Why study Halloween, a festival that appears American and far from our own reality? Although many in Brazil still treat it as a foreign curiosity, this celebration has been steadily gaining ground in everyday life — in schools, in English classes, on television and even at club parties. But what truly lies behind this date, and where does all its symbolism come from?

What is Halloween? Celebrated on the night of 31 October, Halloween is marked by costumes, bonfires and the familiar “trick or treat”. Children dress as monsters, witches and ghosts, knocking on doors in search of sweets. Today, however, Halloween is far more than a children’s diversion: it has become one of the most lucrative dates in American retail. It is estimated that 60% of costumes are sold to adults, and that one in four people aged between 18 and 40 wears some form of fancy dress. For self-described psychics, witches, clairvoyants and seers, it is the busiest day of the year. Publishers of books on astrology and the occult report a marked rise in sales. In cities such as Salem, Massachusetts — the historic centre of American witch lore — the “Festival of the Haunted” boosts tourism and extends the summer season.

Origins and symbolism: the word “Halloween” derives from the English expression “All Hallows’ Eve”, meaning the eve of All Saints’ Day. “Hallow” means “holy” and “e’en” is a shortened form of “evening”. Literally, “the Night of All Saints”.

The meaning, though, runs deeper than the translation. The 31st of October was one of the most important dates in the Celtic calendar, known as Samhain, the festival marking the start of winter and the end of the harvest. It formed one of the four great quarter-days of the Celtic year:

1. 2 February — Imbolc, associated with the figure of Brigid, symbol of healing.
2. 1 May — Beltane, the time of planting, when the druids performed rites to favour the growth of crops.
3. August — Lughnasadh, the harvest festival in honour of the sun-god Lugh.
4. 31 October — Samhain, ushering in winter, the season of death and the earth’s rebirth.

During Samhain, druids believed the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped. Samhain, “the Lord of Death”, was thought to return with the spirits of those who had died that year, seeking to inhabit the living. For that reason, household lights were extinguished, great hilltop bonfires were lit, and people wore animal skins to ward off wandering spirits. Bonfires were viewed as a means of divination, revealing portents through smoke and flame.

Over the centuries, the Catholic Church sought to Christianise the date. All Saints’ Day, formerly kept in May, was moved to 1 November by Pope Gregory III in the ninth century, overlaying the old Samhain with All Hallows’ Eve. Later, Pope Gregory IV made the observance universal and, soon after, All Souls’ Day (2 November) was instituted, reinforcing the blending of pagan remembrance of the dead with the Christian commemoration of saints and faithful departed. The strategy was clear: adapt pagan rites within a Christian framework — a pattern seen in Brazil too, where Catholic saints were historically aligned with African deities during the period of slavery.

Elements and symbols of Halloween:

1. DruidsPriests of Celtic tribes in ancient France, England and Ireland, druids served as interpreters of the gods and conducted rites in forests and caves. They worshipped multiple deities and performed sacrifices — including human — in attempts to foresee the future, holding sacred the moon, the oak, the cat and the midnight hour. They were largely suppressed by the Romans, though they remained active in Ireland until the fourth century.
2. Witches and ghostsAncient druids believed that on the night of 31 October witches, fairies and spirits roamed to trouble the living. The idea has endured in popular culture, reflected in costumes and tales of terror.
3. Full moon, cats and batsThe full moon was regarded as the proper time for rites. Cats, considered sacred, were seen as reincarnated human spirits or as a witch’s familiar. Bats, being nocturnal and elusive, became associated with witchcraft and the demonic, especially in the Middle Ages.
4. Jack-o’-lanternsThe custom comes from the Irish legend of Jack, a man condemned to wander with a live coal inside a hollowed turnip. In the United States, the turnip was replaced by the more abundant, easier-to-carve pumpkin. The grimacing face symbolised a condemned soul and became Halloween’s emblem.
5. “Trick or treat”In Celtic tradition, food left at the door was thought to placate spirits. Over time, beggars would ask for food in exchange for prayers for the dead — the root of modern door-to-door sweet-collecting. There are also accounts of processions led by men who gathered offerings from farmers under threat of ill fortune on their crops — an early form of spiritual blackmail.
6. Masks and costumesMasks were used to confuse or ward off malevolent spirits. In many cultures they also served for spirit-communication or protection against calamity. In modern celebrations they are playful, but their origin is ritual.
7. BonfiresThe English word “bonfire” comes from “bone fire”. Druids burnt animals — and at times people — as sacrifices, believing the smoke revealed omens. Later, during the Inquisition and the Reformation, fires were used to torture and execute those accused of witchcraft.
8. The colours orange and blackOrange represents fire and harvest; black, darkness and death. Together they signify the passage between life and death. In older masses for the dead, beeswax candles with an orange hue and black funeral drapes were common.
9. Witchcraft and persecutionAcross the centuries, thousands were tortured and executed under accusations of witchcraft. The Catholic Inquisition, episodes within the Protestant Reformation, and the Salem trials of 1692 stand as stark examples of collective hysteria. Elderly women, midwives, attractive young women and those with disabilities were all unjustly condemned. In parts of Germany and France, mass executions left some towns without women; by some estimates more than 30,000 people were killed between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Halloween today: beyond its pagan heritage and emphasis on darkness, fear and death, Halloween can be marred by vandalism and poor taste. In the United States, public prayers have been banned in schools, yet Halloween continues openly. Some animal shelters suspend adoptions of black cats in this period, fearing ritual misuse. In Brazil and elsewhere, more people describe themselves as witches and practise occult rites. Is it all a harmless game, or does a deeper spiritual influence linger behind seemingly innocent symbols?

What the Bible teaches: Scripture speaks plainly about occult practices. Numerous passages — Deuteronomy 18:9–14, Isaiah 8:19, Leviticus 19 and 20, Galatians 5:19–21, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 6:12, Revelation 21:8; 22:15 — denounce witchcraft, necromancy and every spiritual practice contrary to the will of G-d. The apostle Paul reminds us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world” (Eph 6:12).

Is there anything wrong with taking part in an apparently innocent celebration of costumes and sweets? Halloween may seem like pure fun, yet it carries centuries of spiritual symbolism bound up with death, witchcraft and the cult of the dead. It falls to each of us to discern what we celebrate, and what we are feeding in our culture and in our own spirit. Every symbol bears a meaning, and every meaning serves a purpose.

Draw your own conclusions.

Adivalter Sfalsin

Bibliography

BURNS, E. M. Western Civilisations, Their History and Their Culture. W. W. Norton & Co. Inc., New York, 1968.

ANKERBERG, J.; WELDON, J. The Facts on Halloween: What Christians Need to Know. Harvest House, Oregon, 1996.

PHILLIPS, P.; ROBIE, J. H. Halloween and Satanism. Starburst, 1987.

HURT, R. The History of Halloween and the Word of G-d. Unpublished manuscript.

MARGADONNA, S. Halloween.