There’s a day creeping up on the calendar that has everyone from preschool teachers to neighborhood associations, and yes, even some churches, buzzing with excitement: Halloween.

Now, I don’t know about you, but when I see the cobwebs, jack-o’-lanterns, and, yes, the occasional skeleton riding shotgun on the lawn, something in me twinges. It’s not just that Halloween’s décor seems to celebrate all things spooky—it’s that in our effort to make it “harmless fun,” some of us have blurred the lines on a much deeper issue.

When churches start dressing up Halloween in “Christian” language, hoping to give it a glow-up as a lighthearted, family-friendly event, it might feel right, but maybe it deserves a closer look.

Don’t get me wrong; I understand that the idea is often well-intentioned. Churches want to offer a “safe” option that brings families in, hoping to provide an alternative to darker Halloween festivities.

But is trying to sanitize Halloween actually helping us in our mission to reflect the light of Christ?

Halloween: A Long Look at Its Roots

Let’s take a moment to dive deeper here. The roots of Halloween aren’t pretty, even if today’s costumes are. Halloween hails back to ancient Celtic festivals, specifically Samhain, a pagan event meant to mark the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter—the time when the veil between the spirit world and our world was supposedly thinnest. Enter ghosts, ghouls, and yes, even human sacrifices. This wasn’t just innocent dress-up; it was a festival rooted in fear and spiritual darkness, a far cry from anything Christians should want to emulate.

When the early church came on the scene, it sought to counter these pagan celebrations with a more Christ-centered day—All Saints’ Day, a celebration of believers who had gone before us in the faith. But Halloween never quite lost its pull. Over time, its blend of pagan, medieval, and modern elements became a juggernaut of costumes, candy, and creepiness. The enemy has a way of making darkness look enticing, doesn’t he?

And today, it’s not just about fun costumes and trick-or-treat candy. Halloween has become an industry that sells fear, superstition, and, more recently, the glorification of horror and darkness. Sure, there are “innocent” pumpkin patches and caramel apples. But as soon as you get past that veneer, the real focus is on ghosts, death, and occult imagery—things we’re told in Scripture to steer clear of.

But Isn’t It Just a Little Fun?

Ah, there it is—the classic defense. “It’s just a costume, just a little harmless fun.” How many times have we heard that? How many times have we said it ourselves? But as Christians, our call is to live set apart. As Paul wrote in Romans, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). So what does that look like for us during this Halloween season?

Because here’s the thing: Halloween is not just an innocent holiday when you peel back the layers. Dressing up, going door-to-door, or hosting a costume party seems lighthearted on the surface, but it’s rooted in celebrating or at least imitating the very things we’re called to turn from. And that’s not just a “feeling” issue—it’s a discernment issue.

If you’re uneasy about Halloween, it’s probably not just your imagination. Maybe that small voice in your heart, that Holy Spirit nudge, is telling you that we’re not meant to play with things that dwell in darkness. And yes, Scripture tells us that we’re set apart from the world, a city on a hill, the salt of the earth—not a dimmed-down, world-pleasing version of it.

Churches Don’t Need to “Christianize” Halloween

Now, I understand why churches often try to put a spin on Halloween. They want to be relevant, to connect with the community, to draw people in. So they rebrand Halloween as a Harvest Festival, fall-themed fun, or “Trunk-or-Treat.” We swap out the vampires for superheroes and ghosts for friendly scarecrows, hoping it’ll make the celebration feel innocent enough. But let’s be honest—this is putting lipstick on a pig.

The fact is, Halloween isn’t simply sanitized by changing a few decorations. Rebranding it doesn’t transform its roots or undo what it represents. And why should we try to mimic the world anyway? We don’t need Halloween to reach people or to share the love of Jesus. The world already knows what Halloween looks like—they don’t need a watered-down, slightly sanitized version coming from the church.

Instead of following suit, what if we actually redefined what gathering in this season looks like? What if we let our light shine so brightly in our love and community that people are drawn to that difference, not our imitation of the latest holiday craze?

Choose the Light, Create Something New

Here’s where we get to make a choice. We can settle for giving Halloween a makeover and hope that people still get the message. Or we can be bold and clear, offering something far better than a night of dress-up. The world loves Halloween, but we know it for what it is—a celebration steeped in fear and darkness. So let’s shine our light in a way that doesn’t need costumes or pumpkins to capture people’s hearts.

Imagine instead of throwing a Halloween party, we hosted a night of praise, worship, and family celebration, showcasing the life and light of Jesus. Imagine kids running around, playing games that build them up rather than make them fear the dark. Imagine creating a space where people feel loved, seen, and welcomed without anything fake or spooky in sight.

We don’t have to add a haunted twist to God’s love to make it relevant. Love, hope, and joy don’t need to be dressed up. They are powerful, magnetic, and refreshing on their own.

Walking the Line with Conviction

Let’s be real—taking a stand against Halloween isn’t popular. It’s uncomfortable. You might be the one who skips out on the office party or doesn’t put out pumpkins when your neighbors go all-in. You might get those looks, even from fellow believers. But remember, being set apart was never about being comfortable; it’s about being faithful. And the faithfulness to walk the narrow road is what makes us who we are.

So this October, don’t feel pressured to join the Halloween parade just to fit in. Don’t feel the need to “Christianize” something rooted in the exact opposite of our faith. Instead, be bold enough to let your light shine in a way that’s true to who you are in Christ. Let’s make choices that point to Jesus—choices that honor life, hope, and the real, pure joy that He offers.

Halloween will come and go, but our call to be salt and light is forever.