Conviction over Culture- Spooky Season.

Why we no longer celebrate Halloween.

It’s October what the world likes to call “spooky month.”

Everywhere you turn, there are ghosts, goblins, skeletons, and ghouls. Stores are packed with costumes and candy, and every neighborhood fills with decorations celebrating all things eerie.

It’s a “fun” season of dressing up and letting loose, or at least, that’s how I used to see it.

Then came a conversation that changed everything.

A well-meaning friend gently commented on a haunted trip I had posted about. She mentioned how “dangerous” it can be to play around with the spooky. I rolled my eyes so hard you could probably hear it and ignored her.

But God wasn’t done speaking.

Conviction, Not Condemnation

Over time, the topic kept resurfacing. It would show up again and again in books I read, in conversations, even while scrolling online. Despite my attempts to brush it off, there was a gentle but persistent tug in my heart; a nudge from the Holy Spirit that told me I couldn’t keep ignoring what this day really represents.

I had always said, “It’s just candy and costumes. Our intent is pure — that’s what matters most.”

But one day, that reasoning no longer sat right in my spirit.

Isaiah 5:20 — “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.”

While I once believed intent outweighed participation, I couldn’t escape the truth that we are still participating in something that doesn’t align with the light of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:22 — “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

That verse stuck with me. It doesn’t say “avoid evil unless it looks fun.” It says all appearance.

When I looked at Halloween, its history, its symbols, and its fascination with darkness, fear, and death, I realized it was no longer something I could justify for my family. I couldn’t teach my children to love light and truth while also making room, even for one night, to celebrate darkness and pretend it’s harmless.

The History and Reality of Halloween

Before I made the decision to step away from Halloween, I wanted to understand where it came from and what it actually represents.

What I discovered opened my eyes.

Halloween’s roots trace back to ancient Celtic festivals, particularly Samhain (pronounced “sow-en”), a pagan celebration marking the end of harvest and the beginning of winter. The Celts believed that on October 31st, the boundary between the living and the dead grew thin… that spirits could cross over, and sacrifices or offerings were needed for protection.

When Christianity spread through Europe, the church later established All Saints’ Day on November 1st-a day to honor believers who had gone before us. The evening before became known as All Hallows’ Eve, which eventually shortened to Halloween.

While some of the old customs faded, many traditions, costumes, lanterns, and the fascination with spirits, remained tied to their pagan origins. Over centuries, what began as rituals of fear and superstition evolved into what our culture now calls “harmless fun.” But the symbols still echo themes of death, fear, and darkness things Scripture calls us to separate from.

Ephesians 5:11 — “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

As I learned more, I realized how easily the enemy disguises darkness as entertainment. What seems lighthearted often dulls our sensitivity to spiritual truth. We laugh at what once grieved the heart of God.

For me, understanding Halloween’s origins didn’t make me angry or afraid — it made me aware.
It reminded me that not everything culturally accepted is spiritually harmless.

That awareness brought me peace in stepping away not out of fear, but out of reverence for the Light that conquered darkness once and for all.

John 1:5 — “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

How We Got Halloween Today

As centuries passed, the old pagan and folk traditions blended with church observances. Samhain became All Hallows’ Eve, and by the Middle Ages, people went door-to-door offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food a practice known as souling. Over time that turned into children dressing up and asking for treats, the earliest form of trick-or-treating.

Costumes, once worn to ward off spirits, became a playful way to imitate them.

When European immigrants came to America, these customs came too and here they evolved even further. Halloween gradually became a community event focused on parties, mischief, and sweets. By the early 1900s, the spiritual element had been mostly replaced by commercial celebration, but the fascination with fear, death, and the supernatural never disappeared it simply changed form.

Today, Halloween is a multi-billion-dollar industry built on horror, darkness, and mockery of death.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15 — “What fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?”

And as paranormal themes and dark imagery have become normalized in media and entertainment, our culture has become increasingly numb to the spiritual realities behind them.

It reminds me of something Ed Warren, the late Christian paranormal investigator, once said:

“A skeptical public is Satan’s best tool.”

That line hit me hard.

We’re not “crazy” for questioning what’s behind the things we entertain ourselves with we’re careless when we refuse to.
We’re not overthinking when we discern-we’re under-guarding our hearts when we dismiss it all as silly or harmless.

The truth is, the enemy doesn’t need us to openly worship him- he only needs us to become comfortable with what opposes God.

That was the wake-up call I couldn’t ignore.

Grace Toward Others

Let me be clear; this conviction is personal.

I know many Christians who do celebrate Halloween, and this post is not meant to criticize or shame anyone.

Romans 14:5 — “Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.”

That verse brings peace to my heart. Conviction isn’t meant to divide it’s meant to guide.

So if a family chooses not to participate in Halloween, please don’t take it as judgment against those who do. Most of us who step away aren’t doing so out of fear or superiority we’re doing it out of obedience and peace.

Truthfully, it often feels like those who don’t celebrate are judged more harshly than those who do. We’re labeled as “sheltering,” “legalistic,” or “too strict.” But the truth is, many of us are simply guarding the peace that comes from walking in obedience to the conviction God placed on our hearts.

It’s not about isolation it’s about intimacy with Christ.

Reformation Over Halloween

I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that October 31st isn’t just Halloween -it’s Reformation Day.

On that day in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, sparking the Protestant Reformation -a movement that brought the Word of God back into the hands of believers.

While the world celebrates darkness on October 31st, I now celebrate light; the light of truth, Scripture, and grace.

Instead of costumes and candy, my children and I spend the day learning about the reformers, reading Scripture, doing fun related activities, and thanking God for the courage of the men and women who fought to make His Word accessible.

We celebrate Reformation Day; not as a replacement for Halloween, but as a reminder that truth and light always prevail over darkness…. and a little bit of FOMO- kidding, sort of.

A Final Thought

This isn’t about rules or rigidity.
It’s not about thinking we’re “better than” anyone else.

It’s about conviction.
It’s about peace.
It’s about choosing to walk in the light, even when it looks different from what the world calls “fun.”

Whether you celebrate Halloween or not, my prayer is the same:

That we would each listen closely to the Holy Spirit’s voice, show grace to others who are walking out their faith, and let everything we do, and don’t do, reflect the light and love of Jesus Christ.

🕊️ Ephesians 5:8 — “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”