If Christians and pagans observe the same holiday, Christians must have stolen it from the pagans, right?
Not according to Joseph Abrahamson. A conservative Lutheran pastor, Abrahamson has established the intriguing website “Redeeming Holy Days from Pagan Lies,” on which he systematically and meticulously debunks claims that Christmas, Easter, Candlemas, Walpurgisnacht and other holidays were copied from ancient pagan festivals.
That especially includes Allhallowtide, which begins with All Hallows Eve on Oct. 31, leading to All Saints Day on Nov. 1, honoring the saints, and culminating with All Souls Day on Nov. 2, to honor all departed souls. All these, we are told, came from the Celtic harvest festival called Samhain (pronounced sow-in), and this mantra is repeated as an unquestionable established fact.
But did pagans originally have a Halloween-like festival that Christians stole or copied? Consider the following:
- Origin of Samhain: Samhain, we are told, is an ancient Celtic celebration co-opted by Christians. But as Abrahamson says: “Don’t ever expect truth from Neopagans and Wiccans. They already live in a fantasy world created by their own fakelore.” And most of these “ancient Celtic practices” actually come from folklorists of the 1800s. In fact, the earliest-ever mention of Samhain in Irish folklore comes from the A.D. 900s; Samhain is not mentioned elsewhere until centuries later.
- Dating of Samhain: If Halloween was taken from Samhain, then Samhain must have been celebrated on Oct. 31. But usually it wasn’t. Samhain was a harvest festival based on the lunar calendar, meaning the exact date varied from year to year. It would occur on Oct. 31 only about once every 30 years.
- Origin of All Saints Day. If All Saints Day and All Hallows Eve were taken from Samhain, they must have originated in Celtic territory, i.e., the British Isles at some time after the origins of Samhain. But Abrahamson tells us that All Saints Day was celebrated in Syria as early as A.D. 373, in Caesarea by A.D. 397, and in Constantinople by A.D. 407 – far from Celtic territory, and long before anyone ever thought of Samhain. And it was celebrated in Ireland, according to a manuscript of Irish Bishop Oengus of Tallaght, at least as early as A.D. 843, again, a century earlier than any mention of Samhain.
Does this mean we can don our witch costumes and go trick-or-treating? Not quite.
Regardless of who had it first, Halloween today is drenched in occultism if not outright Satanism. Witches, ghosts, vampires, goblins, ghouls, and the like have no place in any celebration fit for a Christian. In recent years, Halloween costumes and decorations have taken on an obsession with death. Skeletons, gravestones, ghouls and morbidity increasingly mark Halloween decorations and costumes, similar to the Mexican Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). And although trick-or-treating is great fun, roaming the streets in weird costumes demanding sugar-drenched treats in return for not soaping windows can hardly be baptized into a Christian practice.
Must we consign Halloween to the devil and his hellish cohorts? No, we shouldn’t give them up. We are not stealing from the neo-pagans. We are reclaiming a holy festival that they have appropriated and corrupted. Here are a few alternatives:
- Antiween: Cornerstone World Outreach, a church in Sioux City, Iowa, pastored by my good friend Cary Gordon, holds a youth event called Antiween, a fun evening of bonfires, pizza, s’mores, games, gospel singing, and Christian testimonies. More fun than trick-or-treating, and good for the soul besides!
- All Saints Day: Many Catholic churches consider All Saints Day (Nov. 1) a Holy Day of Obligation with mass attendance expected for those who are able. Services often include homilies about particular saints and their inspiration for our lives. The day is also a principal feast in the Anglican Communion and may be celebrated with full Eucharistic liturgy, baptisms, prayers for the departed, and lighted candles for those who have died. Luther opposed praying to saints, but he had no objection to honoring them on All Saints Day.
- All Hallows Eve (Oct. 31): Many Catholic churches hold Mass the evening before All Saints Day, and the faithful are encouraged to reflect on the lives of departed believers. Some have special parties at which children dress as saints or angels and enjoy games with Christian themes. Many Anglicans observe All Hallows Eve with special night vigils looking forward to All Saints Day.
- Reformation Day: Protestant churches celebrate Oct. 31 (and the Sunday closest to it) as Reformation Day, marking the evening in A.D. 1517 when Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. (And NO, Luther was not out trick-or-treating, and he did not nail the 95 Theses to the door because Wittenberg wouldn’t give him a treat!) Many Protestant churches hold special Reformation parties that evening, encouraging children to dress as Reformation leaders and engage in Bible quizzes and other activities. Check out the Reformation events this weekend at Reformation Baptist Church of Wetumpka, Ala., at which Mary Huffman and I will be speaking on Reformation and Pilgrim themes amid the games, feasting and music.
October is harvest season, a good time for people of all faiths to thank God for the harvest and the abundance He has provided throughout the year. Harvest balls, autumn parties, and other such activities are fine.
But steer clear of the occultic aspects of Halloween.
“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.” – Deuteronomy 18:10-12.
Colonel Eidsmoe serves as Professor of Constitutional Law for the Oak Brook College of Law & Government Policy (obcl.edu), as Senior Counsel for the Foundation for Moral Law (morallaw.org), and as Pastor of Woodland Presbyterian Church (woodlandpca.org) of Notasulga, AL. He may be contacted for speaking engagements at [email protected].
