Understanding Halloween and American Christianity through the Eys of an Immigrant

I will also present my observations from the viewpoint of an immigrant to the United States since 1999. I believe the legal process and financial cost of visa, permanent residence and citizenship offers a different perspective to the nature of community as someone who chose to live in the United States, unlike someone who was born here without choice. I mention this for perspective, not for religious rites, privilege or advantage. My hope in this paper is a balance of observation, personal conviction and humility. I shall offer the observations of authors who have written extensively about Christianity from a non-partisan approach without diluting their own personal convictions. At the same time I will be quick to point out, and qualify, the goal of this paper is to stimulate thought, prayer and personal reflection in the reader.

INTRODUCTION

Before any attempt is made in understanding Halloween and Christianity in the United States it is vital to point out that there exists within the community of faith a strong sense of judgment. It has been observed that “being judgmental is intricately connected to our image as Christians” (Kinnaman, Lyons 2007, 183). Without a doubt, God does, an ultimately will, judge people. David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons point out that we have error in our own judgments in three ways. First, we deliver a wrong verdict as “God’s judgments about people are perfect; ours are not” (2007, 187). Second, even if we deliver a correct verdict, our timing is off having the “right idea about God’s views, but we describe that verdict in the wrong context or at the wrong time” (2007, 188). Third, the verdict, again, could be right but we “give it the wrong motivation…we should be motivated by love” (2007, 188). One solution to the Christian’s judgment of people is to “show grace by finding the good in others and seeing their potential to be Christ followers” (2007, 181). It is in this light that I will now attempt to share an understanding of Halloween and Christianity as an immigrant to the United States.

METHODOLOGY

            I shall look briefly at the history of Halloween to gain an understanding of its origin. To do so, I will refer to Jack Santino’s body of work. I shall then look at culture and Christianity hoping to gain an insight into what any given culture looks like. I shall examine Geert Hofstedes work on cultures and organization. Heresy and syncretism will be explained in the light of a Christian family celebrating Halloween. I shall refer to Paul Hiebert, Daniel Shaw and Tite Tienou in their work on folk religion. Using the same reference I shall present a natural and supernatural view. A theological response to this method will be reported looking for hermeneutical principles concluding with personal convictions.

QUICK HISTORY

“Halloween had its beginnings in an ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of the dead” (Santino, 1982, Library of Congress). These Celtic people were pastoral tending their flocks and cattle marking the beginning and end of a season by November 1st called Samhain (pronounced Sah-ween). It was also recognized as the greatest celebration throughout the calendar year when the dead journeyed into the next life. Therefore, the cultural belief acknowledged that the dead would be more present on the night before (October 31st) than any other time in the year. The attempts to convert ancient Celtic people by St. Patrick and St. Columcille also impacted Samhain. It is vital to note that prior to these missionaries converting Celtic people druids, scholars, poets and scientist were the religious fraternity and influence.

In 601 AD Pope Gregory I issued a decree that missionaries should not attempt to eradicate Celtic beliefs but incorporate them. For instance, “if a group of people worshipped a tree, rather than cut it down, he advised them to consecrate it to Christ and allow its continued worship” (1982, Library of Congress). In this way, pagan holidays throughout the calendar year were incorporated into the Christian calendar. It is of vital importance that the reader of this paper remembers this “layered” principle of historic Christianity. Pagan holidays were matched by Christian holy days, but Samhain was decidedly pagan, unlike Christmas and Easter celebrating the birth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. A resolution was to celebrate “All Saints” on the same day as Samhain. In some ways, this was also a celebration of the dead. A later practice was called “All Souls Day” in hope to replace the Celtic practice. Here we have the progression of Samhain, All Saints (also known as All Hallows Eve), to Halloween. Both Christians and Celtics recognized that on November 1st winter would start, but the night before on October 31st was an evening of the dead making their journey into eternity (Pagan) or celebrating the dead (Christian).

“The wearing of costumes, for instance, and roaming from door to door demanding treats can be traced to the Celtic period and the first few centuries of the Christian era, when it was thought that the souls of the dead were out and around, along with fairies, witches, and demons” (1982, Library of Congress). Today, children roam their neighborhoods in costume asking for treats while adult parties emphasize a more sensual display in costume and practice. It must further be noted that throughout the calendar year most Christian celebrations find a strong connection to paganism in traditions and customs, not necessarily in emphasis. Halloween, on the other hand, stands out as a something Christianity has attempted to eradicate without success.

CULTURE AND CHRISTIANITY

Geert and Gert Hofstede developed a simple illustration to help understand how culture and practice work (Hofstede, Hfofstede 2005, 7). Starting from the outside layer “symbols” are the words we use, gestures or objects in our everyday life. This layer is on the outside as it can change and adapt quickly. For instance, an individual can relocate to a different State and adapt quickly. I have done this three times. The next layer labeled “heroes” are people who have characteristics we highly admire as role models. These people can be real or imaginary, dead or alive. For instance, Batman or the President of the United States can be a hero. “Rituals” are the collective activities people consider important. They do not have to be productive or reach a certain end. They are carried out for their own sake. For instance, the way people greet each other or hold a business or church meeting all have rituals. All three layers; symbols, heroes and rituals come under the banner of “practices” as they are visible to any observer.

The cultural meaning to how we practice life together is hidden at the core Hofstede calls “values” that rarely change. If they do, it is a slow process. It is here that we see Pope Gregory’s attempt would not work. The Celtic people had strong core values. These values dealt with powerful feelings with a plus and minus to each one. For instance, the feeling of evil verses good, dangerous verses safe, moral verses immoral or irrational verses rational to name a few. Every culture has a core resembling this principle.

This layered onion effect can be applied in understanding an individual on a national, regional, ethnical, religious, gender, generational, social and educational level. It is not unfamiliar that “religious values may conflict with generation values or gender values or with organizational practices” (2005, 11). In this way we can appreciate that an individual may be sincerely devoted to their Christian faith in “practice” (symbols, heroes and rituals) but the greater “value” is placed on their children not being left out when most of the neighborhood is out having fun in costume trick or treating.

It is absolutely vital to understand, then, that “change can be fast for the outer layers [symbols, heroes and rituals]…slow for the core labeled values” (2005, 12-13). A national example of this is the Roman Empire and the values it represented over many years in ancient Europe. Reformation changed the national, regional, ethnical, religious, gender, generational, social and educational values. But history shows that “Reformation only succeeded in countries without a Roman tradition” (2005, 17). Hofstede continues to say that “if we trace the history of countries, what religion a population has embraced and which version of that religion, seem to have been a result of previously existing cultural value patterns as much as, or more than, a cause of cultural differences” (2005, 17).

If Hofstede is correct then then the Founding Fathers of the United States played a remarkable part in why America is seen as Christian, but not necessarily the same “Christian” as the rest of the world. He could also be correct in saying that it has been over two centuries since the Declaration of Independence allowing time and space to greatly change national core values. In other words, the core values are not the same as the day of our Founding Fathers.

A local example would be a post-WWII community in the United States refusing to practice Halloween because of core values, but more familiar today in the twenty-first century. Time and space may have changed the strong core values of the average church-attending family.

HERESY AND SYNCRETISM

Looking at the practice of Halloween by Christianity today, it has been said that it has “less to do with heresy than with syncretism – the mixing of different beliefs and practices in ways that distort the truth and power of the gospel” (Hiebert, Shaw, Tienou 1999, 13). I would take the reader back to the ancient Celtics to see how Christianity layered itself over former pagan practices without intentionally building on them. The root cause for this practice of syncretism today could be the “doctrine that there is nothing in the non-Christian culture on which the Christian can build and, therefore, every aspect of the traditional non-Christian culture had to be destroyed before Christianity could be built up” (1999, 19).

It appears that the proponents of Christianity may have had the right verdict, as Kinnamen and Lyons state, but the wrong motive. Apparently, the culture of any people group matters, and that culture is driven by core values that change over time and space. The history of evangelism in the United States from the days of our Founding Fathers may have attempted to eradicate the culture of people groups and replace it with Christianity but this “uneasy coexistence of public Christianity and private “paganism” led to syncretism” (1999, 19). It must be further stated that “wholesale rejection of old beliefs and customs, however, create several serious theological problems” (1999, 20). This can possibly lead to a split-level Christianity where cultural values are a deeper motive. We see this in the Biblical text concerning a sorcerer called Simon. The Bible tells us that “Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere” (Bible, Acts 8:13). It appears that this man was converted to Christianity but we later read that he was rebuked because by St. Peter “your heart is not right before God” (8:21). This is an example of split-level Christianity layered on top of pagan practice.

NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL

Christianity has been traditionally seen as belief in someone [God] that cannot be seen. In other words, it is supernatural. The problem in the United States may be a dualistic belief of natural and supernatural, or ethnocentric belief. In other words it is “a dualism that does not exist in most cultures” (1999, 35). A casual reader of the Bible would see that a spiritual world and a natural world are not two entities but exist at the same time, and not just at the same time, but with each other. The Bible itself states that “by him [Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him” (Bible, Colossians 1:16). Dualism does not fit the Biblical text as “Scripture does not divide reality into supernatural and natural realms” (1999, 35). Reality is defined as natural and supernatural together.

This Biblical truth is not seen in practice when the Christian celebrates Halloween. If anything, it endorses a dualistic belief of two separate worlds and a split-level Christianity. Alexis de Tocqueville said “the American ministers of the Gospel do not attempt to draw or to fix all the thoughts of man upon the life to come; they are willing to surrender a portion of his heart to the present” (de Tocqueville 1956, 155). Although this quote appears to be attributed to a post-WWII era, the actual quote came from 1835 and can be applied to the Christian, not just the minister. It may be an issue for what the Bible calls the “priesthood of believers.”

THEOLOGICAL RESPONSE

If natural and supernatural cannot be separated, can the Christian and the minister of Christianity be separated? This sheds light on practicing Halloween as a Christian. “The priesthood of all believers is good theology, but in practice does it not open doors to all kinds of heresy? In the end, the priesthood is often limited to missionaries, theologians, and other church leaders” (1999, 384). This implies several things; (1) a lack of depth in relationship with each other. Although the Biblical text points to the church to say ‘look, this is community’, in reality, church can be a place of paranoid people living a split-level Christian life; (2) a lack of depth in teaching by degrees – which can only follow the first in relationship. The Bible cannot possibly be bar codes of information or tips and techniques for life but God revealing Himself in community; (3) self-serving leadership that does not make room for process that includes questioning both positively and negatively. Again, this points to relationship.

MISSOLOGICAL RESPONSE

Without a doubt, God is a God of culture as He has chosen to reveal Himself in particular contexts of history, culture and people. Therefore, Christianity is a hermeneutical community where God speaks to us through our symbols, heroes, and rituals as we practice them. To bring change into the core of culture cannot possibly be dualism but recognizing that Biblical interpretation is being “willing to listen and learn rather than with dogmatic self-assurance” (1999, 383). In other words, I know God more than I did two years ago but I will know him more two years from now as life changes for me. Our theology is an understanding of Scripture, not Scripture itself. History is filled with scholars who had a strong understanding of Scripture, but only the text itself, not necessarily knowing who God is personally.

PERSONAL CONVICTIONS

I don’t like Halloween. It has absolutely no Christian element to it from origin to current practice. It never has done or ever will do. But I do see my neighbors going to church on Sunday around the symbols of an empty cross, empty tomb, Holy Communion and water baptism. At the same time, some of those same families have gravestones, skeletons and ghosts in the front yard as additional symbolism. My personal convictions lead me to conclude that there is an ever-increasing split-level in how we practice Christianity is the United States.

The measure of response has nothing to do with how my neighbors conduct themselves, but how I do. Is it with love? Am I seeking genuine relationship? Do I desire community where God can reveal Himself (not just in a Sunday gathering)? Yes.

Right now, my doorbell is ringing, so candy in hand I am out to be missional tonight. By the way, I don’t give out candy I make the kids in my neighborhood play games for it. No win no candy. After all, it cost me a great deal to live in the United States.

REFERENCES

Hiebert, Paul G.; Shaw Daniel R.; Tienou, Tite; Understanding Folk Religion: A Christian Response to Popular Beliefs and Practices, (1999), Baker Books, Grand Rapids.

Hofstede, Geert; Hofstede, Gert Jan; Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind Intercultural Cooperation and its Importance for Survival, (2005) McGraw-Hill,

Kinnaman, David; Lyons, Gabe, Un-Christian: What a New Genration Really Thinks About Christianity…and Why it Matters, (2007) Baker Books, Grand Rapids.

Santino, Jake; The American Folk Life Center, (1982) Accessed online October 31st 2012,