Oct 21st 2025
Halloween 2025: Record Spending — and a Gospel Opportunity
Headlines aren’t wrong: Americans are on track to spend a record $13.1 billion on Halloween in 2025—up from $11.6B in 2024 and topping the previous $12.2B record in 2023. Average spend is projected at $114.45 per person. Costumes lead the way (~$4.3B), followed by decorations (~$4.2B), candy (~$3.9B), and greeting cards (~$0.7B).1
How Did Halloween Start?
Today, Halloween is almost entirely a secular American holiday, but its roots stretch back over 2,000 years to the Celtic Druids of Europe and Britain. These pagans celebrated Samhain (pronounced “sow-en”) — a three-day festival marking the final harvest and the beginning of winter.
They believed that during Samhain, the barrier between the living and the dead grew thin, allowing spirits to walk among the living.
Centuries later, around A.D. 600, Pope Boniface IV established All Saints’ Day to honor Christian martyrs. Pope Gregory III later moved it to November 1 to replace pagan rituals with a Christian day of remembrance.
The evening before became known as All Hallows’ Eve, eventually shortened to Halloween.
When Irish and Scottish immigrants brought their customs to America in the early 1900s, Halloween evolved into the celebration we know today — filled with costumes, jack-o-lanterns, and trick-or-treating.
✝️ What Should Christians Do?
Christians should respond to Halloween with gospel compassion, not fear.
“It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” — Hebrews 9:27
The unbelieving world often lives in fear of death, yet the true terror is not ghosts or witches — it’s God’s wrath against sin. (Hebrews 10:27)
Halloween offers a unique moment to share the hope of Jesus Christ, who conquered death and brings forgiveness to all who believe.
3 Ways to Share the Gospel on Halloween
1. Opt Out — and Explain Why
If you choose not to participate, be ready to share why.
When friends or neighbors ask, use the opportunity to explain that your family chooses to honor God rather than celebrate darkness — and to share the hope of eternal life in Christ.
2. Host or Attend Christian Alternatives
Join a Harvest Festival or Reformation Celebration at your church.
Kids can dress as Bible heroes, missionaries, or reformers, and families can invite neighbors for fun, fellowship, and gospel outreach.
3. Hand Out Candy — and the Gospel
If you stay home, redeem the night by giving out candy and a small gospel gift:
? Include a Cross Penny from Heaven and a Million Dollar Bill Gospel Tract with each handful of candy.
“When preaching and private talk are not available, you need to have a tract ready… Get good striking tracts, or none at all.”
— Charles Spurgeon
These simple tools can open conversations about faith and eternity — right at your doorstep.
Participate on your front porch. Give out the good candy and tuck in a simple gospel tool. Two favorites:
- Cross Pennies from Heaven — a memorable, pocket-sized reminder of the cross.
- Million Dollar Bill Gospel Tract — eye-catching and conversation-starting.
Smile, bless, and—when natural—engage parents in a short, hopeful conversation. Invite them to church or share a quick testimony of Christ’s kindness in your life.
A Time to Stand Apart and Reach Out
Whether you avoid Halloween altogether or participate with discernment, your goal should always be to honor God and love others.
Halloween gives Christians an opportunity to do both — to stay separate from the world’s darkness while sharing the light of Jesus Christ.
What better time to speak of hope, forgiveness, and eternal life than during a season obsessed with fear and death?
How Are You Sharing the Good News This Halloween?
We’d love to hear your stories — drop a comment below and tell us how you’re using this season to spread the gospel!
Ready to Share the Good News?
Notes: (1) NRF projects record Halloween spending of $13.1B in 2025; per-person $114.45; category breakdowns for costumes (~$4.3B), decorations (~$4.2B), candy (~$3.9B), greeting cards (~$0.7B).