What's so wrong about Hallowe'en?
Sarah Giles ponders things that go bump in the night  Apple-bobbing. Oversized pumpkins. Children roaming the night streets clad with pointy hats and bedsheets. Apart from being stung for the occasional bag of sweets in a poorly-executed 'trick or treat' mission, is Hallowe'en anything to get het up about?
Hallowe'en has, after all, been around for a long time. From around AD610, the Christian church celebrated All Saints' Day (also called All Hallows' Day) on 1 November. This is a festival celebrating committed Christians who have died in the service of God - a time for reflection and joyful thanksgiving. The word 'hallow' means to bless, to sanctify or 'make holy'. The day before - All Hallows' Eve (or Hallowe'en) - was also designated a holy day. But the reason the early church started to celebrate at this time of year was to encourage people to remember good instead of taking part in the Samhain festival, the dying embers of the Pagan year. The symbols of Hallowe'en tell their own story: skeletons, black cats and nocturnal bats stand for death and darkness. Witches, devils and ghosts represent evil supernatural powers, and a connection with an 'otherworld'.  People first started wearing spooky costumes at this time of year because they believed there were more evil spirits around at Samhain. Pagans would (and still do) take advantage of this, to try to make contact with the dead. The rationale for the costumes was that they looked frightening enough, the evil spirits would recognise the wearer as 'one of their own', and not trouble them. The traditional grotesque Jack O'Lantern was designed for this same reason. Even apple-bobbing is believed to have its roots in divination.
So, what does the Bible say about such shenanigans? That there is a spiritual realm is not in question. It is undoubtedly real - not imagined, and not to be trifled with. It's war: God vs Satan; Life vs Death; Good vs Evil. And on this war field, there are strong influences for both camps. God warns clearly against the latter, providing the spiritual equivalent of a nuclear, biological and chemical warfare suit for protection (Ephesians 6). Hallowe'en has become a celebration of fear - and for some the evening of 31 October can be genuinely frightening. God, though, is love, and 'perfect love drives out fear' (1 John 4:18). Who needs a carved pumpkin? Hallowe'en is a festival of darkness. Yet God right from the beginning of time has dispensed with darkness. He sent his son Jesus to earth to be a beacon: 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life' (John 8:12). Hallowe'en encourages people to dabble in dangerous spiritual practices. It's an easy way in, and it makes evil seem trivial. This has been a strategy of Satan ever since Adam and Eve were tricked into eating the fruit from the forbidden tree in the garden of Eden. The Bible exhorts people to 'not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God' (1 John 4:1). Common-sense rules here: would we let our children terrorise the neighbourhood at any other time of year?  However, whilst there is a mighty battle raging, the bets are off. We know the result. In fact, it was declared two millennia ago. When Jesus died and was resurrected, death was defeated once and for all. And Jesus gives us the victory too (1 Corinthians 15:57).
So, we don't need to be afraid to say 'no'. We shouldn't be scared to question what society 'expects' of us. But while the battle rages on, we do need to tread carefully. Paul's advice to one of the earliest churches was succinct: 'Avoid every kind of evil' (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Apple-bobbing? No thanks. The opinions given are personal and may not reflect those of The Salvation Army. What do you think about Hallowe'en? Have your say in our discussion forum.
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