I’ve met a lot of people in the small community I work in who say that they don’t celebrate Halloween because “It’s the Devil’s holiday”.

There are a couple of points to be made. Halloween is, fully spelled out, “All Hallow’s Eve” – the name refers to the day before All Saints Day, which is observed on November 1st. The word “hallows” refers to “hallowed”, meaning “sacred”. All Saints Day is a holiday that is primarily observed by Catholics and Episcopalians. All other Christian denominations generally have no idea of its existence, thus they don’t know what the word “Halloween” refers to. All Saints Day is the day to remember and honor all the famous people who have died who were strong in their faith and lead the way for us. This includes people such as Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Patrick, and Mother Theresa. They are our role models in faith. Lesser known is that November 2nd is “All Soul’s Day” – where we remember all the people we know and love who have passed on. This includes any relatives or friends we might have who have inspired us to be better people.

Another point is that we believe that there is just one God. To give any power to another force is in violation of the commandment saying “You shall have no other gods before me.” Everything is from God. To personify the idea of evil and to ascribe power to it is to say that there is another god, which is not possible. To say that it has power over you verges on idolatry. So remember that God is in charge, first and foremost.

When I was at Cursillo, I received a bookmark that really helped re-frame Halloween for me. I’ve reworded it a little to polish it up. Here you go –

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God chooses you, raises you up, takes you in and washes the dirt off of you. He opens you up, reaches deep inside, and scoops out all the yucky stuff – including seeds of doubt, hate, greed, and the like. Then God carves a new smiling face for you and puts His light inside of you to shine for all of the world to see.

“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds, and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16