Have you been wondering about the most controversial question of the Halloween season: Do Catholics celebrate Halloween?
Sure enough, you’ve heard somewhere that it’s an evil holiday. But is that really the case though?
Surprisingly enough, that is not the case. The original source of Halloween actually belongs to the Catholic Church. So, yes – Catholics do celebrate Halloween.
The whys and hows of this topic will be explored in depth in this article. Stay hooked and continue reading to find out more.
Origins of Halloween
The modern associations of Halloween with blood and gore as well as sexuality, the occult, and the demonic are not authentic to the holiday’s roots.
These themes are not even related to Halloween but have been co-opted by stores and the consumer culture to seem more authentic.
When put in a. historical perspective, modern Halloween is a relatively new creation. It all started with harmless costumes and candy. On the other hand, it didn’t remain light and carefree.
The situation usually deteriorates rapidly when anything is removed from its religious background.
Many people, both Christians and non-Christians, don’t understand that Halloween was stolen from a religious holiday. Both believe it was created by pagans.
Therefore, there are three possible responses from Catholics. They either
- Go along with the crowd and celebrate Halloween in a purely secular manner without giving it any consideration
- Condemn the festival outright, or
- Call for the celebration to be “baptized” and made into something safe for everyone to enjoy.
However, these explanations don’t reveal the history of Halloween or explain why it should be preserved.
What Is Halloween?
All Hallow’s Eve is how we got the term “Halloween.” The evening before All Saints Day also regarded as All Hallows Day is called All Hallows Eve. It’s a sacred word, hence the term “hallow.” They ask that God’s name be “hallowed” during the Our Father prayer.
All Saints Day is considered to be one of the most significant Catholic holidays since it is a Holy Day of Obligation. On All saints‘ Day, the Catholics remember not just the saints whose names we know but also those saints in heaven whose names are unknown.
On November 2nd, the Catholics honor their ancestors and other departed loved ones by commemorating All Souls Day.
Together, October 31st, November 1st, and November 2nd—the days on which All Saints Day and All Souls Day are celebrated—form a triduum of feasts known as the “Days of the Dead”.
Therefore, Halloween marks the beginning of a season in which the living remember and celebrate the lives of all the dead in Christ, including the saints in heaven and the saintly souls imprisoned in purgatory until they reach heaven. The Communion of Saints is a lovely event.
Is It Okay for Catholics to Celebrate Halloween?
Even while many people still link Halloween with the mystical and the pagan, this is not an absolute rule that prevents Catholics from celebrating Halloween as a cultural celebration.
There is no standard American Halloween tradition. Trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving are the two staples of the yearly autumn celebration, yet neither is inherently evil.
Exaggerating the presence of autumnal and harvest-related elements like gourds, ornamental maize, and dried cornstalks can be a lot of fun.
It’s true that like Easter and Christmas, Halloween has become grossly exploited and polluted. B
ut it should never prevent Catholics from enjoying Halloween as a vigil commemoration of the great feast of All Saints in the Catholic manner, just as it should never prevent Catholics from fully enjoying the great festivities of the Church in the Catholic way.
The eerie aspects of Halloween should not be overemphasized, especially by religious people. Demons and other evil spirits are real, and no one should try to summon them or make them a part of their ceremonies.
Catholic homes, in particular, should pray on Halloween, particularly for the safety of anybody planning to dabble in the occult.
Final Thoughts
Catholics are free to celebrate Halloween and participate in the festivities, such as trick-or-treating, so long as they remember to practice moderation and abstain from excess.
One thing, however, is that although Catholics celebrate Halloween just like everyone else, they are sometimes counseled to avoid dressing up as symbols of the holiday’s pagan beginnings, such as ghosts, witches, or horror movie characters.