By Jeremy Serrato
October 31 stands as a reminder of two opposing legacies: Halloween, a celebration with roots in dark pagan rituals, and Reformation Day, a commemoration of the Protestant Reformation’s stand for truth. The difference between these two days could not be starker; Reformation Day honors truth and courage, while Halloween finds its origins in ancient pagan practices steeped in superstition, darkness, and blood. To understand this difference, we must explore how paganism infiltrated Christianity and how the Protestant Reformation stands in direct opposition to these influences.
The Rise of Catholicism: A Departure from Apostolic Faith
The journey to Reformation Day starts with an understanding of how early Christianity gradually veered away from its biblical foundations. Following the time of the apostles, as the Roman Empire embraced Christianity, a blending of Christian and pagan customs emerged. To appeal to broader audiences, church leaders began incorporating elements of Roman paganism into worship. This shift, far from God’s design, laid the groundwork for what became known as the Roman Catholic Church.
By the 4th century, under Emperor Constantine, Christianity was no longer a persecuted faith but a state-endorsed religion. However, this acceptance led to compromise, with pagan symbols and rituals mixed into Christian worship. Over time, the Church claimed political authority, even elevating the Pope as supreme over all Christians. This shift transformed the Church into a powerful institution, no longer purely focused on Christ’s teachings but on maintaining control over believers. By introducing doctrines like purgatory and the veneration of saints—practices with no biblical basis—the Church’s traditions moved further from the gospel’s simplicity.
This rise in authority also led to brutal enforcement against those who questioned its doctrines. Through the Inquisition, countless “heretics” were tortured or executed for their beliefs, facing horrific methods such as racks, fire, and starvation. Faithful believers who resisted these teachings endured great suffering, holding fast to Christ’s truths despite the Church’s intense persecution.
The Pagan Roots of Halloween: Samhain and Its Dark Influence
Halloween’s origins can be traced back to Samhain, one of the most sinister and gruesome pagan festivals practiced by the ancient Celts. Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and was seen as a time when the boundary between the living and the dead was at its weakest. Celtic druids believed that spirits—both good and evil—roamed freely among the living during this time.
To appease these spirits and avoid their wrath, the Celts engaged in chilling rites. Bonfires blazed in the darkness as the druids performed sacrifices, which often included animals and, at times, human beings. Captives and criminals were sometimes used as offerings, their lives cut short to honor pagan deities and ward off evil spirits. People donned terrifying costumes made of animal skins and bones to disguise themselves as spirits and avoid being recognized by malevolent entities that might harm them. This practice of wearing disguises to confuse spirits is the ancestor of modern Halloween costumes.
The Catholic Church attempted to absorb Samhain by introducing All Saints’ Day on November 1, a day to honor saints and martyrs. October 31 became All Hallows’ Eve, later shortened to Halloween. Although the day was “Christianized” in name, its dark customs remained, and the blood-soaked roots of Samhain were never truly removed. Halloween still celebrates themes of fear, death, and horror—a stark reminder of its origins in the occult.
Why Pagan-Christian Blending is Spiritually Dangerous
Blending paganism with Christianity was not just a superficial compromise; it opened the door to deception and spiritual ruin. The Bible warns repeatedly against combining God’s truth with falsehood, but the Catholic Church’s absorption of paganism created a “faith” filled with practices and beliefs that had no biblical foundation. This spiritual compromise led to the introduction of doctrines that directly contradicted Scripture.
One of the most dangerous beliefs that took root was the concept of the immortality of the soul, a teaching that originated in ancient pagan religions. The Bible consistently portrays death as a state of unconscious sleep (Ecclesiastes 9:5, John 11:11-14). Yet, the Catholic Church adopted the belief that the soul lives on after death, leading to the veneration of saints, prayers to the dead, and the idea of an eternally burning hell. This false doctrine painted a picture of God as vengeful, eager to eternally torture souls—a view that distorts His character and creates fear, not faith.
This teaching also gave rise to practices that led believers away from a personal relationship with Christ, such as the intercession of Mary and saints. The Catholic Church claimed that these “holy” figures could act as mediators, thus diverting worship away from Christ Himself. Such doctrines contradict the Bible’s message that only Christ is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) and that all who believe in Him have direct access to God.
The Reformation: The Stand Against Corruption
While the Catholic Church imposed its authority and mixed pagan practices with Christianity, there were those who stood against this corruption. Faithful Christians resisted the doctrines that contradicted Scripture, choosing to suffer persecution rather than compromise their beliefs. The Reformation was the culmination of this resistance—a movement that exposed the errors of a corrupt religious system that claimed universal allegiance and authority throughout Christendom.
In the 16th century, Martin Luther became a central figure in the Reformation. Horrified by the corruption he saw in the Church, Luther courageously challenged its authority by nailing his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church on October 31, 1517. His theses condemned practices such as the sale of indulgences, where people were promised forgiveness of sins in exchange for money—a clear contradiction to the Bible’s teaching on grace and repentance.
Luther’s courageous stand set off a chain reaction, inspiring reformers across Europe to challenge the Catholic Church and seek a return to biblical truth. The movement that followed became known as the Protestant Reformation. The reformers’ rallying cry—sola scriptura, or “Scripture alone”—reaffirmed that God’s Word, not the edicts of men, was the ultimate authority in matters of faith.
Halloween vs. Reformation Day: A Day of Darkness vs. A Day of Light
Halloween remains rooted in ancient practices that glorify fear, death, and superstition. Its customs—costumes, Jack-o’-lanterns, and eerie decorations—are remnants of Samhain’s worship of the supernatural. The modern celebration of Halloween perpetuates these pagan symbols, keeping alive the darkness that first gave rise to it.
In stark contrast, Reformation Day celebrates the power of God’s truth to overcome error and deception. It is a day to remember those who stood against the might of a corrupt system, refusing to compromise their faith even under threat of torture and death. Reformation Day honors the courage of individuals who clung to Scripture and reclaimed the freedom to worship God according to conscience. It is an opportunity to reminisce and understand the vital principles handed down to our fathers. And today there are modern reformers who are standing for truth, risking everything to preserve the Christian faith.
Conclusion
The stark difference between Halloween and Reformation Day serves as a powerful reminder of two paths—one rooted in darkness and fear, the other in light and truth. Halloween’s origins in paganism and its continued focus on death are incompatible with the life-giving message of the Bible. Reformation Day, on the other hand, commemorates the triumph of Scripture, the courage of the reformers, and the enduring power of God’s truth to set us free.
We choose to walk in the light, using this day as a divine opportunity to intercede on behalf of those who are playing with the fires of witchcraft. We remember those who risked everything, shedding their blood to preserve the purity of God’s Word. In this choice, we reject the darkness of superstition and deception, standing firmly in the light of Christ’s victory over all falsehood. May we, like the reformers, stand for truth, undeterred by the world’s traditions, and celebrate the power of God’s Word to transform hearts and minds.
About: Jeremy Serrato is the director of AdventAge Missions.
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There were no ancient groups called the Celts, but Celts were a language family like the Romance languages. Saying the Celts did something is like saying that the Romance did something.
Samhain was practiced by one small community in Ireland, and by the best evidence, was a festival taken after the harvest. There’s no indication it had any religious connotations.
The bonfires are first attested after the Church of England split from the Catholic Church. Catholic peoples would light fires and pray through the night until the fires went out. They did this because the Anglican Church discriminated against the Catholic beliefs.
The “dark” things like skeletons and the grim reaper that are associated with Halloween aren’t tied to pagans; it’s a kind of memento mori. Remember death. It’s important for Christians to remember the examples of our faith that have passed on, and to remember that we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
It’s not just Catholics, but the majority of Christians believe in the immortality of the soul and reject soul sleep, or at least don’t find it as the only plausible interpretation of Scripture. Also, even with soul immortality being the norm among Catholics, the Church does not dictate how Hell must be conceptualized. There are schools of thought that believe souls in Hell are annihilated or eventually stop being tortured though they remain forever separated from God.
The Catholic Church does not teach that any saints, including Mary are worthy of worship; neither do the Orthodox or several Protestant denominations. A clear distinction is made between intercessor and mediator. If one asks another to pray for them, they ask another to intercede, but that doesn’t equate to worshipping that other person nor believing they can save your soul. The same is true when Catholics (and many other Christians) ask the dead to pray for them. In fact, the term “pray” comes from Old English “I pray thee”, which was a way of asking someone to do something; it’s not worship.
If you’re going to preach on what the Catholic Church believes, don’t straw men them. Also, don’t single them out for beliefs shared by many other kinds of Believers.
Even if you think the Catholic Church is entirely wrong, the Reformation is not something to be celebrated. At best, it’s like a surgery or chemotherapy; much of the disease had to be painfully removed. Even to this day, there are those separated from the Truth one way or the other. That’s why the Reformation should be something mourned, even if you view it as necessary.
Momento Mori. Remember death. And may God have mercy on those deceived.
In Ineffabilis Deus, 1854, Pope Pius IX offers a tidy summary of established dogma regarding Mary.
“Let all the children of the Catholic Church, who are so very dear to us, hear these words of ours. With a still more ardent zeal for piety, religion and love, let them continue to venerate, invoke and pray to the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, conceived without original sin. Let them fly with utter confidence to this most sweet Mother of mercy and grace in all dangers, difficulties, needs, doubts and fears. Under her guidance, under her patronage, under her kindness and protection, nothing is to be feared; nothing is hopeless. Because, while bearing toward us a truly motherly affection and having in her care the work of our salvation, she is solicitous about the whole human race. And since she has been appointed by God to be the Queen of heaven and earth, and is exalted above all the choirs of angels and saints, and even stands at the right hand of her only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, she presents our petitions in a most efficacious manner. What she asks, she obtains. Her pleas can never be unheard.”
The above paragraph can be taken point by point and compared with Scripture to show where each is doctrinally incorrect, forbidden, or relegated to God alone. This last category is why people say Catholics worship Mary. Catholic doctrine may give it a different name (adoration, reverence, veneration, honor, etc) but when it includes attributes that Scripture has expressly reserved for the recognition of God alone, it is rightly called worship.
This isn’t a difference of Bible interpretation. The Catholic church freely admits that tradition supersedes the authority of Scripture. Which makes me wonder: Are there any components of Biblical worship in Catholic tradition that are reserved for God alone? I can’t think of any.
Muchas gracia hnos por las ediciones estamos compartiendo en las iglesias