Rather than trying to answer that question, I think it is better to talk about the history of Halloween.
I am including a couple of commentaries that should provoke some thought on the subject.
"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; attempted to ward off evil spirits by carving grotesque faces on gourds illuminated with candles; and placated the spirits with a variety of treats.
Furthermore, we can learn a lot from how the early Christians responded to Halloween. October 31, 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 faith—those 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 Pilgrim’s Progress. In the end, the trick is to treat Halloween as a strategic opportunity rather than a time of satanic oppression."- Hank Hanegraff
Here is an excerpt from an article about Martin Luther - this helps our family celebrate Reformation Day with better appreciation:
"The demands of study for academic degrees and preparation for delivering lectures drove Martin Luther to study the Scriptures in depth. Luther immersed himself in the teachings of the Scripture and the early church. Slowly, terms like penance and righteousness took on new meaning. The controversy that broke loose with the publication of his 95 Theses placed even more pressure on the reformer to study the Bible. This study convinced him that the Church had lost sight of several central truths. To Luther, the most important of these was the doctrine that brought him peace with God.
With joy, Luther now believed and taught that salvation is a gift of God's grace, received by faith and trust in God's promise to forgive sins for the sake of Christ's death on the cross. This, he believed was God's work from beginning to end.
On Halloween of 1517, Luther changed the course of human history when he nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, accusing the Roman Catholic church of heresy upon heresy. Many people cite this act as the primary starting point of the Protestant Reformation… though to be sure, John Wycliffe, John Hus, Thomas Linacre, John Colet and others had already put their life’s work and even their lives on the line for same cause of truth, constructing the foundation of Reform upon which Luther now built.
Luther's action was in great part a response to the selling of indulgences by Johann Tetzel, a Dominican priest. Luther's charges also directly challenged the position of the clergy in regard to individual salvation. Before long, Luther’s 95 Theses of Contention had been copied and published all over Europe."
I love reading about the early reformers and the amazing sacrifices they made for the sake of the Gospel. As believers, most of us have no concept of the words "suffering" or "persecution". One only has to read the stories of William Tyndale or Martin Luther to appreciate how the fathers of the reformation sacrificed... so that the True Gospel would be proclaimed.
As a family, we strive to glorify God in all that we do. I struggle to find a way to glorify God within the current practices of Halloween. Sure, it's fun to have the kids dress up and let them beg for candy from our neighbors, but the underpinnings of Halloween is what causes me the greatest resistance.
The Reformers did something that was very scary to the world of their day. They stood against all forms of dark superstitions which grip the minds and souls of men. It was their emphasis on the fear of the Lord and the wisdom of Holy Scripture that was used by God to liberate untold numbers of men and women. But to remember the Reformers instead of Halloween is very scary to the world. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Doug Philips
Instead of "going with the flow," we choose to celebrate Reformation Day and remember what Martin Luther and the "Giants" of our faith did to restore the New Testament Church.
- Keith
