Halloween.biz

The One Source for Everything Halloween

Topics

Christian Halloween

May 1, 1995 by halloween Leave a Comment

Christian perspective on Halloween

An Episcopal (e.g. Protestant) Christian’s view.

Since the eighth century Christians have celebrated All Saints’ Day on November 1 to celebrate the known and unknown Christian Saints. Saints are not just those whom the Church has canonized, but all members of that “cloud of witnesses” who proclaim Jesus as Lord – anyone! 

Almost as old as the celebration of All Saints’ Day is the tradition associated with All Hallow’s Eve. (“Hallows” mean “saints,” both mean “holy ones,” as in “Hallowed be thy name.” “Eve” means the evening before.) So, Halloween means “the evening before All Holy Ones’ Day.” Today we call that festival Halloween (Hallow’s Eve) and we have many fun secular ways of recognizing it in addition to religious ways. However, it’s important to remember that its celebration has a long, positive history in the Church. 

What sort of history is that? Like many of the liturgical festivals (Christmas and Easter included), All Saints’ Day and All Hallow’s Eve have some connection to pagan festivals. People of many races and cultures have remembered their dead and have had superstitions about death itself. Christians remembered death itself on All Hallow’s Eve and celebrated Christ’s victory over death. During the Middle Ages, Christians would gather in Churches for worship and they would remember the saints’ victories over evil. Likewise they would put on little displays showing Jesus’ victory of Satan, often using unusual masks and costumes to act out the story. 

Thus, the festivities on All Hallow’s Eve were the Christian’s way of laughing at death and evil, something we can do in certain hope of Christ’s victory over the powers of darkness. The Church for centuries, however, has seen All Hallow’s Eve not as a glorification of evil, but as a chance to affirm eternal life in the face of the death of our mortal bodies. Just as Easter is a celebration of Jesus’ victory over death and evil, so is Halloween! 

1995 (with minor corrections and changes over the years) 

(in response to email castigating Halloween.biz for glorifying evil when it was doing anything but that! 🙂 )

Filed Under: All Hallows Eve, Halloween Tagged With: All Hallows Eve, Christian Halloween

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Time Until Halloween:173 days, 18 hours Halloween.biz Home
Halloween Forums
Halloween Countdown

  • 7 Best Halloween Board Books
  • Trick-or-treating Around the World
  • Trick-or-Treating Fun
  • Halloween Symbols – Ghosts, Bats, Broomsticks and more!
  • Candy and Food Safety Tips for Halloween

Halloween News

  • Mayo Clinic Recommends Against Going Trick-Or-Treating
  • Potentially a Halloween launch from Cape Canaveral
  • CDC Halloween 2020 guidelines: Trick-or-treating, costume masks not advised
  • Artist’s $180 ‘Karen’ Halloween mask is made for 2020 — and good luck gettin g one
  • Busch Gardens – Howl O Scream
  • Los Angeles Times: Is Halloween canceled? Costumers, candy makers, theme parks face scary realities
  • HHN 2020 Cancelled, Halloween Horror Nights, Orlando

  • 7 Best Halloween Board Books
  • Costume ideas for a walker
  • Vintage Halloween Fun
  • Trick-or-treating Around the World
  • Trick-or-Treating Fun

Recent Comments

  • admin on Halloween Ghost Stories
  • Ernest on 7 Best Halloween Board Books
  • Denise Holmes on The History and Origin of Halloween
  • Ana on 7 Best Halloween Board Books
  • Jackson on Halloween Countdown

Recent Posts

  • Mayo Clinic Recommends Against Going Trick-Or-Treating
  • Potentially a Halloween launch from Cape Canaveral
  • CDC Halloween 2020 guidelines: Trick-or-treating, costume masks not advised
  • Artist’s $180 ‘Karen’ Halloween mask is made for 2020 — and good luck gettin g one
  • Free Halloween Pumpkin and Dog printables. Vampire printable

Recent Comments

  • admin on Halloween Ghost Stories
  • Ernest on 7 Best Halloween Board Books
  • Denise Holmes on The History and Origin of Halloween
  • Ana on 7 Best Halloween Board Books
  • Jackson on Halloween Countdown
Halloween.biz Home Halloween Discussion Halloween Countdown

Info

  • Boo! For Halloween
  • Halloween
  • Halloween Costume Coupons
  • Halloween Countdown

RSS Recent Discussions

  • Halloween General • Re: Halloween dreams and nightmares
  • Halloween General • Re: Halloween dreams and nightmares
  • Halloween General • Re: Halloween dreams and nightmares
  • Halloween General • Re: Halloween dreams and nightmares

Categories

  • All About Halloween
  • All Hallows Eve
  • Disabled Halloween
  • Ghosts
  • Halloween
  • Halloween Around the World
  • Halloween Books
  • Halloween Costumes
  • Halloween Countdown
  • Halloween Crafts
  • Halloween Decorations
  • Halloween Festivals
  • Halloween Food
  • Halloween Games and Activities
  • Halloween History
  • Halloween Horror Nights
  • Halloween Jokes
  • Halloween Makeup
  • Halloween Movies
  • Halloween News
  • Halloween Party
  • Halloween Printables
  • Halloween Safety
  • Halloween Stories
  • Halloween Symbols
  • Haunted Houses
  • Haunts
  • HHN
  • Horror Movies
  • Howl O Scream
  • Pumpkins
  • Trick-or-Treat
  • Uncategorized
  • Vintage Halloween

Tags

Bats Cats Celts costume parties Crows Druids and Celts and Halloween Ghost Ghosts Ghost Stories Halloween Halloween Activities Halloween Animals Halloween Around the World Halloween Costume Parties Halloween Costumes Halloween Costumes for Disabled Halloween Costumes for Handicapped Halloween Decorations Halloween Festivals Halloween Food Halloween Fun Halloween Games Halloween Haunts Halloween History Halloween Horror Nights Halloween Humor Halloween Jokes Halloween Makeup Halloween Movies Halloween Safety Halloween Stories Halloween Symbols Handicap Halloween Haunted Houses Haunts History of Halloween Jack O Lanterns Owls Printable Pumpkin Carving Traditions of Halloween Trick or Treating Vampire Vintage Halloween Vintage Halloween Costumes

Archives

  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • May 2020
  • May 2010
  • May 1995

Categories

  • All About Halloween
  • All Hallows Eve
  • Disabled Halloween
  • Ghosts
  • Halloween
  • Halloween Around the World
  • Halloween Books
  • Halloween Costumes
  • Halloween Countdown
  • Halloween Crafts
  • Halloween Decorations
  • Halloween Festivals
  • Halloween Food
  • Halloween Games and Activities
  • Halloween History
  • Halloween Horror Nights
  • Halloween Jokes
  • Halloween Makeup
  • Halloween Movies
  • Halloween News
  • Halloween Party
  • Halloween Printables
  • Halloween Safety
  • Halloween Stories
  • Halloween Symbols
  • Haunted Houses
  • Haunts
  • HHN
  • Horror Movies
  • Howl O Scream
  • Pumpkins
  • Trick-or-Treat
  • Uncategorized
  • Vintage Halloween

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2025 · Metro Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in