Halloween gets a second look in a different light

COLTON STURGEON | UNSPLASH

Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve, is a popular celebration in the United States, but rejected on religious grounds by some.

Halloween is that time of year many people see as an opportunity to dress up and play make believe.

Though the season brings comfort and activities such as pumpkin carving and scary movie marathons, for others is not such a nice thought.

“It was the devil’s holiday,” said Charlotte native Joshua Hemphill, 25. “My dad would joke that my sister could’ve been a demon baby for being born the day after. Called it witchcraft.”

According to MIT (Halloween: Origins and Current Traditions | ISO) Halloween was brought to the U.S. by colonists. The holiday originated in Ireland, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to scare off ghosts during the Celtic festival of Samhain. In the U.S., the holiday was altered as traditions began to change.

Many religions abstain from celebrating the holiday such as Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses and some Christians.

“I was raised as a Christian, Baptist, specifically,” said Kayla Braye, 26. “I was told we weren’t allowed to celebrate Halloween because it was an evil holiday. The devil’s day.”

Although the Christian Bible does not directly say Halloween is evil it does contain a scripture regarding pagan practices and witchcraft, which many associate with the holiday.

For example, Deuteronomy 18:9-12 reads: “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.”

Although many are raised in households where Halloween observance is forbidden, they grow up and partake in the festivities.

“Never celebrated Halloween until college. I wasn’t allowed to,” Hemphill said, who grew up in a Christian household and did not trick or treat as a child. However, as an adult, Hemphill decided to partake in the celebration and make up his own mind about the holiday.

“I think it’s a cool holiday,” he said. It gives people an excuse to cosplay/dress up for a day with no judgement.”

Braye also missed out on the celebration as a child but was able to partake when she moved to Charlotte in 2016 for college.

“I was always fascinated with Halloween and a little jealous, so I thought I’d celebrate once I was old enough,” she said. “Plus, I felt it couldn’t be that bad because it’s also my dad’s birthday.

“I had always been curious about the holiday, so I decided to once I got old enough and was on my own.”

Black people aren’t the only ones who may not partake in the holiday.

Katie Bonilla, the daughter of Salvadoran immigrants, was raised in the United States in a Catholic and Apostolic family that didn’t allow Halloween celebrations.

“We were told it was a demonic day since it allows harmful spirits to roam more freely than usual, and people are more susceptible during that time since it’s seen as acceptable by society. It’s a day the devil doesn’t have to disguise himself,” she said.

Bonilla said her religion was strict and forbade Halloween celebrations.

“I grew up more on the side of the Apostolic Christian community and its traditions/beliefs, which can be seen as very strict since they don’t really allow women to wear pants of make-up and we had to go to church Saturday, Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays,” she said.

Though she celebrated the holidays at times, Bonilla maintains some of the beliefs she grew up with.

“I still do believe that it can be a demonic day because of things I’ve experienced in the past, but I have such a strong faith in God now and stronger relationship with home that I know I won’t let the day itself take a hold of me,” she said.

In some households it does not just stop with Halloween. For Hemphill, “evil” and “witchcraft” were associated with things often consumed by children.

“There were a lot of things deemed witchcraft as a kid,” he said. “We watched shows we weren’t allowed to all time, but it’s just what kids do.”

For Braye, not only was she not allowed to celebrate Halloween, but some movies growing up were also restricted for the same reasons.

Harry Potter, the fictitious teenager who goes to a witchcraft school, is considered a hard no for many religious households such as Braye’s. Still, though the holiday holds a negative concept, many churches offer alternative celebrations. Hemphill said the church he grew up in would celebrate with events such as “Trunk or Treat.”

“We’d get a bunch of cars in a parking lot and put candy in the trunks. Would have service before or after depending on what day it was,” he said.

Other churches even give candy to children in the spirit of the season.

Though many grow up with these beliefs, some start their own traditions as adults.

When it comes to letting their own future family celebrate Halloween, they plan to conduct things differently.

“I think I’ll introduce my kids to both sides,” Braye said. “Harvest fest and then Halloween/ Trick or Treating to see what they like the most. I wouldn’t want them to miss out on that experience like I did.”

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