On Oct. 31 children and adults will flood the streets in search of candy and enjoyable times. With roots dating back nearly 2,000 years, Halloween has transitioned to a more secular holiday that is now celebrated nationwide. However, despite the commercialization and contemporary interpretation of Halloween, Christian and sophomore Cameron Watson does not celebrate the holiday due to its conflicts with his faith.

“I was never allowed to celebrate Halloween because my parents believe that it’s a holiday that was created to worship the devil,” Watson said.

According to the History Channel, the term Halloween arises from the phrases “All Hallows’ Eve” or “All Hallows’ Evening.” An ancient pagan festival, it was first celebrated as the festival of Samhain by Celtic people over 2,000 years ago in the regions of northern France, the United Kingdom and Ireland. Believing the dead rose again during this day, the Celts would offer sacrifices and have bonfires to remember the deceased. Halloween, however, was also originally meant to simply mark the transition from the fall to the winter.

“I completely support (my parents’) reasoning,” Watson said. “Being a holiday involving devil worship, (Halloween is something) I wouldn’t want to celebrate, and I understand why my parents wouldn’t want me or my sisters to celebrate it.”

Altaf Hussain, a teacher of senior religion classes at mosque Al-Fajr Masjid and Muslim, said he agrees with Watson’s reasoning because an individual should follow their interpretation of morals delineated by their religion.

“Religion is a set of principles that one chooses to live by and if there are conflicts with those principles, you avoid them.  For the most part, there is nothing that prevents me from celebrating holidays and it depends on how you celebrate these holidays as people celebrate it in different ways,” Hussain said. “If the celebration of these holidays violates our principles of faith, then I avoid them. Religion is like our constitution. It makes us free, as it helps us focus on the larger things in life and it restricts us in other things. It is a framework of behavior, and therefore intrinsically has to provide freedom and constraints. You have to behave well with others, take care of your neighbors and not just worry about yourself, so in this sense it restricts us from focusing solely on oneself.”

ASSOCIATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
CNN reports the practice of going from house to house in order to collect treats was not introduced until later on in Ireland and the United Kingdom when people went “souling,” a practice in which individuals would exchange a prayer for a “soul cake,” which was a small bread. Watson’s family no longer participates in handing out candy to trick-or-treaters.

“Ever since I can remember, my family has gone out to eat every year on Halloween. We usually try to leave early so we’re not bothered by trick-or-treaters,” Watson said. “We used to hand out candy, but my dad made us stop when I was around five or six.”

According to Discovery News, some Christians do not celebrate Halloween because of its connection to paganism and magic as the Bible states in Exodus 22:18 “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” Christian and freshman Lauren Latham, while allowed to celebrate Halloween, is imposed with other restrictions due to the negative connotations of witchcraft in her household.

“As a child I wasn’t allowed to watch Harry Potter movies. That was because of my parents … My mom doesn’t like witchcraft … so that’s why I wasn’t allowed to,” Latham said. “It could be because of a religious reason because often times witches in that subject are associated with the devil.”

RESTRICTIONS OF FAITH
Some countries do not allow for the celebration of Halloween at all due to its history. NPR reports Malaysia banned a plethora of activities seen as inconsistent with Islam through fatwas, which are guidelines of the religion, and the enforcement of the Islamic nation’s Sharia laws. Decrees banned black metal music, yoga due to its Hindu origin, Wagyu beef as the cows are given beer before they are butchered, Valentine’s Day and Halloween due to its pagan and Christian relations.
Hussain said fatwas are explained as, “a legal opinion based on Islamic jurisprudence.”
However, Latham said interpretations and enforcement of religion depend on the extent an individual applies religion and how large of a role it plays in his/her life.

“Parents and children disagree about a lot of things, like my parents, because of our religion think some things are right, and I agree with them. My parents, because of our religion also think some things are wrong, while I think they’re right,” Latham said. “It’s a matter of opinion because there are certain moral standards that Christians hold, but it depends on how liberal you are because religion is also a personal moral standard.”

Despite some of the rules of her faith, Latham said she does not see these restrictions as limitations on who she is or hopes to become. Latham said this is especially the case because the society around her upholds many of the same codes of principles as her religions so she is not confined by her conduct or singled out.
“(Christianity) let’s us do anything that is morally right. We do have some standards, like about modesty, but it’s more of a family thing, and it depends on the church you go to,” Latham said.

DIFFERENCES IN INTERPRETATION
Currently, the majority of the U.S. celebrates Halloween with two-thirds of Americans purchasing a costume, according to the National Retail Federation. It also reported an estimated 7.4 billion dollars was spent on the holiday in 2014.  However, Hussain said people should not falter on their convictions due to what the masses believe because different individuals practice religion in contrasting ways.

“Just as there are variances in how people look physically different, there are variances in intellect, culture, and context. This is a phenomenon common to all religions,” Hussain said. “Some people take the word literally, and some people take it allegorically, while others take them as stories.  For me, what appeals to me is the  broad general principles – derived from the religious texts, taking into consideration the context of their revelation, and then applying these principles to our life today. It has to make sense to you.”
Watson said he affirms that the difference between right and wrong often depends on the individual’s perception of faith, but holy texts are meant to guide toward an understanding of ethos.

“I can’t really say whether there is or isn’t a perfect interpretation of a religion. Everyone has their own beliefs,” said Watson.

GROWING UP WITH FAITH
According to a Guardian article published in 2008, “One in four children are bullied because of their faith,” even though 60% of young people understand the religious views of those around them and 55.9% associate with individuals of other faiths. However, even though Watson does not celebrate Halloween, he said he no longer feels isolated due to his lack of participation and is not menaced over his religious views.

“When I was younger I always felt left out during Halloween but I stopped caring at about the same time I started middle school,” Watson said.

Hussain said he agrees that as individuals age, bullying over spiritual principles is not an issue that religious people must often have to face.

“As an adult, I don’t feel left out because I voluntarily believe in these principles,” Hussain said. “As a child I can understand if some children feel left out because of their perception that they can’t do the same things that others do, but this is the hallmark of diversity and a diverse society.”

STRENGTH IN FAITH
According to a PEW Research Center study published in 2013, those who identify as religious are more likely to report being happier than those who are not as religious.

“Muslims believe in a direct relationship with God and believe in an omnipotent God. This gives strength to live by your principles and in times of stress and crisis as you derive strength from the direct relationship with God,” Hussain said. “The material benefits are a peaceful co-existence with all of God’s creatures.”

Just as Hussain said his Islamic faith molds who he is and how he acts, Watson said Christianity influences him to be a better person. Additionally, despite the possible constraints of Christianity, Watson said his belief in a spiritual divinity causes him to feel freer.

“My religion makes me feel free and a little restricted because I’m free to make any decisions I want but there are always  consequences in the end,” Watson said. “Christianity affects my life by giving me a purpose. It pushes me to strive to be the best person I can be.”

Latham agrees with Watson’s perspective on religion and said while her faith keeps her  from participating in certain activities, her strength in her belief system distinguishes her from the masses and elicits from within her an emotion of pride.

Latham said, “It makes me feel that I don’t have to be good enough for anyone but God, that He’s the only one I have to work for every day. I don’t have to impress other people or try to be the best at anything because no matter what, He loves me, and I’m good enough for him.”