Despite the Roman Catholic Church’s semi-official endorsement of the holiday (even the head exorcist in the Vatican, Father Gabriele Amorth has said that Halloween is okay and that if children “like to dress up as witches and devils on one night of the year that is not a problem.”) some Christian traditions are decided against the celebration of the modern incarnation of Samhain. One of Jerry Falwell’s more famous 700 Club rants has to do with Halloween:
“I think we ought to close Halloween down. Do you want your children to dress up as witches? The Druids used to dress up like this when they were doing human sacrifice…. [Your children] are acting out Satanic rituals and participating in it, and don’t even realize it.”
Many conservative Protestant denominations hold alternative holiday revelries, like a Harvest Day or a Noah’s Ark Party. Mainstream Islam has little love for the holiday as well, as it is seen as a pagan celebration and therefore part and parcel of western idolatry. Judaism also tends to cast a negative light on the Halloween holiday. Both of these religions are generally against including themselves in the celebrations of outsiders.
Whether or not an argument can be made about the inherent incompatibility of the big three monotheistic traditions in the west with the concept of Halloween, it is clear that the holiday has become increasingly secular in the United Kingdom and the United States. Whether or not people recognize the history of this particularly ancient holiday, it is clear that Halloween is here to stay.
