Catholic Answers Live #12429 Can Catholics Celebrate Halloween? - Jimmy Akin
Oct 24, 2025
This conversation features Jimmy Akin, a senior apologist known for his deep dives into Catholic apologetics. He tackles whether Catholics can celebrate Halloween, tracing its origins to All Hallows' Eve and outlining acceptable ways to engage with the holiday. The chat also unpacks intriguing topics like George Washington's alleged deathbed conversion and the customs of Pharisees regarding marriage. Akin further clarifies the relationship between sin, forgiveness, and judgment, dispelling myths and emphasizing scriptural truths.
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Halloween Is Rooted In All Saints' Eve
- All Hallows' Eve is literally the eve of All Saints' Day and honors saints and holiness.
- Jimmy Akin argues Catholics may celebrate Halloween as a liturgical and cultural overlap, depending on how they celebrate it.
Play Functions As Practice
- Play and drama, including scary play-acting, serve a God-given function of practice and preparation.
- Jimmy connects children's and adult fiction, drama, and costumes to emotional and practical preparation for life.
Jimmy's Childhood Costumes
- Jimmy recounts dressing up as a mummy and Dracula as a child when celebrating Halloween.
- He uses these childhood examples to illustrate harmless historical costume choices.
