Halloween, Satan, & Christians
Jonathan Cahn delivers a comprehensive examination of the holiday known as Halloween, questioning whether it is a harmless celebration or a dangerous spiritual event. Cahn asserts that the holiday is rooted in darkness, evil, and the occult, prompting believers to consider whether they should participate or seek alternatives.
The Disturbing Themes and Practices of Halloween
Cahn points out that Halloween is the only major holiday that focuses centrally on darkness, evil, witches, the occult, monsters, death, graveyards, skeletons, ghosts, and spirits. He questions the wholesomeness of sending children to celebrate themes like “Evil witchcraft spirits death graveyards the living dead”.
The Extortion and Vandalism Elements: The traditional phrase “trick or treat” is identified by Cahn as a practice of extortion: “if you don’t give us a treat we’re going to pull a trick on you” or “do some damage”. He notes that the holiday has also historically included elements of mischief and vandalism, such as egging cars or toilet-papering neighbors’ trees. The outcome is summarized by Cahn as producing a generation of “diabetic extortionists”.
Cahn uses an analogy of insects celebrating a holiday focused on “dead insects,” “crushed insects,” and “insect skulls” to illustrate the inherent sickness of a human holiday celebrating dead bodies, skulls, and skeletons. He suggests this indicates “something seriously wrong” in the culture.
The Darkening of America and the Rise of Paganism
Cahn links the exponential growth of Halloween to the spiritual state of America. Halloween spending has exploded into a $13 billion industry today, up from $100–$300 million annually in the 1960s. Decorations, including massive 6, 8, or even 20-foot skeletons, are now competing with Christmas decorations in visibility and sales.
Cahn draws a spiritual parallel: as America works to remove Christ, Jesus, and God from Christmas to secularize it, the nation simultaneously embraces Halloween—the dark holiday—getting “darker and darker and darker”. He warns that when a society turns away from God, the spirits come in, and the pagan takes the place.
