Hijacking Halloween
In just a few weeks, neighborhoods through the U.S. will be filled with customed children toting bags of candy from door to door. It’s Halloween–a holiday that has caused not a little stir in Christian circles throughout the years. Over the coming weeks, we’ll highlight some of the Halloween-related articles and resources at Gospelcom.net.
But it seems appropriate to start with “just the facts”–the historical story of the Halloween holiday. What’s the real story behind Halloween–is it a sinister occult holiday to be shunned? Is it a Christian night of commemoration? Strange as it may seem, the answer just might be “both”–read the Christian History Institute’s essay on Halloween’s historical roots in both pagan and Christian tradition. Christians often complain (not without justification) that many sacred Christian holidays have been co-opted by secular, non-Christian traditions. But Halloween just might be the case of a pagan holiday co-opted by Christian traditions!
Stay tuned for more Halloween links and resources as we approach the year’s scariest holiday!
update 10/12: link to the Halloween essay seems to be broken. We’ll update again when it’s back online.
