There's one night a year when strangers walk up to your front door on purpose, and you open it on purpose. Porch lights come on all down the street. Neighbors who barely wave the rest of the year stand on the steps and talk. Kids you've never met say thank you (mostly). It's also a good night to keep a few Bible verses for Halloween close.
And if you're a Christian mom, there's a good chance you feel a little torn about the whole thing. Is this harmless fun? Is it something darker? Should we hand out candy, go to the church trunk-or-treat, or turn the lights off and stay in?
I'm not going to tell you what your family has to do on October 31. Faithful Christian families land in different places, and I'll explain why. What I want to give you is a short look at where Halloween came from, a handful of verses for the night, and a prayer you can say at the door. Because whatever your family decides, the night itself is full of darkness talk, and Scripture has a lot to say about light.
In this post
Where Halloween came from (the short version)
The name itself is Christian. "Halloween" is short for All Hallows' Eve, the evening before All Saints' Day on November 1. "Hallow" is an old word for a saint, related to "hallowed," which means holy, the word we pray in "hallowed be Your name."
In the 700s, Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel in Rome to all the saints. Then in 835, encouraged by Pope Gregory IV, the emperor Louis the Pious made November 1 the feast of All Saints across his empire. All Souls' Day on November 2 came later, a day for remembering and praying for those who had died.
There's another thread too. In Gaelic tradition, Samhain marked the beginning of winter around the same time of year, and medieval Irish stories and later folklore connect the season with bonfires and encounters with the supernatural. One caveat, though: those sources were written down long after the fact, they can't tell us every ancient practice, and historians still debate how much of modern Halloween really comes from Samhain.
The customs grew slowly. In parts of Britain, poor families went door to door for "soul cakes" and promised to pray for the household's dead. In Scotland and Ireland, people dressed up and went "guising" for treats. Irish families carved turnip lanterns, and when they came to America they swapped turnips for pumpkins. Trick-or-treating as we know it spread in the US during the 1930s and became widespread after World War II.
Is Halloween demonic?
Many Christians ask this. Halloween's roots are partly pagan, but Samhain was a festival, not a god. The idea of a "lord of the dead" named Samhain comes from an 18th-century writer, Charles Vallancey, not from the ancient sources. And there's no solid evidence for the stories of human sacrifice specifically on October 31.
At the same time, some observances of the night do involve practices Christians reject. Some modern pagan and occult groups treat it as a sacred night, and fortune-telling and trying to contact the dead are part of the season for some people. Scripture clearly forbids divination and consulting the dead (Deuteronomy 18:10-12), and it's right to keep your family far from that.
Many Christians don't see a bumblebee costume and a bowl of candy as devil worship. Others would rather sit the night out, and that's a faithful choice too. Families simply differ over costumes, candy and neighborhood activities. What every one of us can agree on is that God's people are called to be light, wherever we spend the evening.
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
1 John 4:4 (NIV)
Should Christians celebrate Halloween?
Bible-loving families answer this differently, and I don't think one answer fits every home. Here are three ways families land:
| How families land | What it looks like | A verse that guides it |
|---|---|---|
| Sit it out | Lights off, a family movie, maybe a quiet evening out. They'd rather not be near the darker side of the night. | Ephesians 5:11: have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness |
| Join a church gathering | Church trunk-or-treat or a harvest night, Bible-character costumes, or Reformation Day (Luther sent his 95 Theses to the archbishop on October 31, 1517). | Romans 12:21: overcome evil with good |
| Open the door | Porch light on, generous candy, learning the names of the families on the street. | 1 Peter 4:9: offer hospitality to one another without grumbling |
Paul dealt with something similar. In Romans 14, believers disagreed about food and special days, and he urged each of them to act from conviction, with love, and to welcome one another. (In 1 Corinthians 8 and 10 he talks about food offered to idols, while still forbidding idolatry itself.)
“One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.”
Romans 14:5 (NIV)
So pray about it, talk it over at home, and then do what you do in faith. And whatever your family picks, please don't judge the mom down the street who picked differently. That part matters more than the candy.
Bible verses for Halloween night
Here are the Bible verses for Halloween I'd keep close this year. Read one at dinner, write one on a card for the fridge, or say one over the kids that evening. I've grouped them by what you might need most on October 31.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:5 (NIV)
If you only take one Halloween Bible verse into the night, take that one. John isn't describing a fair fight between light and dark. One candle in a dark room changes the whole room, and the dark can't do a thing about it.
Verses about light in the darkness
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Many interpreters connect these words with the great lamps lit during the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus calls Himself the light of the world and promises the light of life to those who follow Him.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden... let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
A kind word or a meal dropped off for a neighbor counts, because good deeds are how the light gets seen.
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”
Notice it doesn't say you're in the light. It says you are light.
“For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.”
Whatever October 31 celebrates, you don't belong to the dark anymore.
Verses for courage when the night feels spooky
“The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?”
A good one for a little one who's unsettled by the scary decorations going up around town.
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
Feeling afraid isn't a failure. God's Spirit strengthens us to act faithfully even when we feel afraid.
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
Say this one at bedtime on October 31, however your family spent the evening.
Verses for protection on October 31
“The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
Whether your kids are out in the neighborhood, at a church harvest night or home with you, pray it over their coming and going.
“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”
A promise for every parent on a night when darkness gets talked about a lot. These verses invite us to trust God; they aren't a guarantee of an accident-free evening, so if your family is out, the flashlight still comes along.
Verses for kindness toward your neighbors
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
This verse is about hospitality to strangers. On Halloween that might be a family at your door or a new face at a church event, and on any other day, the neighbor you haven't met yet.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
You can answer the night with goodness toward your neighbors, whether your family joins in or sits it out.
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely... think about such things.”
A gentle filter for costumes, decorations and movie night.
A prayer for Halloween night
Here's a short prayer you can say together on the evening of October 31, wherever your family is spending it. Change any of it to fit your family.
Lord Jesus, You are the light of the world, and the darkness has never overcome You. Watch over our family tonight, wherever we are. Keep every child in our neighborhood safe, the little ones and the big ones. Make our home a kind place, and help us see each neighbor the way You see them. Where anyone feels afraid tonight, help us share Your peace. And when it's over, give us rest, because You alone make us dwell in safety. Amen.
Simple ways to be the light on October 31
You don't need a big outreach plan. Light mostly shows up in small, ordinary things. A few ideas, whatever your family decides about the night itself:
Leave the porch light on (or go where the light is)
If you're home, be the generous house. If you'd rather not be home, a church trunk-or-treat or harvest night is a lovely way to still be out among the families.
Pray together before the evening starts
Thirty seconds with Psalm 121:8, wherever you're spending the night. It's a small habit that puts God at the start of the evening.
Learn three names
If you meet other parents that evening, at your door or at a church event, ask their names and write them down after. If you're home for the night, pick another day this week to get to know a neighbor.
If your family dresses up, choose costumes with Philippians 4:8 in mind
Funny, sweet, brave and silly are all welcome. Glorifying evil isn't. Let the kids help decide, and talk about why.
Tell the other October 31 story
If your family observes Reformation Day, talk about Martin Luther and the 95 Theses over dinner. It's a great story, and it happened on the same date.
Make a night at home feel special
If your family is sitting Halloween out, let the kids help plan the evening: a favorite meal, a family movie, and John 1:1-5 read together, talking about Jesus as the light.
If fear is the hard part of this season for you, not just for the kids, my list of Bible verses for anxious women might help. And if you love the idea of being salt and light right where you live, read what Be Salty, Stay Lit really means.
You'll find every light-and-salt design we make, from the lamp to the lighthouse, in our salt and light shirts collection.
When the night is over
As the evening winds down, you might be putting away the candy, driving home from a church event or finishing a movie with the last of the popcorn.
Whatever your family chose this year, sitting it out, redeeming it or opening the door wide, I hope you went to bed remembering this: a night that talks so much about darkness is still no match for the smallest light. And you, friend, belong to the Light of the world.
Porch light on or off, the Light of the world is still shining on your street.
With love, Anna
P.S. If you're heading to a church trunk-or-treat or harvest night this year, our Be The Light tee is a cozy way to say what you're there for. Pair it with a warm cardigan and a bowl of the good candy.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. In keeping with this blog's style, pronouns referring to God are capitalized, and a few dashes in the original text are shown as commas.
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