The key point here is that there is a Christian story behind Halloween for God’s people to discover again – TO TELL IT.

• This festival is being revived for commercial reasons
• We are not powerless
• If we act, we can shape the way it develops within our culture – making it an opportunity, in contrast to the ‘dark messenger’ it will otherwise be shaped to be by those seeking profit.

The below summary of the history of Halloween is written with thanks to history.com, Wikipedia and the skimming of various topical articles via google.

The festival of Samhain – its beginning point

Halloween’s earliest roots arein the ancient Celtic (English/Irish) festival of Samhain – which is a Gaelic word pronounced “SAH-win”.

• This was a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of summer.
• They could concurrently light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.
• At times it was a 3 day festival, while at others it might cover the full month of November.

Why ward of ghosts?

Winter was the dark part of the year – and also a risky season. Living in an agricultural season, and with no welfare state, you needed your crops to last the winter or you starved. It was assumed evil spirits came out for winter.

• Druid priests were therefore trying to discern whether or not they’d survive the winter – while encouraging spirits to go back into the earth.

But LIGHT then came to their culture, dispelling darkness, superstition and fear.

The beginning of Halloween

The gospel came to the Celts. Saint Patricks work in Ireland dates to approx. the 5^th Century. As the gospel was embraced, fearful superstitions and violent associated practices were put aside. This same pattern followed everywhere that Christianity spread.

The festival therefore lost its meaning – but not its existence.  Just as the festival of Christmas includes family and gift-giving traditions that non-Christians still follow, so did Samhain! Even without a belief in its superstitions, it was a part of the community calendar and cultural practice.

Pope Gregory 3^rd (690-741AD) therefore established All-Hallows day – which is also  known as ‘All Saints Day’. It is dated to 1^stNovember, and was purposed to replace the darker focus of Samhain – instead celebrating the Saints of history who had dispelled the darkness!

The festival began to take on new meaning.

The night before (31s October) became known as ‘All Hallows Eve’ – from which we get the name ‘Halloween’.

So, the very name ‘Halloween’ is entirely Christian in its origin and purpose.

The ‘scary’ dynamic of the festival prior to Halloween revived

The Puritans who travelled and founded America’s nationhood had no interest in Halloween. However, something happened in Ireland that fed a new dynamic within American culture.

In the mid 1900s there was a Potato famine in Ireland, lasting from 1845 until 1852. At the point of starvation, many Irish sold their possessions and boarded ships to emigrate to America, landing and living in the port cities.

Those cities became a cultural melting pot within which traditions changed and were developed, as people’s sought to define who they now were. Halloween bonfires were changed in to jack-o-lanterns (faces in pumpkins). ‘Trick or treating’ – home to home seeking lollies, started. (This has a possible but unconfirmed origin in a cultural practice in which the poor would go door to door to pray for the souls of a family’s dead in exchange for food to eat).

By early 20^th Century Halloween was a feature of  American culture – endorsed and promoted principally by the businesses who created the myriad of costumes and other extras involved, turning it into one of the most profitable holidays on the calendar.

Halloween an irrelevance to NZ – if not for possible  profits

Here in NZ, Halloween has had nothing to do with us – other than as ‘All Saints Day’ for the denominations who have marked that date on their calendars.

But then our businesses realised that it could be turned into an opportunity.  Halloween has been promoted primarily due to commercial interests. There is no governmental purpose in it. There is no cultural or religious reason to promote it. It’s about money.

The challenge is that cultural perspectives are shaped by what people see and hear. With only about 10 years of commercial promotion, the ‘spooky’ side of Halloween is already taking root as a cultural phenomenon.

How might we respond as Christians?

A Christian response

I see two responses. The first is to recognise that we are wise to have nothing whatsoever to do with entertainment built out of a celebration of skeletons, death and demons.

Celebrating or making light of evil is not good; it is not wise; it is also not in the interests of our children’s wellbeing or mental health. This is simple matter.

But secondly, light dispels darkness. There is a message of hope that is overlooked when we celebrate the darkness. Christ defeated the grave! The ‘death certificate’ to all evil has already been written and signed by Jesus. It is only a matter of time before it is served.

We are therefore wise to avoid grumping – because no good will come of that.

Instead, we remember that culture is shaped by what people see and hear, because this shapes their perceptions.

The only true and right response is to ENGAGE in the same manner the profit-seeking businesses are – but with a positive message – to shape culture and thinking through wise action!

“Light Parties”

I have also heard of a similar name, calling these ‘Saints and Angels Parties’. This is a way we can engage within the publics square, connecting widely, while giving parents a POSITIVE alternative to the scary side of Halloween – which many will appreciated!

Themed around superheroes – with the a request for ‘no scary costumes please’ – the cultural focus of Halloween could be significantly shifted toward a celebrating of those who pursue good (like superman) rather than bringing attention or even glory to something that is represents evil.

Whakatane: One of the most impressive Light Parties I heard about in NZ a decade ago was in Whakatane. Churches combined, with maybe 5000 from the community attending. They took a couple of years off recently – but re-started this year (2024).

Tauranga: The church I attend (C3 City Church) in Tauranga also runs a light party. We have between 2000 and 3000 attending. It’s easily promoted via the local Primary school, community notices and a local letterbox drop. Our church purchases lollies, and various games are then run – with lollies as prizes. A stage programme then runs for maybe 20mins near the end of the approx. 3 hour programme. There is ‘best dressed’ and other silly upfront games.

A connection point: Concurrently, those running things like Mainly Music look out for mums with babies / toddlers, to say hi and invite them along. The same can happen for our church-based scouts group, with potential promotion of marriage or parenting courses, and similar, during the brief stage programme.

Reputation: When first living in Tauranga, I heard positive things said about our church from various places. Efforts like this, which served without a ‘preaching agenda’, had established a very positive reputation – while attendance at other programmes would include clear Christian messages. It is wise and good to have ‘bridging programmes’ as churches, through which connections can be made, enabling other things on other occasions.

Even while the gospel isn’t directly communicated, reputation is valuable, and other good can be achieved. Consider even the many conversations that take place amongst the adults present minding their sugar-high children. (I will be one of these this evening – the date of writing this being 31st October).

Regarding future ‘messages’ churches could begin to incorporate: Short stories about the Saints who dispelled the fearful superstitions of our various ancestors could quite interesting to hear about!

Again – lets remember this is a CHRISTIAN festival – built out of a pagan one that was dying because so many had embraced faith in Christ.

This is only growing here in NZ because of commercialism.

We are not without power to do something!

Halloween (All Hallows Day Eve) celebrates the saints who brought the light that dispelled the darkness and fear that had preceded it.

There is a story to know and tell,

many amazing connections that can be made,

and a culture to be present within to bring influence!

To note it again, credits for information go to history.com, Wikipedia and the skimming of various topical articles via google – here is a summary of the history of Halloween.