It’s Halloween! Have you closed the door?

Last week we went out to celebrate my son’s big achievement. In the ladies toilet, next to the mirror was a poster for a Halloween event that will be taking place at the establishment. The poster said it will be an “unforgettable evening” with clairvoyants, psychics, mediums and tarot card readers. When I left the toilet and walked back to our table, I noticed that I couldn't see any of those posters around the restaurant. It made me think of the deliberate placement of that poster in the ladies toilets rather than on every wall in the main restaurant.

Apart from using the ladies bathroom for doing your business, a reason why the women in the restaurant could be using the bathroom is as a place to get a breather, when there is a difficult conversation at their table that they don’t want to be part of. 

Another reason is it could be a safe place to offload feelings of anxiety, from being out in a crowded place or being in the presence of a family member who makes them feel less than. 

All reasons would involve women standing in front of the mirror, washing their hands, checking their hair and make-up or just staring into the mirror waiting for feelings of anxiety to subside. Then they look to the left and see a poster that not only looks fun, it’s Halloween after all, but could also give them answers to questions that keep them up at night. That poster being in a place, that’s a solitary and at times vulnerable moment, means a woman can quickly take a photo of the poster and then book a ticket when she gets home. 

Well you might be thinking, it’s just a Halloween event and Halloween is it’s just a fun night with dressing up and sweets. Well if you don’t identify as a Christian, then that's fine keep doing your thing and unlike my other posts, this post isn’t for you but feel free to keep reading if you want to… all are welcome here. However, if you do identify as a Christian then this post is for you and you need to keep reading, as for Christians Halloween isn’t just about dressing up and asking neighbours or sweets. Halloween is much more than that…

Origins of Halloween

Now I’ve heard some people who identify as Christians say Halloween is a Christian celebration so they can celebrate it. So lets look into that. 

Around 610 AD (600 years after Jesus Christ died) All Saints’ Day was established as a time for Catholics to remember their dead, especially martyrs and other dead Christians. This took place every May. Then 200 years later the date was moved to 1st November when Pope Gregory III established Allhallowtide in which he introduced two additional days- All Hallows Eve (Halloween) on 31 October, and All Souls' Day 2nd November. These are three days, celebrated by mostly Catholics, as a time to also remember the dead, especially martyrs and dead Christians. Traditionally there are church services and practices such as visiting graves, lighting candles and praying for the dead. This is still celebrated now every year by Catholics. 

At this point you may be thinking, well if Catholics invented it then there is no harm in me as a Christian celebrating it. Well let me explain more. As I just said, 200 years after the first All Saints Day in May, Pope Gregory III decided to change its name to All Hallows and move the date to 1st November. He then added an extra day before All Hallows, called All Hallows Eve which we now call Halloween. The movement of dates and the addition of a day before, in my opinion, wasn’t coincidental. 

Pagan roots

“I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies”.- Amos 5:21

There is a pagan festival called Samhain. This festival is between 2000 and 5000 years old. So when God was looking after his chosen people, on the other side of the world in Europe pagans were celebrating Samhain. Samhain celebrations start on the evening of 31st October and into 1st November. Samhain is marked by large gatherings and feasts and ancient burial grounds were opened and seen as portals to the “Otherworld”. The date for Samhain (31st October- 1st November) was picked because pagans believe this is when the boundary between this world and the “Otherworld” is blurred and the veil between the two is the thinnest. They believe that making contact with “aos si” who they say are spirits and fairies is most likely. Pagans see these spirits as remnants of pagan gods.

During Samhain pagans believe souls of the dead revisits their home and as a result a meal is set for them at the table. Pagans who celebrated Samhain have always done something called Mumming and Guising. This was part of the festival where they dressed up in a costume and went door-to-door reciting verses in exchange for food. The reason they wore a costume was to disguise themselves as a “aos si” aka a spirit.

“When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead” - Deuteronomy 18:9-14

Divination was also a big part of Samhain. If you don’t know what Divination is, some examples are horoscopes, tarot card reading, mediums, psychic reading, astral projecting, crystal reading, rune casting, tea-leaf reading, Ouija boards, automatic writing and water scrying. They liked to involve apples in their divination practices. 

Finally Samhain is also associated with sacrifices. 

So, thousands of years ago a Pope decided to move their celebration to the same day as a pagan festival that celebrates pagan gods, spirits and magic; and then integrated Samhain practices and traditions into this celebration. So to all the people who say it’s ok to celebrate Halloween because it is a Christian celebration. Well my answer is, as Christians, we are followers of Christ and none of that sounds Christ like to me. 

“And give no opportunity to the devil”. - Ephesians 4:27.

Modern Halloween

“I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them” - Isaiah 1:14

If you still aren't fazed by all of that and are thinking, well all that was happening thousands of years ago… Well pagans still exist and are still celebrating their celebrations including this one for THEIR gods and not YOUR God. Anyway, let's move on to modern Halloween. 

We all know what modern day Halloween entails, it’s all things scary and spooky, it's carving faces on pumpkins, it’s children (and some adults) dressing up as ghosts, ghouls, skeletons and anything else spooky, door knocking for sweets, it’s horror movies about ghosts, evil spirits and killing, it’s apple bobbing and the list goes on. Is this ringing a bell with what you just read above?

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” - Proverbs 22:6

In modern Halloween, including Halloween 2025, satanists around the world are getting ready for their biggest celebration of the year. Now before you say oh you are just the typical “religious” Christian calling everything satanic, lets hear from them... the Satanists … It is claimed Anton LaVey, founder of the Church of Satan said “I want to thank every Christian parent for allowing their child to celebrate Halloween—the devil’s holiday—one time a year”.

Ex-Satanist, turned Christian Riaan Swlegelaar, this year said Halloween is the highest day on the Satanic calendar. He also said that it is the day with the most human sacrifices on the whole planet. Priest Dan Rehil, who calls Halloween the devils holy day, has also said that homeless people are rounded up by satanists under the false pretences of food and a shower, they are then held until 31st October and sacrificed. They get away with this because sadly no one is looking for homeless people.

Swlegelaar also says that Halloween decorations on your home or on a home in your neighbourhood allows your area to become a satanic ritual (hot spot) and anyone non-Christian and Christian who has “open doors” and lives in that neighbourhood or moves around that neighbourhood, will be affected. 

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”. - 1 Peter 5:8

Ex-Warlock Emmanuel Campana, expands on this and explains when he was in witchcraft and on this first big mission which was, surprise surprise, on Halloween, was told to “pray over” people, streets and businesses. He explains that when witches and warlocks “pray” over people, streets and buildings they are cursing them. He was confused because he thought he had to have spiritual permission to curse them. He said his seven spirit guides- aka seven demons told him that all those peoples’ participation in Halloween is their spiritual agreement/permission and their "open door". The demons have their spiritual permission when these people start decorating their homes, businesses, work places and then celebrate Halloween on the day. Therefore this Warlock could curse them. Campana said when people dress up their children and pets, they are giving satanists, witches and warlocks spiritual access to their children and pets. 

Open doors

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them”.- Ephesians 5:11

Non-Christians and Christians can have open doors. Open doors are basically unrepentant sin. The devil and demons can only access us and curse us if they have legal spiritual access to us. Think of it like a vampire who has to be invited into your house to wreak havoc and suck your blood. Demons gain access to you through your open doors. You could be the first person in church and the last to leave every Sunday, you could be able to quote loads of Bible verses. However, if you haven’t fully surrendered to Christ, are not displaying the fruits of the Spirit and are not regularly repenting of your sins, then those “open doors” will be wide open for demons to settle in and slowly destroy you and your family’s lives. 

A short interlude

Now lets take a slight pause before I go on to explain other ways we can open doors. This is because you are probably thinking I have the Holy Spirit so I can’t have demons living with the Holy Spirit. If you are not showing the fruits of the Spirit,  you are regularly sinning aka constantly taking part in things you know God doesn’t want you to do and you feel no need to repent of any or most of it, then you aren’t Holy Spirit filled because the Holy Spirit will make you feel so bad that you that you will not want to do it. Even if in a moment of weakness you do, then you will want to repent to please God.

Now you might be scoffing at me, thinking well Jesus said you can’t judge me and yes Jesus did say that (Matthew 7:1) AND in the same chapter Jesus also said talks about false disciples “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (7:21). He also talks about false prophets, this can include leaders and teachers ”Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them” (7:15-16). 

Again in the very same chapter that Jesus tells us not to judge, He tells us to go through the narrow gate “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (13-14). Taking this route in our lives means that we have to make an active choice to not take part in certain events and activities that the rest of the world takes part in. These activities are not from God and will lead to your destruction. 

There is a saying that some Christians follow and that is “I’m in the world but not of the world”. I believe this is true and is how I live my life. I can live amongst unbelievers and also be a very good friend to some of them and I love them but I don’t have to take part in everything they take in because it’s fun and so I’m not left out. If I take part in it all then it will lead to spiritual destruction for me. So I’m not judging you, this is coming from a place of love because I've been there.

As my bio on this blog says, I wasn't always a Christian and before I was radically saved by God the Father through Jesus Christ and received the Holy Spirit, I used to do tarot cards. So I know about this world and trust me it's not good. Funnily enough I was always drawn to dark things but I've never liked Halloween. Before me and my husband found God, as a compromise I used to let him and our then toddler, crave a pumpkin each Halloween but the rule was that it could only go in the window at the back of the house and not the front (when I look back I think like that made any difference! lol). So this is no way me judging you but because God saved me I have a duty, based on the Word of God, to highlight areas in lives where continuation of certain activities and habits could lead to spiritual destruction. I have this duty because God loves you and He does not want destruction for you, only the devil wants this for you.

“As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people”. - Leviticus 20:6

End of Interlude

Right, after that little interlude, back to other ways of having open doors, which are:

• Taking part in any form of the following - horoscopes, tarot card reading, mediums, psychic reading, astral projecting, crystal reading, rune casting, tea-leaf reading, Ouija boards, automatic writing and water scrying. They are not from God so are classed as sins, which can open a spiritual door in you. Talking to dead people is strictly forbidden in Christianity. Anyway, in case you don’t know,  you aren’t talking to your dead relative or friend, it’s a familiar spirit aka a demon pretending to be your family or friend. 

• Taking part in sinful activity or having sinful thoughts that are laid out in the Bible. If you aren’t sure what they are then read your Bible. 

• Consuming certain movies, TV shows and songs.- Films and shows about the occult and horror are not Godly and can open doors. Songs with lyrics that promote demonic activity and other sinful activity can open doors in you.

Why Christians shouldn’t be part of any of it.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”.- Romans 12:2

If after reading all this you are still thinking but it’s really fun and I just won’t do anything dark. Then all I can say is that all of Halloween, even the “light” things like apple bobbing or dressing up as something not dark, like a cute pumpkin, has historical roots in pagan and satanic roots. The Samhain festival uses apples in their magic, they dressed up to get food when knocking doors and they use the time to worship their pagan gods. 

Halloween is celebrated by satanists worldwide as their main celebration. As Christians we worship the one true God and it is strictly forbidden to worship other gods. Do you really want to bring demons, chaos and destruction into yours, your children's and your wider family’s lives for one night of dressing up and sweets! Is this worth your relationship with God and your journey to eternity with Him? 

It’s not too late

Jesus said “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean.” (John 13:10). If you have ever taken part in Halloween it doesn’t mean you have lost your salvation and God wants nothing to do with you but you do need to “wash your feet” to cleanse you of taking part in Halloween. We “wash our feet” through repentance.

It’s not too late, all you have to do to close any open doors is repent of your sins to God. Say sorry to God the Father, through Jesus Christ and tell Him you will really try to stop doing the past activities that you shouldn’t have been doing. Then you stop doing them. This includes celebrating Halloween in any form. You continue to do this process for the rest of your life, when you do something that you know the Bible says you shouldn’t. 

If you are thinking well, I’ve got the decorations up already, the sweets are in the cupboard and little Sarah's costume is all ready for the school Halloween disco, so I’ll do this year but stop next year. The final thing I can say is tomorrow isn’t promised and you may not get a chance to do this year's Halloween and then repent from the sin of doing it before your time on earth comes to an end. Then you are face to face with our Lord and you hear those dreaded words from our Lord “depart from me, I never knew you” and at that point Halloween, aka the devil’s holiday, isn’t just one day for you, it’s your eternity with the guest of honour himself and his many demons.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”- Matthew 7:21-23