As a Christian, most people I know do not celebrate halloween as we did as kids. They most certainly don't put up decorations and they don't go trick or treating.

Last year I was talking to a friend about halloween. They don't go trick or treating but they go to a church where they have activities and candy for the kids. I was teasing her that all of the holidays that have copious amounts of candy are always from the enemy. She said "I know but the kids always have a good time." After we hung up the phone and I was thinking about what she said it occurred to me that this is how pagan holidays become Christianized! The church holds an event on the same night, has costumes, provides candy and voila! It's now a Christian holiday!

When we became Messianic Christians we learned that God provided Holy Days (this is where the word holiday came from) and that we should not celebrate holidays that are of heathen origin and pagan significance. Because of this we stopped celebrating christmas and easter (and a number of others).

It is easy to explain the christianization of pagan holidays through the study of christmas. In my study I learned that December 25th was considered the birth date of the sun. Most of the customs and traditions of this date precede the birth of Christ. Those that celebrated the holiday as pagans did not want to give up those celebrations when they became Christians so the church, in essence, "christianized" them— they made them into holidays for Christians. So all the pagan practices of christmas were sanctified because it was declared as the birth date of Christ.

Most early Christians rejected the idea of mixing holidays and would not celebrate them. As time went on and through the generations I am sure the traditions would start to mix. Just as today, where halloween celebrations have moved into the church. Of course it is not called halloween but the mix has started— the christianization of halloween has begun. I wonder if they all started the same way, through the children when the parents know better yet say "...but the kids always have a good time."

—Louise of Kyrieology.com

Posted on October 25, 2009