The Ungodly Business of Halloween in the Witch City

I grew up and still live fairly close to Salem, Massachusetts—which most Americans know as the site of the infamous witch trials and hangings.

Several years ago I went there for Halloween night and it was crazy—also a bit scary and "dark." Being someone that likes to go to a party and has allowed my kids to dress up and go trick-or-treating, I am not averse to some of the traditions and antics of Halloween, also known as "All Hallows Eve."  That said, it is unmistakable that Halloween in general—and certainly Halloween in Salem—is anti-Christian at its base level.

But, Halloween is BIG business in Salem, and it seems like each year the crowds get bigger and bigger. In a city of 43,000 people, typically close to 250,000 "extra" people will make the pilgrimage to the Witch City on Halloween. What is drawing all these folks to travel to Salem from around the country, and around the globe? Are they all just looking for a cool party?

Wiccan, pagan, and satanic cults and groups are a large part of Salem's Halloween endeavors; there is no argument with that. In recent years, during Halloween in the small city, there has been a group of witches that put on the "Festival of the Dead," which looks into summoning and interacting with souls and spirits of the dead. It is very clear that this is strongly rejected in the Bible.

A couple of years ago The Satanic Temple opened its international headquarters in Salem. The leader of this cult stated, "The history of Salem is also part of the history of Satanism. I feel that [Salem] is a very appropriate place for this (temple)."

In general, it is illegal to walk down the street or in any public place wearing a mask. (It is unclear why the police allow members of Antifa or Black Lives Matter to wear masks in many cities over the past couple of years, but that's a different subject.) When I attended the Salem Halloween festivities a few years ago, naturally there were many men and women wearing masks that completely covered their faces and identities. Additionally, for what it's worth, a good portion of these masks and costumes were grotesque and/or scary/evil. As a public safety issue, it's very easy for people there to do unseemly or illegal things and get away with it. As something that some families consider kid-friendly, I would say that nobody under 12 or 13 years old should even go to this all day/all night gathering.

All of these factors lead me to believe that the fascination with Halloween can be a troubling one. People can take it too far, especially if they are surrounded by non-Christian groups and tendencies. Dressing up is fun; fantasy and sci-fi can be fun as well. But we must separate the evil that indeed occupies parts of the Halloween experience, and be wary.

Correction: This article was updated on November 6, 2018 to include language about the Salem "hangings."  An original version of the article mentioned "burnings" instead of hangings.

–Ken Lambert has been writing for both secular and religious publications for several years. He co-authored the book "Top 10 Most Influential Christians Since the Apostles" and holds a Doctorate in Ministry. He resides in southern New Hampshire.