Has there been a theologic trend sweeping newsfeeds? "Holy Spirit, activate," TikTok's viral plea to the Lord, is making the rounds and confusing platform users in the process.
With its close proximity to Halloween—and the ever-growing Ghostface cult—many suspect this new fad has something to do with spooky season. Why else would the Holy Trinity appear in FYP? It's a little bit odd, truthfully.
As it turns out, Halloween, summoning demons and all of that scary stuff have nothing to do with the trend. In fact, the meaning behind the social media fad is pretty funny and relatable. Allow us to explain.
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Holy Spirit activate: TikTok trend explained
People use the "Holy Spirit activate" song for a variety of reasons: when they need strength, when they want to turn their luck around or when they want to overcome a difficult situation. It's understandable, as people oftentimes turn to God when they're in need of guidance.
In typical TikTok fashion, however, there is a humorous element to go along with the now-viral hashtag #holyspiritactivate. (That's right—102.7 million views and counting.) You'll catch people requesting help from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for silly things: when their sisters take the wheel, when they have to leave the house but don't want to run into anyone, when their love interest is starting to pull away, etc.
Take a gander at some of the examples for yourself. We'll admit, they gave us a good chuckle. What are some of your own "Holy Spirit activate" moments?
@ashleymescia Her car do be the main character sometimes 🥴 @livmescia
♬ Egbe - Victory Youth
@_danielrhodess Sometimes you’re just in a rush and don’t have time for it
♬ Egbe - Victory Youth
@brydiecondran Crystal girl
♬ Egbe - Victory Youth
What is 'Holy Spirit activate' from?
As with many a viral chant (we're looking at you, berries and cream), one savvy TikToker came across the audio and decided to bless us with it on their feeds.
In this case, TikTok user @victoryyouth, a seemingly religious community based in Fruita, Colorado, thought that this Holy Spirit remix had some potential. Obviously, it did. The organization's 10-second clip of the song has garnered over seven million views. The rest is history!
@victoryyouth POV: you just posted a new TikTok and don’t know if it will go viral! So many great ideas! ##christiantiktok ##church ##christiancomedy
♬ Egbe - Victory Youth
But the one person we truly have to thank for all of this is singer Chynna Phillips from Wilson Phillips, who made an appearance on Celebrity Family Feud in September 2021. When it was her time to compete, she did a little shuffle and chanted "Holy Spirit, activate." That combo worked swimmingly, as she earned $25,000 for charity.
"Next time you down at the DMV, 'Holy Spirit, activate,'" Celebrity Family Feud host Steve Harvey joked. "How about that time you're sitting up there, taking a test you ain't studied for, 'Holy Spirit, activate.'"
Perhaps there is a method to this viral trend after all? Here's hoping that others who give it a try keep us updated with their results.
So there you have it, folks, another TikTok trend uncovered and explained. We'll be sure to give Phillips' method a test when we encounter a difficult situation or two. Wonky astrology predictions? First-date nerves? Impending friendship breakups? "Holy Spirit, activate!"
