What about Halloween?

How does Luther fit into Halloween? Today you will hear people say sound the alarm on Halloween. Some people will say that collecting candy from strangers is a pagan practice and should be abolished, while others will be swimming in candy (like Scrooge McDuck from Ducktales). Regardless of where you stand, Dr. John Piper argues that the connection between Halloween and Martin Luther has an incredible connotation. Discussing the history of “All Hallows Eve,” he explains:

One thing that is clear is where the name comes from—and that it is Christian. The English Halloween is short for “All Hallows’ Eve,” the night before the November 1 Christian feast of All Saints (Hallows) Day.

As for trick-or-treating, some claim that marking All Hallows’ Eve may have originated as just such an occasion to “trick” Satan, the most prideful of all creatures, by giving him what is most offensive to his arrogance: mockery. As Luther would say, “The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him for he cannot bear scorn.”

 

Halloween is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the truth of Colossians 2:9-15. The Adversary has been stripped of power and mocked before a Holy God. Christ is victorious. Ponder that when you eat your Starbursts and check your apples for razor blades.

For more info, Read Piper’s article.