“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:5 (NIV)
In the city of Geneva, Switzerland, there is a Reformation Wall with huge statues of major figures of the Reformation, including John Calvin. Engraved on the wall is the motto of Geneva: “Post Tenebras Lux” (After darkness, light). How then does a city pivot from deep Christian values to hosting Halloween celebrations in schools? A holiday originating from the ancient Celtic festival, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.
This is a reminder that we are called to light entire cities (Matthew 5:14)!
Three reasons why Christians should not celebrate Halloween:
- Halloween is a celebration of sacrifices and death, but death was defeated by Jesus Christ when He sacrificed Himself and rose again (Matthew 28:5-7).
- Halloween does not glorify God but gives worship to the devil. We, as Christians, represent the body of Christ, and everything we do in our lives should glorify Him. “ … whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” – 1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJV).
- We are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16), and the light of Christ must shine inside of us for others to see. Celebrating Halloween is in opposition to what the light of Christ represents. Romans 13:12 (NIV) tells us, “…put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light.”
We, therefore, are to associate with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).
Here are alternative activities to spread light and glorify God on 31st October and beyond:
- Engage: Host youths and teens for a movie night with a strong moral and biblical storyline. Or host a Gospel concert and hang where you dress up for Jesus.
- Educate: Spend time explaining to your children why they do not participate. Our son asked again this year, and luckily, we had a video of him doing a sermonette on Halloween. He heard his own voice admonishing others not to celebrate Halloween.
- Evangelise: Share cookies or cakes with toppings that show hope, love, and peace. You could also start your own Christian-illustrated storybooks that explain to children why we DO NOT celebrate Halloween.
Remember, we are called to light entire cities!
Read: Matthew 4:16; John 8:12
Bible Reading Guide: Proverbs 26:13-22; Hebrews 2; Obadiah 1
