Why Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Avoid Halloween?

Living in the Light: Why Jehovah’s Witnesses Choose a Different Path on Halloween

Isn’t it wonderful how our faith lights up our path? Sometimes, that light leads us in directions that might look a little different from others, especially when it comes to holidays. You might see your neighbors or friends celebrating in a unique way, or maybe not celebrating at all, and wonder why. But let’s approach this with hearts full of understanding and kindness, not judgment. Today, we’re going to explore, with gentle hearts and clear minds, why our Jehovah’s Witnesses, see Halloween through a different lens.

We’ll look into their beliefs, the beautiful reasons rooted in how they understand the Bible and history, and how they choose to live out their faith during this time of year. Our goal isn’t to decide who’s right or wrong simply to build bridges of understanding and respect between us all.

Do Jehovah’s Witnesses celebrate Halloween?

Let’s start with the clearest answer, friends: No, Jehovah’s Witnesses choose not to take part in Halloween celebrations.¹ This is a choice made by their community all around the world, and it’s something they talk about openly in their writings and on their websites.³

This isn’t about trying to miss out on fun! It’s about staying true to what they believe God’s Word teaches and what brings Him joy.³ They feel it’s a way to honor God by stepping away from things they believe don’t line up with biblical principles.³ It’s a thoughtful choice made from the heart, a decision reached after looking to the Bible to see if a holiday aligns with their faith.³ You can even hear it in personal stories, like from a young 14-year-old Witness named Michael. He shared that it’s not just following a rule; it’s a personal belief based on understanding where Halloween came from and what it represents.⁶ He actually felt proud to be a little different and stand strong in his beliefs, seeing the Halloween season as a chance to think about why he makes the choices he does.⁶ Even lighthearted chats online often mention that this is a well-known part of their faith practice.⁷

That consistent “No” you find everywhere in their official information really shows how important this is to them.¹ It’s not by chance; it shows how they consistently apply their understanding of the Bible and history to the world around them. Choosing not to join in Halloween, and other holidays they feel are similar, is a serious matter for them, tied to their deep desire for pure worship and staying loyal to Jehovah God.²

Why don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses celebrate Halloween? What are their main concerns?

You see, their decision not to celebrate Halloween flows from two main streams of thought, like two rivers joining to make one strong current. They often talk about these concerns in their explanations.¹

Ancient Pagan Roots

Jehovah’s Witnesses look back over 2,000 years and see Halloween’s beginnings in an old Celtic pagan festival called Samhain.¹ They understand this festival, held around October 31st, was about honoring the dead and believing that spirits could walk among the living.¹ They feel these ancient ideas just don’t fit with what the Bible teaches.¹ They point to specific Halloween traditions as having these non-Christian origins: wearing costumes (which some historians think started with Celts trying to trick spirits into thinking they were spirits too) and trick-or-treating (which some link to old Celtic offerings to calm spirits or later medieval customs like “souling”).¹ Some Witness writings even mention that Samhain involved honoring a figure called the “Lord of Darkness”.¹â°

Connection to Spiritism and the Occult

Another big concern is how strongly Halloween symbols and themes—like ghosts, vampires, witches, and zombies—are linked to the spirit world, especially demons and the occult.¹ They see these figures as “supernatural monsters” tied closely to death and the world of evil spirits.¹ Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that joining in activities that feature these things, even if it’s just meant as harmless fun, is like getting involved with or approving practices the Bible warns against, such as trying to talk to ghosts, practicing sorcery, or divination.¹ They feel it’s like taking part in “unfruitful works that belong to the darkness”.¹²

These two concerns—the pagan beginnings and the occult connections—are really woven together in how Witnesses see it. Their official writings often say that the “ancient origins and traditions of Halloween conflict with Bible teachings” 1 and that the holiday is “integrally related to the prospect of contact with spiritual forces, many of which threaten or frighten”.⁸ They emphasize that even if many people today just see Halloween as innocent fun, the traditions are based on “false beliefs about the dead and invisible spirits, or demons”.¹

A really key idea here is how much importance they place on where a custom came from. From the Jehovah’s Witness perspective, if something started in pagan worship or beliefs that don’t match the Bible, it stays spiritually unclean and isn’t right for true worship, no matter how much its meaning might have changed over time or how people see it today.¹ Trying to make such practices seem non-religious or “Christian” isn’t enough to break that original connection.¹⁴ This principle is like a main filter they use when looking at any holiday or celebration.³

Also, the connection they draw between Halloween and demons is very direct.¹ This makes it more than just avoiding non-Christian history; it becomes about avoiding what they see as real spiritual danger. Pointing to scriptures like 1 Corinthians 10:20-21, they argue that participating could make someone a “sharer with demons”.¹ This frames their choice not just as keeping history pure as an act of spiritual protection and essential loyalty to Jehovah God.¹â°

What does the Bible teach that guides their decision about Halloween?

Jehovah’s Witnesses look to specific Bible passages as guiding lights, believing these scriptures show God’s heart on the kinds of practices they connect with Halloween.¹ Their decision isn’t just made up; it’s rooted in how they understand these important texts: These passages often highlight the importance of maintaining a separation from practices deemed pagan or idolatrous. In a king james bible overview, Jehovah’s Witnesses emphasize verses that encourage living a life dedicated to worshiping Jehovah alone, further reinforcing their stance against participating in Halloween festivities. This adherence to scriptural interpretation shapes their community values and lifestyle choices, fostering a distinct identity aligned with their beliefs.

• Warnings Against Spiritism and Contacting the Dead: They often point to Deuteronomy 18:10-12. This passage clearly tells people not to consult ghosts or spirits, or try to call up the dead. Jehovah’s Witnesses apply this warning to Halloween traditions, even the playful or symbolic ones, seeing them as related to these forbidden activities.¹ They believe God doesn’t approve of trying, or even seeming to try, to contact those who have passed away.¹
• The Truth About the Dead: Ecclesiastes 9:5 says, “The dead know nothing at all.” They use this verse to counter the idea that spirits of people who have died can interact with the living.¹ Since they believe the dead are unconscious, any communication or appearance must be coming from somewhere else—specifically, from deceptive spirits or demons. So, Halloween’s origins, tied to beliefs about returning ghosts, are seen as based on something untrue.¹
• Avoiding Association with Demons: 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 is a real cornerstone for them: “I do not want you to become sharers with demons. You cannot drink the cup of Jehovah and the cup of demons too”.¹ They understand participating in Halloween, with its perceived demonic links and pagan history, as potentially making someone a “sharer with demons,” which just doesn’t fit with worshipping God.¹
• Resisting Wicked Spirit Forces: Ephesians 6:11-12 encourages Christians to “stand firm against the crafty acts of the Devil” and reminds them the spiritual battle is “against the wicked spirit forces”.¹ Jehovah’s Witnesses feel that celebrating Halloween isn’t opposing these forces rather pretending to celebrate with them, going against this scriptural direction.¹
• Staying Separate from Unclean Practices: They also draw on broader principles about staying separate from things that are religiously impure, based on verses like 2 Corinthians 6:17 (“‘Get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing'”) and Isaiah 52:11.¹⁴ They apply these to avoid any customs linked to paganism or beliefs they see as false.¹⁴

You’ll find these scriptures directly linked to their stance on Halloween and other holidays they avoid in official Jehovah’s Witness materials.¹ They stress how important it is to be “making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:10) before joining in any celebration.⁵

They tend to apply these scriptures quite literally, focusing on avoiding even the appearance or association with things the Bible forbids. How someone feels about it today is considered less important than the nature and history of the custom itself. This way of understanding explains why even parts of Halloween that seem non-religious to others are still avoided by Witnesses.

Their decision is always framed as an act of loyalty and love for Jehovah God, wanting to please Him and avoid anything that would displease Him.¹ Joining in something they see as unclean or pagan is viewed as a serious compromise, much like when the ancient Israelites worshipped the golden calf, even though they called it “a festival to Jehovah”.⁹ This really highlights the choice as one between being faithful or unfaithful to God.

Is Halloween seen as connected to darkness or evil spirits by Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Oh yes, absolutely. Jehovah’s Witnesses see a very strong, direct link between Halloween and the world of darkness, evil spirits, and demonic influence.¹ This view is right at the heart of why they choose to step aside from the holiday.

Their perspective connects Halloween with several specific things:

• Demonic Association: They often refer to 1 Corinthians 10:20, understanding it to mean that pagan sacrifices were offered “to demons and not to God”.¹ Because of this, they believe that joining in a holiday rooted in such pagan practices could risk becoming “sharers with demons,” which doesn’t align with their devotion to Jehovah.¹ Sometimes, their writings even call Halloween a “demon inspired” holiday.¹â°
• Occultism and Spiritism: The holiday’s common themes and characters—ghosts, witches, vampires, zombies, and the like—aren’t seen as just harmless make-believe but as things that promote interest in the occult and spiritism.¹ These practices are warned against in the Bible (like in Deuteronomy 18:10-12), and the figures themselves are viewed as representing “wicked spirit forces” that Christians should stand against, not celebrate.¹ They see Halloween as connected to “witchcraft” 10 and feel that participating is like getting involved in “unfruitful works of darkness”.¹²
• Glorifying Fear and Death: Jehovah’s Witnesses often feel that Halloween’s whole atmosphere revolves around spookiness, fear, and death.¹³ They see this focus as the opposite of the qualities connected with God and Christian living, like light, love, faith, and life.¹³
• Promoting False Beliefs: They see the holiday as spreading untrue ideas, especially about what happens when people die.¹ Beliefs that spirits of the dead can come back or talk to us go against the Witness understanding of scriptures like Ecclesiastes 9:5 (“the dead know nothing at all”).¹

In Jehovah’s Witness writings, figures like ghosts and witches are described as being “closely connected with death, the dead or the fear of dying” and linked with the “evil spirit world”.¹ They might also point out that groups like Wiccans consider Halloween (or Samhain) a sacred night, which reinforces the idea that it has a non-Christian spiritual nature.⁸

This viewpoint interprets Halloween’s symbols not just as old cultural items or harmless fun as representing real spiritual dangers connected to Satan and demonic forces that are actively opposing God.¹ So, engaging with these symbols, even playfully through costumes or decorations, is seen as spiritually risky. It’s viewed as potentially inviting negative spiritual influence or, at the very least, showing disrespect for God’s warnings against getting involved with spiritism and false worship.

This understanding creates a big difference from how many non-religious people, or even many mainstream Christians, see things. They largely dismiss the idea that modern Halloween symbols carry real spiritual power or meaning. Where many see cultural traditions separate from ancient meanings, Jehovah’s Witnesses see powerful symbols tied to an ongoing spiritual battle. This fundamental difference in understanding the meaning and potential impact of cultural symbols is key to grasping why their stance on Halloween is so firm and distinct. It comes from a worldview where the supernatural, especially the demonic realm, is seen as a very real and active force influencing human culture and practices.

How does this fit with how Jehovah’s Witnesses view other holidays like Christmas or birthdays?

The way Jehovah’s Witnesses approach Halloween isn’t something they do just for this one holiday. It fits into a consistent pattern they use when looking at many popular holidays and celebrations.² They use the very same core principles—checking the origins for links to paganism or false religion, and seeing if it lines up with Bible teachings—to decide if joining in is pleasing to God.³ This leads them to kindly step back from many holidays celebrated widely across the globe.²

Let’s look at a few important examples:

• Christmas: Jehovah’s Witnesses choose not to celebrate Christmas.² Their reasons include:
• Pagan Roots: They believe Christmas traditions and the December 25th date came from ancient pagan winter festivals, like the Roman Saturnalia (which honored Saturn, the god of farming) and celebrations for the birth of the sun-god Mithra or Sol Invictus.⁵
• Unbiblical Date: They point out that the Bible doesn’t actually give Jesus’ birth date, and details like shepherds being out in the fields with their flocks suggest it was likely a warmer time of year than December.⁵
• Focus on Death, Not Birth: They emphasize that Jesus asked his followers to remember his death (which they do through the Memorial, or Lord’s Evening Meal), not his birth.⁵
• Unscriptural Customs: Things like exchanging gifts in the typical Christmas way and stories about Santa Claus are seen as either coming from pagan customs (like gift-giving during Saturnalia) or promoting things that aren’t true.⁵
• Easter: In the same way, Easter is not celebrated by Jehovah’s Witnesses.² Their reasons are based on:
• Pagan Origins: They believe the name “Easter” itself, along with customs like Easter eggs and bunnies, come from ancient pagan fertility traditions and spring festivals honoring gods or goddesses like the Anglo-Saxon Eostre or Ostara.¹²
• Commemorating Death: Just like with Christmas, they stress the Bible’s instruction to remember Jesus’ death. They do this each year on the date that matches Nisan 14 on the Jewish calendar, rather than celebrating his resurrection through Easter traditions.²â¹
• Birthdays: Jehovah’s Witnesses also choose not to celebrate birthdays.² Their reasoning includes:
• Negative Bible Examples: They note that the only two birthday parties mentioned specifically in the Bible were for rulers who didn’t worship Jehovah (Pharaoh in Genesis 40 and Herod Antipas in Mark 6), and both events ended badly (with an execution).⁵ No faithful servant of God is ever shown celebrating a birthday.
• Pagan Custom: They believe the early Christians saw birthday celebrations as a pagan custom.⁵
• Links to Superstition/Astrology: They connect the start of birthday celebrations to pagan beliefs about guardian spirits present at birth and to astrology and horoscopes.⁵
• Focus on Self: They feel birthdays tend to put too much focus on the individual, contrasting this with Ecclesiastes 7:1 (“A good name is better than good oil, and the day of death is better than the day of birth”).²
• Other Holidays: This same careful approach applies to many other holidays too, including national holidays that might involve honoring the country too much, and various cultural or religious festivals like Kwanzaa, Mid-Autumn Festival, Nauruz (Persian New Year), Shab-e Yalda (winter solstice), Thanksgiving, Epiphany, Feast of the Assumption, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Lent, Meskel (an Ethiopian festival), Valentine’s Day, May Day, and Mother’s Day. Each one is looked at based on its origins and practices, and they often step back due to links with paganism, spiritism, beliefs not found in the Bible, nationalism, or giving too much honor to people.³

This table helps show their consistent approach:

This pattern shows they are very consistent in applying the principles they’ve chosen. Whether you agree with how they interpret things or not, the “pagan origin/unscriptural practice” test acts as their main filter, drawing clear lines between what they feel is acceptable worship and what they believe would displease God.

This approach is quite different from how many mainstream Christian groups handle holidays like Christmas and Easter. While often acknowledging historical influences from outside Christianity, these groups frequently talk about the possibility of adapting, “Christianizing,” or redeeming cultural traditions, giving them new meaning within a Christian light.³² The Jehovah’s Witness stance essentially says this isn’t possible for practices they see as deeply rooted in paganism or false beliefs. This highlights a fundamental difference in how they view culture and tradition compared to many other Christians.

What did early Christian leaders (Church Fathers) say about pagan celebrations?

It’s really helpful to understand how the very first Christians navigated the world around them. They lived in the Roman Empire, a place filled with beliefs in many gods, idol worship, and lots of festivals honoring different deities.³â´ When we read the writings of those early Christian leaders, often called the Church Fathers, we see their struggles and thoughts about how to deal with these pagan practices.

Generally, the Church Fathers showed a strong dislike for the core parts of pagan religion, especially worshipping many gods (polytheism) and using idols or statues in worship (idolatry).³â´ They argued that these idols were just lifeless things made by people, not real gods.³â´ Because Christians refused to worship the Roman gods, pagans sometimes called them “atheists”.³â´ St. Justin Martyr, writing in the 2nd century, admitted they were atheists when it came to pagan gods strongly affirmed their belief in the “Most True God.” He clearly stated that Christians didn’t worship the same gods as pagans and didn’t offer sacrifices or drinks to statues.³â´

One very strong voice was Tertullian, who wrote around the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries. He believed Christians should keep a very strict separation from pagan religious practices.³⁶

• Tertullian argued strongly against Christians being schoolteachers. Why? Because he felt the job automatically involved teaching pagan myths (stories about the gods) and required taking part in pagan festivals, like the Quinquatria honoring the goddess Minerva. He saw participating in these festivals, which included carrying symbols of pagan gods and dedicating money to them, as directly getting involved in idolatry and helping “the whole pomp of the devil”.³⁷
• He condemned Christians going to pagan public shows, games, and events, seeing them as full of idolatry and immorality.³⁸
• He specifically expressed sadness about Christians adopting or joining in pagan festivals like Saturnalia (a Roman winter festival often linked to Christmas timing) and New Year celebrations. He saw this as betraying their Christian identity, making them look just like “heathens”.³⁸ His main point was that Christians absolutely had to worship the one true God with all their hearts and avoid any kind of idolatry in every part of life.³⁶
• Tertullian also clearly rejected celebrating birth anniversaries, viewing it as a pagan custom.³â¹

Later on, St. Augustine (writing mostly in the late 4th and early 5th centuries) lived when Christianity was becoming the main religion of the empire. While Augustine definitely rejected pagan beliefs, his writings and the Church’s practices during and after his time sometimes show a slightly different approach to cultural traditions.

• Augustine mentioned, for example, that the Donatists—a Christian group known for being very strict and opposing any compromise with Roman paganism—celebrated Christ’s birth on December 25th. This suggests that, at least for this group, the date itself wasn’t seen as inherently pagan.³â¹
• While Augustine emphasized understanding Christian rituals spiritually rather than just literally (which could help avoid pagan interpretations) 41, history shows that during this period, there was more adapting of existing cultural elements. Pope Gregory I (late 6th century) famously advised missionaries (like Augustine of Canterbury, sent to England) not necessarily to destroy pagan temples but to clean them up and rededicate them for Christian worship. He also suggested replacing pagan festivals with celebrations honoring Christian martyrs or saints.³⁸ This strategy was meant to make the change to Christianity easier by keeping familiar forms but giving them a new meaning.³³

This look back at history shows there was some tension within the early Church about how to engage with pagan culture. It ranged from the very strict separation that people like Tertullian wanted, to a more practical approach of adapting and “inculturating” that became more common over time, especially after Christianity became officially accepted.

The Jehovah’s Witness position lines up very closely with that stricter, separationist view we see in Tertullian. When they point to early Christian practice as their model 5, Tertullian’s writings offer historical backing for their rejection of celebrations with perceived pagan roots. Mainstream Christianity, especially traditions like Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Anglicanism, often reflects the later approach of inculturation, arguing that cultural forms can be “baptized” and filled with new, Christian meaning.³³ Understanding this historical difference in approach helps clarify why different Christian groups reach different conclusions about holidays like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter today. Additionally, Jehovah’s Witnesses maintain that their beliefs are rooted in a strict adherence to biblical texts, which they argue are more authentically represented in their New World Translation origins. This emphasis on scriptural purity further solidifies their resistance to adopting traditions they perceive as incompatible with true worship. Consequently, these theological foundations contribute to their distinctive stance on various holidays, setting them apart from the broader Christian community.

What positive things do Jehovah’s Witness families do instead of celebrating Halloween?

It’s so important to see that for Jehovah’s Witnesses, choosing not to celebrate Halloween or other popular holidays doesn’t leave an empty space in their lives. Instead, they focus on filling their lives with positive, faith-centered activities all year round.⁵ They believe in showing love, being generous, and enjoying good, clean fun consistently, rather than tying these wonderful things to specific holidays they feel are not right for them.²

A really central part of their family life is the special Family Worship evening they set aside each week.⁵¹ This became a regular practice when their meeting schedule was adjusted to make sure families had an evening free just for this.⁵² Families are encouraged to make this time fit their own needs and make it enjoyable and engaging—it doesn’t have to be like a formal meeting.⁵² Some wonderful things they might do during Family Worship include:

• Reading and talking about parts of the Bible together, maybe focusing on the readings for that week.⁵²
• Studying materials published by Jehovah’s Witnesses, like their magazines (The Watchtower or Awake!), books (like Questions Young People Ask), or online articles.⁵²
• Watching and discussing encouraging videos produced by their organization, which they can find on JW Broadcasting®.⁵²
• Singing spiritual songs together, which they call Kingdom songs.⁵¹
• Doing creative projects together, like acting out Bible stories, drawing pictures about Bible accounts, building models (like Noah’s ark or Solomon’s temple), or creating fun Bible-based games.⁵²
• Practicing how they will share their faith in their ministry work or talking about future spiritual goals.⁵²
• Using tools like the JW Language® app to learn phrases for sharing their message with people who speak different languages.⁵⁵

Beyond that special Family Worship evening, Jehovah’s Witnesses really value wholesome recreation and creative play for children.⁵⁶ They encourage activities that spark curiosity, imagination, and help kids develop skills, like drawing, building things, playing make-believe, singing, or exploring nature. They often suggest being mindful about too much screen time, preferring activities that help kids grow physically, mentally, and socially.⁵⁶ Their website even offers lots of activity sheets, coloring pages, puzzles, and projects for kids, often connected to Bible stories or good values.⁵⁴

Community and fellowship within their congregations are also very important to them.⁹ While they don’t have holiday parties, they cherish spending time together as families and with fellow Witnesses, enjoying good company and encouraging each other. Their larger gatherings, like conventions, often highlight being welcoming and hospitable.⁹

A lot of their time and energy goes into their public ministry, which they see as a main way to show their faith and love for God and their neighbors.⁵⁴

Finally, they emphasize that generosity and fun aren’t just for holidays. They enjoy giving gifts and having wonderful times together whenever they like throughout the year, simply out of love and affection, not because the calendar says so.⁵ Parents might plan special family outings or surprise their children with gifts just because, outside of any holiday season.²

This focus on regular, faith-based activities like Family Worship helps to consistently strengthen Jehovah’s Witness teachings, values, and the bonds within their community. It ensures their specific beliefs are passed down within the family. Plus, guiding free time towards activities and resources approved by their organization helps them maintain their distinct way of life and limits exposure to outside cultural influences that might clash with their beliefs, reinforcing the line they draw between themselves and what they see as “the world.”

Conclusion: Walking in Our Own Light of Faith

So, we’ve taken this journey together to understand why our neighbors, Jehovah’s Witnesses, choose a different path when it comes to Halloween. Their decision comes from a deep place—their understanding of the Bible, especially warnings about pagan practices and spiritism, and their sincere desire to keep their worship pure, untouched by origins they see as non-Christian.¹ This approach is consistent, applying to other holidays like Christmas, Easter, and birthdays too, showing their commitment to principles they believe honor Jehovah God.³

We’ve also seen that our wider Christian family holds many different views on Halloween. Some avoid it completely, some participate carefully, and others try to redeem or reframe it through alternatives like All Saints’ Day events or Harvest Festivals.⁴³ This beautiful diversity shows the different ways sincere Christians try to live out their faith in the world, guided by the Bible, tradition, and their own conscience.

And isn’t that okay? God looks at our hearts, doesn’t He? He honors our genuine efforts to follow Him, even when our understanding leads us down slightly different roads regarding certain cultural practices.⁴⁸ The most important thing is to walk confidently in the light we have, filled with conviction and overflowing with love.