Studio52Seven

The Protest

October 31st, a conflict-laden date with religious reverberations, it’s important to remember its multifaceted significance. This date, associated with Halloween in modern times, carries a rich history that goes beyond the costume parties and trick-or-treating.

Five centuries ago, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a German priest, sparked a transformation in the Christian world. Luther’s bold act of posting his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, challenged the prevailing practices of the Catholic Church. He decried the sale of indulgences, a means to absolve sins and escape purgatory and hell, which he found both theologically flawed and corrupt. Luther’s actions led to his excommunication and marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, reshaping the course of Christian history.

Despite this rich history, October 31st is now more widely associated with Halloween, a holiday with pagan representations. Interestingly, and perhaps by design or coincidence, Netflix releases The Origin: Madam Koi Koi, a Nollywood horror story, of course, based on the dead and the spirits, today, 31st October 2023. An apt treat.

The Britannica however says of Halloween to be a

contraction of All Hallows’ Eve, a holiday observed on October 31, the evening before All Saints’ (or All Hallows’) Day

These Catholic holidays were historically linked to the sale of indulgences, and Luther’s choice of October 31st for his protest may have been a deliberate attempt to challenge the Church’s practices.

It’s All in the Name

All Saints’ Day or “All Hallows Day,” “Hallowed Evening” or “Holy Day,” the transition from “All Hallows’ Eve” to “Halloween” is a complex one, with various symbols and traditions adopted over time. Perhaps expressions of pagan worship to appease the dead, the spirits, and the gods when the Fall season gives way to Winter. In some parts of the global Church, however, October 31st is still celebrated as the day the reformation started and, in some places, it is called the Reformation Day. The core principles of the Reformation, encapsulated in the Five Solas:

• Grace alone
• Faith alone
• Christ alone
• Scripture alone
• The glory to God alone

continue to influence evangelical and charismatic churches today.

Perhaps it does not mean much. After all, Paul admonished that no day is holier than the other (Rom. 14:5).  No need to make a fuss of any, or of this one.  I can’t help but wonder though, if something needs to be celebrated on this day, what should it be?

Halloween is pictured as an innocent fun-time. The level of its acceptance in mainstream societies across the world is attested to by a whopping $9.1 billion industry in 2017 according to USA Today. Of course, this is USA data, and that figure is only surpassed by the staggering 93% of Americans (according to NCA Survey) that celebrate Halloween. The many people who are unaware of its origins, meaning, purpose, and possible impartation.

Take It or Leave It

It is easy to imagine the spread of this super-evasive religious celebration passing as a pop culture across different countries of the world. Some of us may already be doing a good job at shielding our children from the “fun” and whatever else it portends. The majority of us, may just not know. More so, in the spirit of the holidays by the corner: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year, Diwali, etc., for which everyone is “invited,” keeping ourselves and our children away may just seem very un-neighborly. Besides this is one time of the year that we get to connect with other people in our communities.

So, the question is:
What should we do? What can we do?

Of course, a no-participation policy as a family is an option. However, it will be challenging in a place like the United States with an estimated 93% involvement. On the other hand, if you feel you could or should, these are a few suggestions:

• Create a teaching moment out of the season. Education is a winner all the time. Instead of allowing the children to approach the season unsure of what to make of the scary motifs, help them engage the season with a curious commitment. Perhaps a research project.
• Use the spirit and death theme of the holiday to tell your own story. After all, what Luther was protesting against was hinged around death: the Church making money from Death. Perhaps in an age where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to talk about such, Halloween and October 31st may allow us to touch on these sore subjects under the cover of a themed holiday. That is what the producers of Young Sheldon, an American show did in one of their episodes.
• Sophia Bricker writing for Christianity.com, notes a few ways Christians can engage the holiday while avoiding the occult. Her list includes “passing out tracts with candy, choosing costumes that exemplify goodness and truth, participating in a trunk-or-treat event at church, doing a prayer walk, and thanking God for His loving gifts.”
• Doctrinal topics on heaven and hell, death and resurrection, angels and demons, the spirit world, and the supernatural, are often difficult to teach or discuss, even from the pulpit. This can be a good time to engage the Church with such topics.
• Take each of the themes of the scary Halloween and give it a nice God-honoring and children-friendly look. Like the pumpkin can be carved differently. Make the costumes to say more of what will inspire positively, etc.

The possibilities for celebrating October 31st in a way that aligns with one’s beliefs are endless. Of course, the internet is awash with ideas. What are you doing this Halloween? What can you still do? How can you navigate October 31^st to celebrate something more authentic, life-giving, and freeing? How can you reform October 31st? After all, Halloween … or is it Hallows’ Eve, is about saints, reformed souls, if you will. The Reformation Day itself. A good thing to celebrate indeed.

– Patrick Anyanwu