But just as He who called you is Holy, so be Holy in ALL you do: for it is written: ‘Be Holy, because I am Holy.'” – Peter 1:15-16

This verse emphasizes the importance of living a life that reflects God’s holiness

Firstly, I shouldn’t need to remind all that we are children of Light and Life, not Darkness and Death and we have to be very careful with where we put our conscious focus and with what we associate as everything we behold we become more like (“by beholding we become changed) and thus we should protect our minds and the minds of our children from anything that is not of God and Light of His Love!

The word “Halloween” comes from “All Hallows’ Eve,” which refers to the evening before the Roman Catholic All Saints’ Day, celebrating the dead “saints” on November 1, which is not Biblical.  The term “hallow” refers to something holy or sacred, while “e’en” is a contraction of “evening,” making Halloween essentially “the evening of all holy ones” even though there is nothing holy about it.  Overall, Halloween retains its roots in honoring the dead and in the predominantly Catholic Spanish speaking countries they do not even try to hide it, calling it “Dia de Muertos” meaning “day of the dead” a holiday that not only remembers the dead but also for many is a time to invite the dead to return to the land of the living.

What does the Bible say about the dead?

The Torah cautions against any form of communication with the dead or attempts to summon them. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 warns against practices such as divination, sorcery, and consulting with the dead, stating,

“There shall not be found among you anyone who…. inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.”

Solomon also addressed the topic of the dead in several passages. One key verse is found in Ecclesiastes 9:5, which states,

“For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten.”

The Pagan Origins of Halloween: From Babylon to Today’s Shadows

Every year, millions of people dress up in costumes, carve pumpkins, and roam the streets on October 31st in the name of “fun.” Yet behind the candy, parties, and playful disguises, Halloween carries an ancient and dark legacy. Its roots reach back to Babylonian religion and the cults of death, blending the shadows of Baal worship with modern entertainment. As people of the Most High, we must carefully weigh whether participating in this celebration glorifies light or darkness, truth or deception.

Babylon: The Fountainhead of Pagan Customs

Scripture portrays ancient Babylon not only as a political power but as a spiritual harlot that spread false religion to the nations (Genesis 11, Revelation 17–18). From the Tower of Babel onward, Babylon became the origin of man-made worship, idolatry, and the glorification of death rather than life.

Baal, a key figure in Mesopotamian and later Canaanite worship, was often honored through festivals involving fire, sacrifice, and ritualistic revelry. These ceremonies glorified the underworld and its powers rather than the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Babylon’s priests wove together customs that celebrated the cycles of death and darkness, and these customs filtered into nearly every pagan nation.

The Festival of the Dead

Long before Halloween was called “Halloween,” cultures celebrated death festivals. The Babylonians marked the end of harvest with rituals for their underworld gods, summoning spirits and offering sacrifices. Centuries later, the Druids in Celtic lands developed Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”), a night when the boundary between the living and dead was believed to blur. Fires were lit to ward off spirits, sacrifices were made, and disguises were worn to escape malevolent forces.

When Rome conquered Celtic lands, they blended these dark practices with their own festivals, such as Feralia (honoring the spirits of the dead) and Pomona (goddess of fruits). Eventually, as Christianity spread through Europe, the Roman Church attempted to “baptize” these festivals by renaming them “All Saints’ Day” and “All Hallows’ Eve.” Yet the core remained: rituals rooted in death, fear, and appeasement of spirits.

Darkness Dressed as Fun

Today, Halloween masks its history behind costumes, candy, and decorations. But the underlying themes have not changed:

• Glorification of Death: Skulls, skeletons, gravestones, and ghosts dominate the imagery.
• Celebration of Darkness: Haunted houses, witches, and occult symbols flood the culture during this season.
• Demonic Indoctrination of children: subtly promotes children imulate witches and witchcraft and communications with demonic spirits
• Blending Sacred and Profane: Even within faith communities, children are often encouraged to participate in “trunk-or-treats” or Halloween alternatives, unintentionally desensitizing them to the symbols of death and sorcery.

What the enemy once demanded through fear, he now disguises as entertainment. Baal’s shadows creep into homes through seemingly harmless traditions.

Torah’s Warning Against Pagan Practices

The Torah is clear: we are not to imitate the customs of the nations or learn their ways of worship (Deuteronomy 12:29–31, Jeremiah 10:2). Israel was warned repeatedly not to follow Baal or the fertility cults that mixed darkness with pleasure. Instead, we are called to walk in holiness, to be a light to the nations, and to teach our children to discern between clean and unclean, truth and counterfeit.

Halloween, at its core, symbolizes evil, darkness, and death—the very opposite of the Torah’s call to life, light, and holiness. Participating in these customs blurs the lines for our children and opens the door to compromise.

Teaching Our Children Light Instead of Darkness

Instead of dressing our children in costumes and teaching them to laugh at death, we should clothe them with the Word of God and teach them the joy of His appointed times (Leviticus 23). The Feasts of the Lord are filled with celebration, meaning, and life—they shine the light of Messiah, who conquered death and darkness.

“For what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

By rejecting Halloween and its Babylonian shadows, we affirm our loyalty to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We show our children that true joy is not found in vain worldly customs but in the eternal light of Torah and Messiah.

Conclusion

Halloween may look like harmless fun, but its roots are steeped in Babylonian religion, Baal worship, and the glorification of death. It is a counterfeit feast that seeks to replace the holy convocations of the Lord with celebrations of shadows. As parents and teachers, we must resist blending darkness with light. Instead, let us train up our children in the way of truth, filling their hearts with the joy of God’s Torah and His festivals of life.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be anything worthy of praise, think on these things.” – Philippians 4:8 

---

We hope this understanding has blessed you and that you will recognize yourself as a part of God’s called out people!

Write us and let us know what you think!  We hope this Torah and Haftarah teaching blesses you in your spiritual understanding and growth! 

Also if you have a need for prayer, please write us and let us know how to pray for you and we feel privileged to be intercessors in prayer for all our worldwide family! 

As we are solely supported by your love offerings, please consider supporting this ministry for the continued spread of Truth by donating to http://paypal.me/calledoutbelievers 

Thank you!

Don’t forget to…
– GO to our YouTube channel and…
– LIKE the videos
– SUBSCRIBE to our channel
– SHARE our YouTube channel
– FOLLOW us on Instagram
– FIND us on Facebook, as well as…
– RETWEET our TWEETS on Twitter, and
– POST this website: http://www.calledoutbelievers.org wherever you can to help us spread the Truth!

Study by Rabbi Isaac. © Assembly of Called-Out Believers.
Website: CalledOutBelievers.org. Use by Permission