Celebrating Halloween

I’ll admit, I have struggled with celebrating Halloween over the years. Should we or should we not participate in it? What did we decide to do? I’ll share but keep in mind that I absolutely 100% support every Christian’s choice on this subject.

We participate. We dress up. We even trick or treat.

I love costumes. Seriously, I love them. I was after all, a thespian and the costume designer for our plays in high school. So to not be able to create and dress my kids up, would be torture for me.

We don’t let the kids dress up in scary costumes. That’s just not for our family. They can dress up as super heroes, animals, people, what ever else. Over the years I have made a bumblebee, dinosaur, caterpillar, Nemo, flower, fairy, and more.

Why do we celebrate – and I use that term loosely? For the fun of it. Plain and simple. It’s fun. We do not celebrate in the sense of it being “Hallow’s eve” ever. We see it as a fun excuse to dress up and have fun with our friends. That’s all, nothing more.

We have much more conservative friends who only participate in the Harvest fair at church and only allow their children to dress as bible characters. On the actual night of Halloween they hand out tracks but do not participate any further than that. I completely respect that.

I think God convicts each of us in some of these areas differently.

What about you? Do you participate in Halloween or do you think it’s not okay for Christians to participate? Feel free to comment but adhere to the comments policy.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

 

12 Comments

  1. Mel, I agree- to each there own! So often we can get sidetracked and create such paranoia in others- they are actually fearful to speak about ANYTHING with us so as not to offend us! This should not be. I myself have gone the full gamut from not celebrating to , handing out tracks, to hiding in the house with the lights off! In retrospect, ridiculous. I love the Lord. He knows where I stand. Two thoughts on this : : the goal is to build bridges with regard to relationships with unbelievers or ohers who just may not believe the way I do – people know as Christians we have opinions…but they need an opportunity to hear us beyond all our CRAZY! Secondly, my life verse is Ecclesiastes 7:18 which reminds me that the man who fears the Lord avoids all EXTREMES. I now take my daughter out trick or treating with her friends and enjoy the night for what it is an excuse to eat candy, have fun and enjoy/make friends in the neighborhoods we visit! And as God leads- shine our little lights…in the dark places. In His Grace, Dawn
    Dawn Paoletta recently posted..The Boy, The Man and Grace

    • Yes! I love the way you describe, getting caught up in our own crazy. So true. And what a GREAT verse!

  2. I really like your family’s take on it. We never had anything to do with Halloween when I was growing up – my mum was completely against it. She wouldn’t open the door on Halloween night and would put up a sign on the door telling trick-or-treaters not to knock. I think for her, she objected to it suddenly being acceptable to go around demanding sweets from strangers. And she thought (probably rightly) that it would scare old ladies. She let me go to a party one year when I was old enough to think about it for myself, so I did, but like you said, it was just about dressing up and an excuse to have a party. I’ve never been trick-or-treating though.
    Just me recently posted..Tonight I was thinking…

    • This is why I love being able to discuss these things openly! I would have never thought about the costumes scaring the older ladies! And I agree, it is an odd celebration where we go demand candy from strangers after telling our kids to never take candy from strangers. We’re sort of a crazy society that way, aren’t we? 🙂 We haven’t always done trick or treating. I don’t think it’s a necessity 🙂

  3. Melinda,
    I too have struggled with this. I grew up dressing up for Halloween and LOVED it!! Our boys are 6 years old now. They dressed up at age 3 and 4 and then last year we said no. We did the whole Reformation Day celebration. The boys this year REALLY want to dress up and go trick or treating. My husband says no and I am torn. We are like you in the fact that we do not allow evil costumes. We basically celebrate the Fall Harvest time. The boys ask me what is so evil about dressing up and getting candy. …….I didn’t have a good answer. Right now we still do not know what we will do this year. Thanks for being so honest with your views.
    Tasha Fontenot recently posted..Autumn Books for Children

    • Ah Tasha that is a tough one. Maybe you and hubby can sit down and discuss his reasons for it so you can have a way to explain it to the boys. Can you do something else that is fun? Our church does a Harvest party and that is fun! No trick or treating, just a fun, safe place to go. Maybe you can get some tracks and candy to hand out and find a way to get the boys excited about doing that. If dad allows, you could trick or treat in your own house!

  4. holy cow! taking your kids to a strangers door to ask for candy? this doesn’t seem like a bad idea to anyone? common sense folks! Buy your kids their own candy, have a party, but don’t tell your kids about stranger danger and then take out to strangers houses, please! Jesus said love your neighbor, not trust your neighbor.

    I guess I’m in shock and awe that people would do this, sorry, hope I didn’t offend anyone. 😎

    • Dawn, not all of us take our kids to stranger’s homes to trick or treat 🙂 I live in a tiny little town (on purpose) and we go to homes we know and it is a fun way to chat with the neighbors. There are tons of ways to safely trick or treat; malls, churches, friends, etc.

  5. I live in a mid sized city, and do take my kids trick or treating to strangers houses. We go trick or treating on the street i grew up on, but we only know a couple of the neighbors. This is the way we do it, and it is the way it has been done forever. I don’t know many neighbors, never have, and never will. It is not a dangerous holiday as long as you use common sense…go with your kids….check the candy before you give it to them…don’t let them go into any houses…etc. Good enough for me. It is awesome…hundreds of kiddos around…lots of grown ups too…everyone having a good time. No fear involved.

    • Agree with you Julie, I don’t think it’s as dangerous as we might have been lead to believe years ago. We grew up trick or treating where ever, our parents were always with us. When we moved to the valley where it is more likely to pour on you on Halloween, we started going to the malls which we actually HATED it (and I still won’t do with my kids).

  6. If it’s important enough to create a controversy, it’s certainly important enough to bring to the throne of God and then step back and listen. God knows what is good for us and what will harm us. I grew up in a very superstitious family and there are still areas of my life that need His gentle touch. He is faithful to heal and I must be faithful to obey. Halloween might be off my plate for very good reasons and maybe He is working in another area of your life right now. The origin of this holiday is a concern as is the whole witches and frightful costumes. However I have loved attending church fall festivals where kids come as their favorite bible character and wished us older folks could wear costumes too. My greater concern is that there are people out there who still think its funny to put pins, glass and drugs in candy!

    • Absolutely, and I completely respect everyone’s right to choose for their own families what is best for them. We’ve taken this topic to the throne many, many times and discussed it immensely in our house and each time we come to the same conclusions for our family.

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