Should Christians participate in a holiday that has its roots in pagan traditions? Whether it’s Halloween or some of the pagan elements in the Americanized versions of Christmas and Easter, this is a issue that many Christians struggle with.

Some take the approach of receiving them. They see no problem in dressing up like ghouls and goblins, putting up Christmas trees or hunting Easter eggs, although all of those traditions are pagan (non-biblical) in nature. It’s harmless, no animal sacrifices are being made to idols, and for them it doesn’t distract them from their worship of Jesus.

Some Christians struggle with their conscience over the celebration of the pagan elements of these holidays and therefore take the approach of rejecting them. They can’t in good faith participate in activities that are pagan in origin as it violates their worship of God above all.

The fun part comes in when you get these two groups of Christians together. The rejecting group starts to judge, and the receiving group tells the rejecting group to stop being so judgmental. So where’s the answer? As with all truth, we can turn to Scripture for guidance. In the first century there were a number of issues that plagued Greeks and Romans turning to Jesus, and they struggled with how many of their pagan traditions to give up and how many were harmless. From eating food sacrificed to idols to the celebration of special days, these early Christians were all over the board. Some trumpeted the freedom and grace in Jesus to continue participating in pagan traditions while others stressed the holiness of God and called for a separation from all worldly things. Here was Paul’s teaching on the matter:

1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall.

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Romans 14:1-4, 13, 19

Basically, Paul saw both sides of the debate and refused to land in either camp. He encouraged believers to do everything they could to keep others from stumbling but prohibited judgment being cast from one Christian to another. God is our judge, and we are accountable to Him.

So, should a Christian celebrate Halloween? That’s between you and God. Do everything you can to keep from causing someone else to stumble, and don’t judge someone who lands differently on this issue than you.