little children keep yourself from any idols. (1 John 5:21)

 

Christmas is coming folks so make sure you have Australia's finest Christian performing artist at your events. Reclaim Chrissy and Book Anton today on www.antonsantics.com