Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

Some Christians are convinced that Halloween is evil and should be avoided.  Other Christians join in the fun of costumes and Trick-or-Treating.  What should we do?

I have done a lot of research on Halloween and here is my conclusion:  We're not really sure about the origin and meaning of the holiday and its traditions.  Therefore, follow your conscience, but don't condemn other Christians.  If you think it is sinful for your kids to wear costumes and go door to door for candy, then by all means abstain.  Be obedient.  But history is not clear about Halloween, and the Bible doesn't say anything about it, so if some Christians want to have fun by dressing up in costumes and letting their kids eat free candy, then leave them alone.  Halloween should not be a divisive issue among Christians.

All Saints Day (Nov 1) is a Christian holiday observed by Roman Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox church, and some Protestants.  

1. For Roman Catholics it is a day to remember the Catholic "saints" that are recognized in the canon of the saints by the Catholic church -- the heroes of the Catholic church.  
2. For Lutherans it is a day to remember all Christians who have died and are now in heaven, since Protestants believe that all Christians are saints.  
3. For Methodists it is a day to celebrate the lives of great Christians, both living and dead.  
4. For Anglicans it is a day to celebrate the heroes of the faith.  

In the Bible, a 24-hour day began not at midnight, but at sundown.  So traditionally All Saints Day began on the evening before November 1, on All Saints Eve, or Halloween ("Hallow" means holy, and "een" means eve).  Halloween is simply the start of All Saints Day.  

Where did the costumes and candy and Trick-or-Treating come from?  It's hard to know.  Some say it comes from pagan traditions, but there is a lot of disagreement about this.  Others say it comes from Christian traditions.  One Christian scholar, James B. Jordan, writes that the origin of dressing kids up in scary costumes (devils, witches, ghosts, and goblins) was to ridicule the devil, since death and Satan no longer have power over us in Christ.  That's a cool idea.

Christians should never celebrate death and the devil and evil, so if that's what Halloween is all about for you, then you should probably avoid it.  But Halloween doesn't need to be about that.  For Christians, Halloween can be a day to celebrate the lives of the heroes of the faith, or it can be a day to make fun of death and Satan, since we have the victory in Jesus Christ.  Or it can simply be a day to let your kids dress up for fun and collect free candy from the neighbors.  Lydia and I have used Halloween as an opportunity to get out of the house and meet and mingle with the neighbors so that we can better minister to them, and we love to let our kids enjoy the costumes and candy.  Whatever you do, follow your conscience, enjoy your freedom in Christ, and avoid condemning other believers for how they observe the holiday.