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Halloween in the light of faith

2025-10-31 10:06:00, Opinione Atë Grigor Pelushi

In modern society, Halloween has become one of the most popular holidays in the world, especially among children. The costumes, colorful lights, human skeletons, scary masks, scythes and knives create a fun atmosphere according to some. But in light of the Orthodox Christian faith, this holiday raises important questions about its spiritual meaning and the impact it can have, especially on children.

Historically, Halloween has its roots in ancient pagan rituals, associated with the cult of death and beliefs in spirits and spirits that wandered the world on the last night of October. Over time, in the Western tradition this date became associated with the “vigil of the celebration of all saints” – All Hallows' Eve – as a preparation for the feast of All Saints, just as we Orthodox celebrate the feast of All Saints on the Sunday after Pentecost. However, in modern cultural development, the spiritual aspect has faded almost completely, being replaced by frightening images, demonic figures and elements that often conflict with the spirit of Christianity.

From an Orthodox perspective, Halloween is not a Christian holiday, but rather a cultural manifestation with pagan and commercial influences. The Church teaches us that man is a creature of God, called to light, love, and pure joy — not to glorify darkness, fear, or death. The symbols associated with Halloween — skeletons, ghosts, witches, monsters — are not part of our spiritual tradition. On the contrary, they often represent a relativization of evil, a play on forces that in the Orthodox faith are not taken lightly, because “Evil” is not a figure to be amused, but a spiritual reality that requires distance and caution.

For children, Halloween may seem like a harmless game — a day to dress up and have fun, as is currently happening at a school under the window where I work. But its impact can be deeper than it seems. At an age when children are forming their imagination and spiritual sensitivity, being confronted with dark images, demonic figures, or elements that normalize fear and death can create inner confusion. Instead of learning about the light, love, and hope that come from the Lord Jesus Christ, they can be taught to see darkness as play, and evil as something attractive. This contradicts the spiritual education that the Church wants to give children, that of pure joy, goodness, and holiness.

In many Orthodox communities such as Romania, Greece, America, etc., parents and teachers of Christian schools have chosen to organize, instead of Halloween, evenings with the theme of saints, where children dress up as beloved saints of the Church, learn about their lives and celebrate the light they brought to the world. In this way, children learn that truth and beauty do not lie in fear and darkness, but in the light of God's love. I even suggest that this be developed in our churches and communities here in our country where on this day we invite children to participate in celebrations that catechism groups can develop by preparing dramas with the lives of saints, competitions or other activities related to the saints of our Church.

Halloween is not just a matter of costumes, masks, skeletons or customs, but a spiritual question: what are we teaching our children, to love light or darkness? The Church always invites us to be careful, to distinguish good from evil, and to nurture in our children joy, love of life and faith in Christ our Lord who overcomes darkness with His divine light. /CNA