In the Fall, many young Believers are returning to school after the Feast of Tabernacles.  It is the time of year that many of your school friends are excitedly talking about buying their costumes for Halloween.  Your teachers might be encouraging you to participate in Halloween parties, and every store you shop at is filled with scary decorations and aisles full of bags of candies to hand out to trick-or-treaters. 

      So, what is wrong with celebrating Halloween?  As a child being raised by Believers in Yahweh, your parents probably explained to you that you will not be participating in any worldly holidays that have roots in paganism.  You probably already know that Yahweh, in the Bible, has commanded us to observe HIS seven annual Holy Days.  Your parents have probably already explained to your teachers that you will not be keeping any pagan holiday celebrations. 

      Halloween has very evil roots.  It is a celebration that is strictly forbidden to Yahweh’s people.  Halloween goes back to demon worship 2,000 years ago.  We are to worship Yahweh alone and not demons.  Many centuries ago, the Celtic people celebrated Halloween (although it was known under a different name) as a time to give thanks to the sun deity for the harvest.

      In modern times, Halloween is considered a fun, festive time celebrated by adults and children alike.  But it was not always that way.  It was a fearsome time of the year for ancient peoples as they believed that dead people came back to life to play tricks on the living!  This is where we get “trick-or-treating” from.  Yahweh is not pleased at all by modern Halloween practices.  Even wearing costumes is not a new idea.  Ancient people dressed up too, oftentimes choosing demonic costumes.

      The Jack-o-lantern tradition also has its roots in ancient demonic superstition. It is not a harmless practice. Jack is another name for "joker" or Satan. Halloween is a popular holiday for people who practice modern-day witchcraft. In the Bible, Yahweh has no tolerance for people who practice witchcraft. In Exodus 22:18, we read that witches are not to be allowed to live! So we do not want to be celebrating a holiday that is associated with witchcraft. True believers should not become hypocrites by dressing up in evil costumes and participating in practices condemned by Almighty Yahweh. He will not hold evil-doers guiltless! We are told to avoid even the appearance of evil in 1 Thessalonians 5:22.

      There is much more we can say about Halloween, but by now you get the point.  Yahweh has other plans for His People.  He wants them to celebrate His Holy Days.  Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and Last Great Day should be our focus throughout the year.  The Holy Days have deep meaning.

      Other worldly, man-made holidays that we should not participate in include: Easter, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Valentine’s Day.  These all have pagan roots and are based on ancient false worship.  So stand firm in your convictions!  Do not allow your friends to make you feel bad for not going trick-or-treating with them.  You may need to find new friends, because true friends do not try to make others feel bad.  Yahweh will bless you for following His true Holy Days!