Why Christians Need Not Fear Halloween
Every October, questions surface about Halloween: Is it evil? Is it pagan? Should Christians avoid it altogether? As Episcopalians, we can answer gently and confidently: Halloween is the Eve (vigil) before a Christian holy day—All Saints’ Day on November 1. The very word Halloween comes from All Hallows’ (Saints’) Eve, the hallowed evening that ushers in the feast when the Church gives thanks for “all the saints,” known and unknown (Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.-a).
A brief history—and what’s actually Christian about it
A Christian vigil. Since the early Middle Ages, Western Christians kept the evening before major feasts as a vigil with prayer and preparation. By the 9th century, October 31 was widely observed across Western Christendom as All Hallows’ Eve, the vigil of All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1). Together with All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2), the period is called Allhallowtide (Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.-b; Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.-a).
How the date settled. The West first kept a commemoration of all saints on May 13, later moving it to November 1; the evening prior naturally became the “holy (hallowed) eve”—Hallowe’en (Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.-b).
Local customs grew around the vigil. Medieval Christians attended liturgy, visited cemeteries, and practiced charity. In some regions the poor (and later children) went door-to-door for “soul cakes” in exchange for prayers for the departed—one ancestor of modern trick-or-treating (Library of Congress, 2021; History.com Editors, 2019/2025).
What about Samhain?
You may hear that Halloween is “really” the Celtic festival Samhain. It’s true that in parts of the British Isles a pre-Christian harvest/turn-of-year festival occurred around this time, and as Christianity took root, some seasonal customs persisted while the Church re-framed the calendar around Christ and the saints. But the Christian feast itself—All Saints’ Day with its Eve—is not pagan; it is a liturgical celebration the Church established and kept for centuries (Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.-a; Library of Congress, 2021).
All Saints’ Day: the heart of it all
On November 1, we keep the Feast of All Saints, rejoicing in the whole company of God’s people across time and space. Our Episcopal lectionary appoints readings such as Revelation 7:9–17 (the great multitude from every nation) and Matthew 5:1–12 (the Beatitudes), anchoring the day in Scripture’s promise that Christ gathers and blesses the people of God (The Episcopal Church, n.d.; The Lectionary Page, n.d.).
Two biblical images shape the day:
- The Great Cloud of Witnesses — “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” (Hebrews 12:1, NRSV).
- The Communion of Saints — Revelation’s vision of a countless multitude around the throne (Revelation 7:9–17, NRSV) reminds us that the Church is larger than any one congregation, generation, or culture.
Traditionally, All Souls’ Day on November 2 follows, when many Christians remember the faithful departed with prayer, graveside visits, and acts of mercy—an extension of the hope proclaimed on All Saints’ (Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.-b).
So—is Halloween “satanic”?
No. Christians need not grant evil special power on any particular night. The vigil of All Saints proclaims precisely the opposite: Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the powers of darkness, and our belonging with all the saints. That’s why many churches mark the evening with worship, hospitality, and neighborhood welcome—keeping the feast in ways that point to the gospel (Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.-a).
Keeping the vigil faithfully (and joyfully)
Here are simple, Anglican/Episcopal ways to mark October 31–November 2 as Christians:
- Worship: Join us for the All Saints’ liturgy (or the nearest Sunday). If you can, begin your observance with evening prayer on All Hallows’ Eve (The Episcopal Church, n.d.).
- Remember & Give Thanks: Place photos of departed loved ones near a candle at home. Read Revelation 7:9–17 and pray in gratitude for the “communion of saints.”
- Practice Mercy: Share a simple treat with a neighbor or give to the food pantry in memory of someone you love—echoing Allhallowtide’s charitable traditions (Library of Congress, 2021; History.com Editors, 2019/2025).
- Welcome Your Neighbors: If children knock, meet them with kindness. A small sign—“Happy All Saints’—God’s light be with you!”—turns your doorway into gentle witness.
- Teach the Story: Tell kids (and curious adults!) that Halloween = All Saints’ Eve—the Church’s doorway into a season of remembrance and hope (Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.-a).
Why this matters
Our culture often treats death either with fear or with denial. Allhallowtide teaches a different way: we look death in the eye and refuse its finality—not because we love darkness, but because Christ’s light has overcome it. All Saints’ declares that the last word belongs to the risen Jesus and to a people made holy by grace (Revelation 7:9–17; Matthew 5:1–12, NRSV; The Episcopal Church, n.d.).
References
Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.-a). Halloween. In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.-b). All Saints’ Day. In Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica
History.com Editors. (2019, October 3/2025, May 28). How trick-or-treating became a Halloween tradition. In History. HISTORY
Library of Congress. (2021, October 26). The origins of Halloween traditions. Headlines & Heroes (Library of Congress blog). The Library of Congress
The Episcopal Church. (n.d.). All Saints’ Day: Lectionary & collects. The Episcopal Church
The Lectionary Page. (n.d.). All Saints’ Day (All Years), readings. Lectionary Page