The ROOTS of Halloween
In order to discern if something is “good” or “evil,” one needs to get to the ROOTS of that thing. If the ROOTS are good, then it is a “good tree.”
Fruits can be deceptive—just look at the fruit on the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden described in Genesis 3:6:
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate;
The FRUIT:
1. Was good for food (sustenance)
2. Was a delight to the eyes—beautiful and pleasing to look at
3. Was able to make one wise—had the ability to make you wiser/smarter
But the entire TREE was forbidden by God.
Why?
Because it was ROOTED in Lucifer’s Kingdom.
But Lucifer made the FRUIT look so enticing that they both ate it, REJECTING God’s words and Tree of Life and were cast out of the garden.
So what are the ROOTS of Halloween because its FRUIT looks harmless—passing out candy, dressing up in fun costumes, going door-to-door trick or treating, and carving pumpkins--but is it?
People who celebrate Halloween, even casually by sticking a decoration on your home, are opening doors to witchcraft, fear, and demonic activity that they are not even aware of.
Halloween is a celebration of darkness ROOTED in ancient pagan rituals that glorify death, the occult, and witchcraft. You just have to look around at all the decorations of skulls, skeletons, ghosts, witches, and scary things meant to strike fear into the beholder to believe it.
SO WHAT ARE THE ROOTS OF HALLOWEEN?
If you do a DEEP dive into the ROOT history of Halloween, you have to go back more than 2,000 years ago, and when you do, you will come to the Celtic people, mainly in Ireland and Britain. The Druids were the priests of the Celts and served as the religious leaders and spiritual authorities in their society. From October 31 through November 1, they celebrated a Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced “SOW-in”).
Historical traditions and beliefs associated with Samhain included:
1. The Beginning of the Dark Season: Samhain marked the transition into winter, a season associated with hardship, mortality, and supernatural activity.
2. Supernatural Beings and Spirits of the Dead: Samhain was believed to be a time when the boundary between the living and the spirit world became thinner, allowing supernatural beings and spirits to cross over into the land of the living. A Samhain ritual involved conjuring up spirits of the dead to roam the earth. Several supernatural beings were linked to Samhain like:
Púca who was a shape-shifting creature that received harvest offerings from the fields.
The Lady Gwyn, accompanied by a black pig, was said to be a headless woman in white who chased night wanderers.
The Dullahan appeared either as an impish creature or a headless rider who carried his own head. He was mounted on a flame-eyed horse, and his appearance was considered a death omen.
Sluagh—or Faery Host—was a band of hunters said to roam during Samhain, kidnapping people and stealing souls.
3. Bonfires: Druid priests would light a communal fire using a wheel that produced friction and sparked flames. The wheel represented the sun and was used in ceremonies alongside prayers. Cattle were sacrificed, and participants carried flames from the bonfire back to their homes to relight their hearths. These ceremonial fires were associated with seasonal transition, protection, and religious observances.
4. Animal and Human Sacrifices: On the bonfire, animals were sacrificed and it was believed that the Druids would conduct mass human sacrifices by burning their victims alive in a giant effigy.
“In its most primitive guise, Samhain would have featured many sacrifices to the Celtic gods of death, with both animals and humans thrown into huge firepits as offerings.” (a)
5. Disguises and Costumes: The Druids dressed in black robes with grotesque masks to convince the evil spirits that they were one of them in order to be protected. The Celts would dress as animals and monsters to avoid being kidnapped by these beings from the "Otherworld". [These customs helped influence modern Halloween costumes.]
6. Offerings of Food: During Samhain, the Celts prepared offerings of food outside their villages to appease the fairies and Siths (Sidhs) who were considered deified mortals. Food and drink were associated with hospitality toward spirits or supernatural beings in later Celtic folklore. Some traditions involved leaving offerings to seek protection or goodwill.
7. Divination and Fortune-Telling: Samhain became associated with practices intended to predict the future, particularly concerning marriage, death, and the coming year.
Given these facts regarding the ROOTS of Halloween, it should be enough to know that a true disciple of Jesus Christ would never celebrate a day that revolves around death, supernatural evil spirits, welcoming and feeding dead ancestors, or divination practices.
God has firmly and clearly declared in Deuteronomy 18:10-12:
“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, a soothsayer, one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who consults the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord.”
THE BRIEF EVOLUTION OF SAMHAIN INTO HALLOWEEN
As Christianity spread through Celtic regions, the Christian observances of All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) became associated with the same season. October 31 became known as All Hallows’ Eve, eventually shortened to Halloween.
Modern Halloween developed over centuries through a combination of Celtic seasonal traditions, Christian observances, European folklore, and later American customs.
WHAT IS HALLOWEEN TODAY?
This next section will be the easiest part for people to dismiss, reject, and ignore—especially if they have been celebrating Halloween their whole life as if it’s just another innocent holiday.
So this section is the one to RESEARCH AND PRAY ABOUT for you and your children.
I was never a witch, and I had NO IDEA about what witches and warlocks do on Halloween.
Heck, I didn’t even believe in real witches, let alone warlocks, until about 2 years ago when Jesus started teaching me about the enemy. I was in disbelief for quite some time.
But YES, witches and warlocks are real.
YES, they are at work in Satan’s kingdom TODAY. RIGHT NOW.
YES, their powers are real and powerful. Curses work.
BUT, the reality and power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is MORE powerful and can offset any and all curses they aim at you.
These testimonials are from ex-witches and ex-warlocks who KNOW what happens on Halloween in Satan’s kingdom because they PARTICIPATED in it.
Choose to believe them or not.
1 - Jenny Weaver, an ex-witch, in her book The Wicked World of Witchcraft pg 107:
“On the night of Halloween, many witches and Satanists gather in groups called covens to perform ceremonies, spells, and sacrifices. These rituals can include casting curses, calling on spirits of the dead, or invoking demons to gain power, insight, or favor. Some rituals are done in secret, such as in wooded areas or private homes, where they may draw circles, chant, incantations, and use symbols, candles, herbs, and even blood as part of their ceremonies. Animal sacrifices are still practiced by some, and in rare but real cases, former occultists have testified that even human sacrifices, especially of infants or young children, have occurred on Halloween night in satanic cults. Although most witches today claim to be “white witches” only practicing “harmless magic,” the truth is that all witchcraft—whether labeled light or dark—draws power from demonic sources. And the closer we get to the coming of Christ, the more the devil will ramp up his horrific demonic acts.”
2 – Beth Eckert, a former witch who gave her life to Jesus Christ in 2014, shares what happens on Halloween:
Beth said the devil likes to prey on the innocent. One Halloween night, she recalled dressing up and going to her grandmother's house with her parents. Beth was excited to go trick or treating, but before doing so, her parents told her they had to go to the church first to get some candy.
"We went to the church and what happened next made my blood curdle. I was given candy, but that was just a prelude to the sexual abuse that would happen in a satanic ritual," she said. "On Halloween, Satanists use young children, such as myself, as sexual idols to worship. Other children receive a far worse fate — death."
It's painful for Beth to recall what happened, but she is confronting it now to proclaim how God protected her during that terrifying ordeal.
"There are many churches that are going to have just the same type of rituals on Halloween night. Christian churches, Catholic churches, and more. Satan does not care what your religious beliefs are. He only cares that he can get a door in. Once he gets that door open, he is in for good, because the deception is just so deep. If we as a society cannot see that this happens, or refuse to believe it could be true, then no wonder Satan is in so deeply," said Beth.
She added that hundreds of thousands of other innocent children are being subjected to torment during Halloween nights.
3 - Riaan Swiegelaar, a former leader of the South African Satanic Church:
“Halloween is the highest day on the Satanic calendar. It is the most probably important day on the satanic calendar. It’s considered a high day. It is also the night of the year where there is the most human sacrifice on the whole planet. So, if we look at it in a, let’s call it the popular culture aspect first. So many people think Halloween is about candy and it’s about dress up, but they don’t question the meaning behind it.
So, let’s say for instance in a neighborhood or an area, there’re homes that celebrate Halloween when they put up the decorations, and they do the pumpkins, and they do the candles, and the candy, those things, right. And it’s fun. Let’s say in a neighborhood there is houses that do that. So that whole parameter becomes one big satanic ritual for their whole neighborhood.”
The Root of Specific Halloween Traditions
WHY COSTUMES AND MASKS?
"It's just a costume!" "It's just pretend!" "It's just for fun!" "There's no harm in it."
Are you sure?
For instance, if you think dressing up your husband like a woman is funny, or vice versa, the Lord doesn’t. He expressly forbids anyone from cross dressing in Deuteronomy 22:5:
“A woman shall not wear a man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.”
The Celts would dress up for protection. They believed that since supernatural evil beings were roaming around, they could disguise themself as an animal or a monster to conceal their true human identity and blend in so the evil spirit wouldn’t trouble them.
WHY TRICK-OR-TREATING?
This practice traces back to Samhain where tricks and mischief were usually blamed on fairies, but if they left them a “treat,” the fairies would leave them alone. It has evolved from ancient Irish and Scottish customs practiced on the nights leading up to Samhain.
By the medieval and early modern periods, people in Ireland, Scotland, and other parts of Europe participated in customs called guising and mumming. Participants wore masks, costumes, or disguises while traveling from house to house, performing songs, recitations, or other entertainments, sometimes receiving food or gifts, to “trick” the dead spirits into thinking they were actually one of them to be left alone. Poor people, and eventually children, would go door-to-door receiving soul cakes in exchange for prayers of deceased family members.
The evolution went something like this:
spirits/dead → houses → food/offering → disguised visitors → exchange → modern children knocking on doors for candy
These practices contributed to the development of modern Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating.
WHY DECORATE WITH GHOSTS, SKELETONS, AND THE DEAD?
I’m sure we all have a house decorated like this in our neighborhood. It just screams “DEATH!” (I will go by these homes and bind the demons in the name of Jesus from leaving the property and I will apply the blood of Jesus in the street so they cannot influence those who innocently drive by. If that person wants that much demonic activity in their yard, then it will be RESTRAINED from leaving and afflicting others.)
As mentioned earlier, Samhain marked entry into winter, the dying portion of the agricultural year. Celtic folklore associated the period with supernatural beings crossing over into the land of the living, and traditions increasingly emphasized the returning of dead ancestors. THEN Christianity's calendar placed All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day directly into this same period, so death became embedded in the season from multiple directions.
Halloween is truly a celebration day for DEATH.
How can you celebrate a day of DEATH if you are a disciple of the LIVING Jesus Christ, risen from the dead on the 3rd day?
Jesus has CONQUERED Death.
We should not be celebrating it if we have chosen LIFE in Jesus Christ.
Stop marking your homes with things that represent DEATH.
WHY PSYCHIC READINGS AND DIVINATION?
Samhain was known a time that the “veil is thinner between the living and the dead.” This ramped up the practice of witches and diviners to communicate with the dead and try to get readings on people’s future—who they were to marry, whether someone would live, or what the coming year would bring. This was a time when people would “dabble” in the occult.
During October, particularly as Halloween approaches, divination practices such as tarot card readings, psychic consultations, fortune-telling, astrology, and attempts to communicate with the dead receive increased attention through Halloween-themed events and promotions. These events often present as harmless entertainment, but they are spiritually dangerous and contrary to biblical warnings against divination in Leviticus 19:31 and Deuteronomy 18:10-12:
“‘Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.”
“There shall not be found among you anyone who uses divination, a soothsayer, one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who consults the dead. For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord.”
WHY CARVING PUMPKINS AND JACK-O’-LANTERNS?
The tradition of carving frightening faces into pumpkins originated from Irish and Scottish folklore involving wandering spirits, the dead, and supernatural beings. However, the original jack-o'-lanterns were not pumpkins—they were carved turnips and other root vegetables.
People carved frightening faces into turnips and placed candles or glowing embers inside them to ward off the evil dead spirits.
The spiritual meaning behind the original jack-o’-lanterns centered on 3 supernatural themes:
1. Wandering spirits: The belief that restless spirits could roam the earth.
2. Protection from evil: The use of frightening carved faces to ward off unwanted supernatural beings.
3. Death and the afterlife: Folklore about souls unable to find rest, particularly the legend of Stingy Jack.
Who was Stingy Jack?
According to the legend:
Jack repeatedly tricked the Devil and persuaded him not to claim his soul.
When Jack died, he was denied entrance into Heaven and Hell.
The Devil supposedly gave Jack a burning coal to light his way through the darkness.
Jack placed the coal inside a hollowed-out turnip and wandered the earth as a restless spirit.
The glowing figure became associated with Jack of the Lantern, eventually shortened to jack-o'-lantern.
Whether or not this folktale has any truths in it, is it really one you want your innocent children celebrating by carving something (scary or not) into a pumpkin?
Pumpkin carving did not originate as a fun, cute Fall craft. It’s tangled up in the supernatural with Satan, death, wandering spirits, and beliefs about the dead roaming the earth.
Interestingly, the reason pumpkins replaced turnips during the 19th century was because pumpkins were more plentiful, larger, and easier to carve than turnips.
WHY BLACK CATS?
Black cats do not go back as far as the Celtics and Druids but began appearing during the Middle Ages and early modern period. During European witch trials, particularly between 1560-1630 AD, accusations sometimes included claims that witches communicated with demonic spirits appearing as animals, primarily black cats.
The Europeans began associating black cats with witchcraft as follows:
Some believed witches could transform themselves into black cats to travel unnoticed.
Others believed black cats were “familiars”—supernatural spirits or demons that assisted witches in performing magic.
Some believed the Devil could take the form of a black cat.
Black cats consequently became associated with evil omens, misfortune, and supernatural activity.
WHY BATS AND VAMPIRES?
Like black cats, bats enter the Halloween scene later, perhaps around 1500 AD, and become associated with supernatural beliefs during medieval and modern European history as follows:
Witchcraft: Bats appeared in folklore involving witches, magical potions, and occult practices.
Demons: European religious artwork sometimes depicted demons and the Devil with batlike wings, contrasting them with angels' feathered wings.
Darkness: Because bats fly at night and inhabit caves and other dark places, they became symbols of mystery, fear, and the unknown.
During the 1500’s, European explorers documented actual blood-feeding bats in the Americas, giving bats even more appeal at Halloween, and in 1897, Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula becomes popular where the vampire, who sucks blood, transforms into a bat, thus associating vampires with Halloween and bats.
WHY THE COLORS OF ORANGE AND BLACK?
ORANGE — Harvest, Fire, and Autumn
Orange became associated with Halloween primarily through the autumn harvest and seasonal traditions.
Harvest: Orange represents pumpkins, autumn leaves, and crops gathered before winter.
Fire: Bonfires were important features of seasonal Celtic celebrations, including Samhain.
Jack-o'-lanterns: During the 19th century, Irish and Scottish immigrants popularized carving pumpkins in North America, strengthening orange's association with Halloween.
Seasonal transition: Orange evokes the final warmth and abundance of autumn before winter.
BLACK — Darkness, Death, and the Spirit World
Black became associated with Halloween through its longstanding symbolism in European folklore and religious traditions.
Death and mourning: Black has historically represented death, funerals, grief, and the unknown.
Darkness: Samhain marked the transition into the darker winter months.
Spirits and the supernatural: Samhain was associated with beliefs that the boundary between the living and supernatural worlds became thinner.
Witchcraft and demons: During medieval and early modern European history (approximately 500–1800 AD), black became associated with witches, black cats, demons, and occult imagery.
When Did Orange and Black Become Halloween's Official Colors?
The pairing of orange and black became especially prominent in American Halloween decorations, greeting cards, and commercial products during the late 19th and early 20th centuries (approximately 1880–1920).
Manufacturers and illustrators used these contrasting colors to represent autumn harvest imagery alongside darkness, witches, ghosts, and supernatural themes.
Together, the colors visually represent the transition from autumn into winter and the combination of harvest celebrations with folklore about death and the spirit world.
HALLOWEEN: ARE YOU WILLING TO EXAMINE THE ROOT?
I know I am asking you to do something that may challenge everything you have been taught about Halloween.
I'M ASKING YOU TO STOP LOOKING AT HALLOWEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF TRADITION, ENTERTAINMENT, AND CULTURE, AND START EXAMINING IT THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD.
Don't examine just ONE part of Halloween and conclude that it is harmless.
Look at Halloween in its ENTIRETY.
Look at the costumes and masks. The witches and warlocks. The ghosts and skeletons. The gravestones and representations of death. The jack-o'-lanterns, black cats, bats, and the colors orange and black. The fortune-telling, tarot cards, divination, and attempts to communicate with the dead.
And yes, even the candy and trick-or-treating.
Ask yourself:
WHY are these particular things associated with this particular holiday?
Where did these traditions come from?
What did they originally represent?
And what do they represent TODAY?
Not every Halloween custom has the same historical origin, and not every symbol was originally used in an occult ritual. But when you examine the celebration as a whole, you cannot ignore how prominently it features witchcraft, death, fear, and supernatural darkness.
And as a disciple of Jesus Christ, shouldn't that cause you to stop and ask some serious questions?
Changing the name of Halloween to a “Fall Harvest,” “Fall Festival,” or “Trunk-or-Treat” doesn't automatically settle the question of whether the celebration honors Jesus.
Dressing your child as an angel, a princess, a cheerleader, or a firefighter doesn't automatically settle it either.
Holding the celebration inside a church building doesn't mean Jesus has approved it.
And making sure your children are physically safe while collecting candy doesn't answer the deeper question of what you are teaching them to embrace spiritually.
PHYSICAL SAFETY AND SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
Jesus warned:
“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” — Luke 6:46
We cannot assume something pleases Jesus simply because we have given it a different name, placed it inside a church, or convinced ourselves that our intentions are good.
GOOD INTENTIONS ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT.
“Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.” — Ephesians 5:11
And God warned His people:
“Take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them ... and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’” — Deuteronomy 12:30
Now ask yourself an uncomfortable question:
If Jesus were physically standing beside you, would you celebrate Halloween exactly as you do today?
Would you be comfortable inviting Him to participate in every decoration, every costume, every activity, and every tradition?
Do you think Jesus would appreciate the decorations and celebration around death when He is The Life, and holds the key of Death after rising from the dead?
Or would you suddenly begin questioning some of the things you have accepted as harmless?
I am not asking you to accept my convictions without examining them.
I AM BEGGING YOU TO SEEK JESUS AND SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES FOR YOURSELF.
Research the history. Examine the traditions. Distinguish historical facts from folklore. Test the spiritual messages being communicated. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal anything in your life that does not honor Jesus Christ.
Be willing to question what your parents taught you, what your church celebrates, what your friends participate in, and what society has normalized.
Be willing to stand apart from the crowd, even when doing so is unpopular.
Jesus said:
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” — Matthew 16:24
Following Jesus was never supposed to mean doing everything the world does, as long as we can find a way to make it appear innocent.
And we must never forget who our enemy is.
Jesus said of the devil:
“He is a liar and the father of it.” — John 8:44
And He warned:
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” — John 10:10
Satan does not need to announce himself with a frightening face. Scripture warns that he can disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).
That is precisely why discernment matters.
Something can be culturally acceptable, entertaining, and deeply familiar while still deserving serious spiritual examination.
And Halloween is no longer just one evening. For many families, it has become an entire month of decorations, preparations, entertainment, anticipation, and celebration.
How much of our time, attention, money, and enthusiasm are we giving to things that glorify death, fear, witchcraft, and darkness? And how much are we giving to Jesus?
Paul wrote:
“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.” — 1 Corinthians 10:21
Examine where your spiritual loyalties lie.
I believe followers of Jesus should seriously reconsider participating in Halloween, not because every costume or piece of candy is inherently evil, but because we are called to be intentional about what we celebrate, what we normalize, and what we teach our children.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” — Romans 12:2
So before you defend Halloween with the words “It's just harmless fun,” I challenge you to ask a much more important question:
“JESUS, DOES THIS HONOR YOU?”
Because ultimately, the question is not whether the world approves.
It is not whether your church approves.
It is not whether your children enjoy it.
THE QUESTION IS WHETHER IT HONORS THE ONE YOU CLAIM TO FOLLOW.
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” — 1 Corinthians 10:31
Don't allow tradition to make your decisions for you.
Examine the roots.
Look at the fruit and ask if Satan is trying to deceive you too.
Search the Scriptures.
Seek Jesus.
And be willing to follow Him wherever His truth leads you.
Only Jesus ❤️🔥✝️🩸
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References:
(a) Gritt, E. (October 18, 2017). Samhain is the pagan origin of Halloween. The Sun. Retrieved from https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/4711600/samhain-is-the-pagan-origin-of-halloween-and-its-terrifying-rituals-include-human-sacrifices-and-pumpkins-filled-with-burning-human-fat/
(b) History.com Editors (April 6, 2018). Samhain. History Channel. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/samhain
