Bible Justification Halloween 2025

[Justmerach]

Hi everyone, Halloween is rapidly approching us and last year the Anglican church that I attend as a non demontional Christian-they had a service which was about halloween day. I know that hallowwen has been controversial and but we all make up our own minds about things and that is for you to do. I was those surpised to see it used as church knowing the controversy and it made feel more justifed to watch my one year spooky movie a year. I like things like Ghost trains. My favourite ride at a fair..good for my senses.

So this might be news to some of you. The forum was created after this event last year so there was not a thread last year. I think this may be seen as a pagan event usually, but interesting how some church's cover it now and if you wish to put this on at home...may be here is some justification and I will attach what was we used in the church last year and the scripture it is mentioned in.

The reading came from Isaiah 25: 6-9

"On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

Lol, I meant to write 2025, I have been looking at some old reports of late and that era is in my mind. I obviously meant to write 2025 in the title. I wonder if a moderator could change the date to 2025 for me please. The attachments were from last year 2024 above.

I don't quite understand @Justmerach they had a service about Halloween day - what did they say? What was the focus?

I can't read the writing in the photo, it comes up too small for me but it seems to be scriptures? Looks like scripture not about Halloween.

Hi ChristmasStars, it was approaching halloween and my church had a sermon theme for halloween that week. They obviously used halloween and trickle treating as a theme and found scripture to make it more legitimate. The rector is a lovely woman who seems to be in their 30-40s to me and she is not the main rector, but I liked it and it made me feel better that it was ok to do this.

I think the bit relevant is this bit in the scripture-the scripture above never mentioned the marrow...

This KJV version does though mention it..

"And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined".

So were they encouraging people to join in with Halloween? I wasn't sure.

I've only been in churches that either ignore Halloween or focus on something like a light party instead. Or on the All Saints day the next day.

I think I'd go with 1 Cor 6 here that everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial.

I would have thought that by putting it on they were telling people it was ok to do it if you wanted to take it for light fun and not be worried. I am not suggesting what others should do, just that if they were unsure this might help to see there is some scripture around it some ministers are using now not to annexe it of for your family if you want to do it.

I left a bit undecided after it as I had never heard of iit before but felt glad last year that I could watch my once a year movie in peace and not worried it was not Christian. This year I am unsure what I will do if I will watch my once yearly spooky movie...or...may be I might treat myself to a Christian themed one instead lol.

I've never done any celebration of Hallowe'en and really dislike it. A graphic celebration of all things dark feels very off and unChristian to me. I don’t get involved in trick or treating either- no sweets on my doorstep. All the churches ( C of E) I've ever been associated with have done Light Parties and All Saints Day, which is where I'll stick!

Basically, I'm the Hallowe'en Grinch!

"And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined".

I don't see how that verse (or the section of Isaiah quoted) has anything to do with Halloween. It's about the feast that the Lord will have with Christians from all nations after the battle of Armageddon once the Antichrist has been defeated. We will feast on Mt Zion, the mountain of the Lord - Jerusalem, where God's presence will be centered. It's nothing to do with a pagan celebration that goes on every 31st October, in fact that's a good example of verses being taken out of context if it's used to justify Halloween.

The only exception to this could be if this is a Harvest festival event, ie. not Halloween themed, that would be a good reason to celebrate the Lord's provision.

I also feel a bit weird about a church promoting Halloween. All saints day I can see the justification for. I can see how it would maybe encourage non church goers into church but then this passage is pretty full on and might put people off coming back? It feels like popularism to the detriment of beliefs.

We do streets of light where I live so church members do window displays with paper and card promoting light and love and some put sweet's out too.

It is interesting to read all your thoughts. I read some notes that I wrote on this last year..May be the below is useful?

I attended church today which was taken by an ordianed Anglican rector in an Anglican church and it was useful for me that one of the sermons was about Halloween. The rector explained how pumpkins acted as beacons that welcomed people into the feast.

I believe that there are forces of evil in the world, and the enemy is everywhere, but he is vanquished by The Light of the World, aka Jesus. Not a pumpkin!

Me too, although I was a big Harry Potter fan as a child. But because I knew it was just a story.

I'm going to add something from a different perspective. As a Christian whose background resides in Satanism (family, not myself) the ruler of this world is Satan. This is relayed in the Bible often. We live in a fallen world.
You will be making a mistake if you start to justify what is inherently evil.
Christians avoid the whole demonic aspect of life because it's uncomfortable, I understand that, but doesn't make it any less potent.

One way to think of it, is if Jesus returned on Halloween, and you were there celebrating and embracing this darkness. Would you feel embarrassed or ashamed? I certainly would, and I'd have no justification for it because I/we know better.

Do you know if there is an evil story behind Halloween I don't not even know as an adult. As a child I knew it for children usually going trick or treating and getting pumpkins. We didn't do that much at home, but my sister sometimes did apple bobins a few times I think...

Me, I was getting scary movies once a year, but I have always been a Christian but became more in 2022 when I was came home after a time away. My faith was my sole focus in life from them. When I was considering watching a video last year it made it difficult to think of watching something like that again and I started looking at more supernatural and not spooky things as such. A spooky movie once a year has never do anything other than good.

I am not just yet what Jesus would say on this---do people do crime from this and how many.....it is not your problem in your eye then...is it causing violence etc....personal self control......then this one from St Augustine when in Rome now the Church some of them rest on this. I see God a bit like this..when in Rome do what the Romans do...Would they object when it is the norm in a country and part of there hertiage it seems.

I'm joining @FuzzyPuffling as the Halloween Grinch!

I was going to respond more but @GentleSheep said all that I would say.

I don't think by talking about a pumpkin shining light a church is backing Halloween.

There's no one particular story behind Halloween but the connections are dark - ghosts, spirits, all sorts. Why would we?

I would be running out of that church as fast as I could. That's a pagan doctrine. I know the Anglican Church has fallen a long way but honestly it's unbelievable that a rector would say such a thing.

Agree with @FuzzyPuffling Christ is the light of the world, there is no other, accept no other!

ChristmasStars, what do you think the church could be trying to do by putting this on and they didn't say it was bad during it to to. For me I mentioned that it was like giving it more legitimacy to do this. Do you think they was letting people make up their own mind with that evidence? I don't actually have a firm opinon myself as such, but was just putting this here to discuss and if anyone was stuck with this if it might be helpful or not to help them make their own minds up what to do about it.

Beware the false teachers and preachers! Even deceiving those who feel they have discernment. I agree with all the previous posters who have advised @Justmerach that the ONLY light of the world is our Lord Jesus. I love the picture painted by @OnlyCosy of what if Jesus chose 31 October to return and the squirming, embarrassed 'christians' who are playing hallowe'en?! 😯

I will add that I am sad that I am not surprised to see on Christian mumsnetters a thread encouraging Biblical justification for Hallowe'en. 🤷‍♀️ It is of course, an oxymoron and very much anti-Christ.

My dear you are a lovely, innocent and good-hearted Christian woman. I don't think you grasp that some Churches do not preach the true gospel, nor do they follow Christ's words. They have been led astray by the shiny light of secular culture. Finding Bible verses to support and mean what they want them to mean, rather than teach the word of God. It's very sad for all caught up in it, but far worse for the preachers as they will be harshly judged by God for spreading a false gospel.

The pagan debate is topical at this time of the year and Halloween is soon upon us again and some families do practice it who are Christians. It is information giving people something to decide for themselves and with others to. It is a debate also that is topical sometimes.

I wouldn't tell anybody to do this, they have to decide for themeselves based on their own opinion or what is out their available to read on this.

The rector at my church is lovely. It clear having attended to me that they saying it was ok if we did so as well as a bit of a light thing if we wanted to fit in with the seasonal thing to.

It is certainly not good to do anything negative or evil through it or because of it. Based on this though mine is still dropped for this year with the spooky movie as well.

Thank you, it does seem a bit a random. Some ministers are here, it wasn't me who selected that to read but an ordained minister who has her own calling. I wonder if any other ministers/apostles would use this and if so what do you make of it?

I am a follower of Christ a non demontional and will stay that way. Apart from that every other service has been much down the line when I have attended and God has been with them as well. I see her soon I will ask if I can record her telling why she used it and ok to go seemingly in her own words and copy them word for word as much as I can her. I can ask the leading rector but it wasn't her that put it on.

I'm not totally clear that they were saying it was ok to do Halloween. It would be disappointing.

I wonder if they were looking at the opposite, like pumpkins don't have to be to represent Halloween - we have little orange squashes on our fireplace as part of our autumn decor (sounds fancier than it is!) because I like the orange and the autumn connection. I'm not supporting Halloween with them, just appreciating something from nature, alongside berries and leaves - before I make soup out of them!

Please don't ask if you can record her and transcribe it here. I don't think that's fair or reasonable and would probably put her in a very uncomfortable position.

In your position, I would be asking myself why I am so keen to have Hallowe'en justified. You choose what you want to do, but if it's not Christian, it's not Christian!

It is actually online as it is recorded live and I have filmed the snippet where they explain it in full meaning. It was last year and my brain held on to what I know really which was about the pumpkins and Halloween day. I just hadn't done my annual spooky movit and just caught this at church having never seen anything mentioned in the Bible. I was debating about what to watch that year and I thought I might do so and felt quite ok about it.. I discussed this with someone else and they well didn't portray it well so it just put me off. I remembered it was again this year and posted for information and discussion.

It's just like nice if you want it/wouldn't mind it and you was unsure about it all, if those can be someones private thoughts.

Well I have listened to it again today and it like 9 mins long and starts by saying they would be putting it on for Halloween but also mentioning about All Souls which I didn't remember and it is well packed. For privacy I couldn't link to it direct as it has personal information it, but I have snipped them out just focusing on the explaination it was interesting listening to it again a year on. I could just tranlate the words by Youtube the script alone from the footage with privacy intact.

Well

I have got the transcript, it is safe for public. I can see that she really poured into this. She is bringing something new and she is a Christian. I have read it and she says that Halloween is dark she knows, but they take part lightly but know the meaning of All Saints and about putting on a feast for us.

I have pasted it below-
Here in the building as we come to celebrate All Saints Rejoice people of God praise the
Lord let us keep the feast in honour of all God's Saints in whose Victory the
Angels rejoice and glorify the Son
because that's something we're all going to share in together I promised you a prop I better go and fetch it and I have a handy table gets better and better now I don't know how many of you here in this church have been carving these over the past week we always carve pumpkins ready for Halloween and so we carved pumpkins ready for Thursday evening for Halloween which is of course all Hallow's Eve it's an evening before All Saints Day a bit like Christmas Eve it's an evening before when we start to think about these things that are amazing these things that are amazing in heaven and on Earth in that Isaiah reading we hear that the Lord of hosts will make for All Peoples a feast if you've ever been out on the streets on Halloween night you might get just a sense of that Heavenly Feast a little preaster if you like of that Heavenly Feast of the Kingdom the streets are dark but the streets are alive they're alive with families with children excitement with joy running about the streets for once
belong to the people who live in the not to the cars it's not their night but to
the people who are walking from house to house and we always carve a pumpkin
because as I expect you know if you are trick or treating the houses you're
allowed to go to are the houses that have got pumpkins you don't ring on the doorbells of the other ones that's what the rule is and you need a pumpkin there shining the light for you so what's that got to do for us for All Saints why have we got these pumpkins shining a
light shining a light to this Feast how is it that we can follow our way to find
this heavenly Feast that we hear of in Isaiah this heavenly Feast where it says
that God will take away death remove
this Veil this shroud from us it's not for nothing is it that at
Halloween people are dressed up in these things that are quite scary quite dark
because here for one night of the year we can thumb our noses at death because
we are sure and certain of God's light God's light in those dark places that we
know that death is not the end we know celebrating today that the whole company
of all those Saints who have gone before us are here celebrating with
us how do we find our way to the feast here's my pumpkin and you can see
here where it used to be growing on the plant can you see this bit at the top
that's a bit where it was attached to the plant and I don't know if you can remember cast your mind back a few months and we had a Vine going
reminding us of Jesus the True Vine of how we need to be grafted in and growing as part of Jesus and that's how we find our way to that Heavenly Feast here we have a pumpkin it used to be part of a Vine but we've got the pumpkin here and if it's wanting to be something useful
it's got to be opened up first that goes for us as well doesn't it we
need to allow ourselves to be opened up to God's love and to God's light it's an
uncomfortable thing being opened up isn't it I'm sure all of us have stuff
inside us that maybe we would rather wasn't
seen maybe we would like to keep these things
hidden these slimy unpleasant things inside us these things of jealousy of
hatred oh there goes a seed pick that up later slimy bits unpredictable slimy
bits get all over the place don't they times that we are less than
loving the times that we are jealous the times that we're impatient with others
the times that we want to do the things for ourselves and not for other
people opening ourselves up to God's light and to God's love is a dangerous
proposition because it means getting rid of these things inside us Allowing God
first of all to see them because God doesn't come rashly bursting his way
into our lives God has to be invited we have to allow God in before we can let

God change us but because God is the good
Gardener these slimy disgusting bits of ourselves these bits that we don't
really want to share these bits we want hidden away don't just get disposed of in the rubbish but God the good Gardener makes compost these slimy bits that have been given over to God can be broken down can be turned into good soil ready to grow maybe some more pumpkin Vines another
year so once we have been cleared out God sorted us out and filled with God's
light and God's love it's not something that we have to
keep for ourselves there's a light in this pumpkin but you'd never know
it it's a battery light because I thought it might get a bit complicated if I was
trying to scrape out pumpkins and light lights up at the same time but if it was a real light if it was lit as a candle and a flame and hidden inside this pumpkin what might happen to it for a little while the oxygen inside is going to allow it to carry on burning it maybe will bring light inside the pumpkin the pumpkin will get warm but it will go out because actually God's light and life inside of us is something for us to share and so we need to allow our light to shine to shine to others so that other people can see it I don't know if you've been there to be able to make their way to our Feast our Feast of sweets our precursor to that Heavenly Feast we needed a light to show them the way so that they would know where to come and that's why we have our pumpkins lit they're a bit like you know when you got a plane coming into land and they have the landing strip we kind of almost had a landing strip of pumpkins to show the way and here we are we've got this light shining and now we've got the light able to shine and able to be shared it illuminates other people I'll lift that up so you can all see my little lighting so I can just about see it flickering got too many lights on I think it might be complicated I'll show you later we can look in a darken place but here we've got my pumpkin with a light on
inside showing us oh there we are oh you can see it looks rather lovely doesn't it here's my pumpkin with its light shining and that's what we are called to be here today All Saints Day we are called to shine like this with God's light God's love shining out of us and to remember those people who have gone before us who have allowed themselves to be opened up to God and God's love inside them to allow themselves to be cleaned out of all those things inside them that are bad the slimy bits the unpleasant bits and to be filled with God's love to share it and to light the way to us I wonder who it is who has been like a pumpkin shining for you who has who is it who has lit the way to you to show you that way to the heavenly banquet where death is no more one day in what ways we can shine this light for one another to show one another the way to God's heavenly banquet to this
Feast amen