While some Christians choose not to celebrate Halloween in any way, shape, or form, actor Kirk Cameron recently encouraged believers to "have the biggest Halloween party on your block."
Cameron made the controversial statements in an interview published Monday, and also discussed the origins of the "spooky" holiday.
"The real origins have a lot to do with All Saints Day and All Hallows Eve," he told the Christian Post. "If you go back to old church calendars, especially Catholic calendars, they recognize the holiday All Saints Day, with All Hallows Eve the day before, when they would remember the dead. That's all tied in to Halloween.
"Early on, Christians would dress up in costumes as the devil, ghosts, goblins and witches precisely to make the point that those things were defeated and overthrown by the resurrected Jesus Christ," the "Fireproof" actor continued. "The costumes poke fun at the fact that the devil and other evils were publicly humiliated by Christ at His resurrection. That's what the Scriptures say, that He publicly humiliated the devil when He triumphed over power and principality and put them under his feet."
Rather than ignore the annual celebration or denounce it, Cameron stated that Christians should use Halloween as a teaching opportunity and to share Gospel tracts.
"Over time you get some pagans who want to go this is our day, high holy day of Satanic church, that this is all about death, but Christians have always known since the first century that death was defeated, that the grave was overwhelmed, that ghosts, goblins, devils are foolish has-beens who used to be in power but not anymore," he explained.
"That's the perspective Christians should have."
In addition to shifting the perspective on Halloween, Cameron hopes to put Christ back in Christmas with his upcoming film.
"Saving Christmas" is a family-friendly comedy that reminds Christians "why this is not only a holy day, but a celebration as well," Cameron said. The 44-year-old executive produced the film, which will be released in a limited engagement on Nov. 14.
