Maintaining A Balance With Halloween

As a follower of Christ, how do you handle Halloween? Some hold to the position of totally boycotting the day, while others partake in the expressions of the day. Which perspective is right? To answer that correctly, it's important to consider Halloween's origins and to remember that much of our information is subjective. Traditionally, Halloween was a day that the dead were remembered, also known as "All Hallows' Eve," and there appears to be a connection to All Saints' Day on the Roman Catholic Calendar. All Saints' Day, or Allhallows, is celebrated on November 1st. Thus, the day before, October 31st, is known as Halloween, derived from "Hallows Eve." The focus on ghosts, goblins, spirits, witches, and other dark imagery during Halloween arose from the belief that dark forces were particularly active on this night, trying to disrupt the prayers for the dead that would be offered on All Saints' Day. The tradition of trick-or-treating can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when poor people would go door-to-door, asking for food in exchange for their prayers for the deceased.
People around the world observe Halloween in various ways. Some believe its roots may be traced back to the Celtic people, who had a yearly festival with the belief that the dead could visit the living. However, all of these beliefs and stories are fictitious.
Halloween has become more cultural and, for many Americans, incredibly commercialized. Also, horror movies, wicked practices, and depictions of evil have tried to piggyback Halloween as a way to share their evil sentiments of belief with the world and even recruit new followers. However, their intentions and the origins of Halloween are two different subjects. Thus, both positions of either passing or participating in Halloween are correct, and here is why:
Everyone who considers themself a Christian should detest all and every evil practice, whether it's on Halloween or any other day of the year. At the same time, every believer should use wisdom and feel comfortable in doing some of the more silly things of the Americanized Halloween traditions, provided they are not glorifying evil such as perversion, murder, sorcery, or witchcraft as the Bible warns against. See, that's the key. We have lost balance when Halloween becomes a time to highlight the devil and his work. On the other hand, we lose perspective when we judge others for innocently participating, even if they are not celebrating or condoning evil.
With this in mind, consider God's statements on evil and our response:
Amos 5:15a, "Hate evil and love good..."
Zechariah 8:17a, "Do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor..."
Romans 12:9,  "Let love be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good."
Second Timothy 2:19,  "Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, bearing this inscription: The Lord knows those who are his, and let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness."
Knowing what God says about evil and any practices that resemble evil, let us indeed hate what is evil and attach ourselves to what is good. Therefore, seek God for your response. Beware of front-sliding into legalism, but be equally diligent in honoring God by not endorsing evil. In doing so, we will develop a balanced approach to Halloween and other such matters.