In my search, I came across this movie Halloween: Trick Or Treat?
Since Halloween is fast approaching, I began to read more about what this film is really about. As I read the summary, I sunk down in my chair feeling a bit chastised for exposing my children to many of these traditions. And yet, at the same time I felt judged for doing something that I thought I had carefully considered before letting my kids participate in what I refer to as "Fall Festivities."
See, my children enjoy this time of year. And though I am aware that Halloween can be a very dark holiday for many people, John and I use a lot of discernment to make sure our kids are exposed to it in a way that we believe lines up with our Savior's teachings.
Not only do we encourage fun family time carving pumpkins with all different kids of silly faces, but we also roast the seeds as the aroma of nutty pumpkin goodness fills the air. We let the children dress up if they want but nothing bloody, gory, or scary. We allow our children's imaginations to soar as they creatively find ways to come up with their costume. Sometimes we allow our children to trick-or-treat to a few houses around the neighborhood and use the time to get to know our neighbors. Usually the evening is finished off with a a festival at our church or a neighborhood get together.
We use Halloween to foster family time, build memories, outreach to non-believers, and get to know our neighbors.
As I thought more about the content of this video, I come across and read the one comment that was left pertaining to this movie.
From: Steve Martini
Date: Wednesday 14 July, 2010
Review: This is precisely the kind of judgmental line in the ground that alienates the rest of the world from self-righteous Christians who spend more time trying to avoid the people they could be giving a good example to than they do actually being a witness. Instead of wasting your time watching all of this fake witchcraft hooey, it might be more productive to see what can be done to bring more people together. Christianity isn't based on alienating and judging those who believe differently from you. Sure, you have the right not to participate. But the fact of the matter is, Halloween is no more evil a holiday than Christmas or Easter, both of which are based on previously pagan holidays and which lie and get the basic facts wrong about Christ. Those are facts; look them up.
Jesus hung out with the dregs of humanity. You know why? Two reasons. First: They needed him more, which I know all the self-righteous Christians would jump all over immediately...but secondly, it's because they were more REAL. Jesus abhorred a self-righteous wolf in sheep's clothing, going around telling other people what they should do with their lives and lording it over everyone else.
Plus, it's not a very good documentary, no matter which side of Halloween you stand on.
Hmmmm, what an interesting comment. I tend to agree with most of it.
I think I am going to go along as we have done in the past and let our kids have fun and shine light on this "non-Christian" holiday.
I have friends who do not celebrate this holiday, and I respect them for that because they have reasons that are important to them. It is possible to do everything we do on Halloween throughout the year as well-- why use just one day to get to know our neighbors. I could be baking them cookies, taking the time to stop and chat when I get the mail-- and who says you can only roast pumpkin seeds on Halloween?
This post is not to start division among those who choose to partake in Halloween activities and those who do not, I am just interested in hearing what others do on this day.
So what are you going to do this Halloween? Do you celebrate? How? I would love to read your thoughts so go ahead and leave a comment.
**Annie shared her wonderful thoughts on Halloween in her own post that I enjoyed so much that I had to share the link!**
62 inspiring thoughts:
We give out candy and let our kids choose to go trick or treating if they wish. My daughter, at seven, has never chosen to, and my son, at five, LOVES to go with one of us. My daughter loves to open the door and hand out treats...and I believe i is a wonderful way to love your neighbors and build community! I really fall in the realm of the Steve Martini comment on the movie. I gave up on those types of Mike Warneke documentaries a long time ago. (Remember him?)
Thanks for bringing this up in such a thoughtful manner.
PS: I'm totally enjoying your posts about your move and your homeschooling beginnings...It will be a big change all around...praying for you!
We do not celebrate Halloween. Personally I think it is disgusting. We have no part of it. Growing up I did not celebrate Halloween, and my parents did not celebrate it when they were younger either. I never felt I was missing out.
My husband and I celebrate Halloween, therefore allowing our children to celebrate Halloween. We decorate the house (not scary or gory), we go trick or treating, AND we go to our church's "Fall festival" before trick or treating.
I think to each his/her own with what their family does. But as a Christian, who attends church regularly, teaches Sunday school, etc. I see nothing wrong with the celebrating the holiday. But I also see nothing wrong with chosing not to, if thats what is right for your family! :)
Great post!
Have a great day! :)
I've heard a lot of different reasons for not participating in Halloween...and I've considered it several times, myself. I just keep coming back to the same things, though.
Am I going to quit celebrating all holidays? If not, why is this any different? There are people at every holiday who do evil or mean it for evil. My family is not using Halloween for anything other than creative fun.
Paul was all things to all men in order to reach them. That is how our family lives, as well. We look different from the world because we're shining His light and we're not living a life of sin. BUT, we DO join the world on a daily basis. Halloween is no different to me.
Our hearts are right, so there's no reason we would be ashamed. We love being with people...lost people...even when we're not verbally talking about Jesus. You can't build a relationship with people if you are never with them. And, not many people want a relationship with you if they feel you're looking down on them.
No, we don't do Halloween. After all, All Hallows' Eve has Christian roots: it's the evening of All Saints' Day. Also, it is reinforcing all the characteristics and "values" we don't like. So we celebrate Purim instead.
Halloween: Kids dress up in costumes.
Purim: Kids dress up in costumes.
Halloween: Kids go door to door, asking for treats and threatening with "tricks" in case they are turned away, teaching greed.
Purim: Kids are asked to deliver mishloach manot, food portions to friends, and also to give mishloach manot to their friends. One other mitzvah of Purim is giving to the poor, so yeah, this holiday teaches just the opposite of Halloween.
I have seen an awful lot lately on "self-righteous Christians", enough that I am beginning to see a pattern. Anytime someone attempts to expose something as possibly being in question or opposed to Bible teaching, another person pops up to tell us how much Jesus despised religious hypocrites. I'm pretty tired of being lumped with the hypocrites myself.
When James and I had children I left the holiday decisions up to him. He decided we would not do the Santa Clause thing at Christmas, and he also made the decision to avoid Halloween for the most part. We have carved pumpkins with our children, we have roasted pumpkin seeds, we love a good trip to the farm market, and have dressed up a time or two for a gathering with friends. We drink apple cider and eat fried cakes, we set out dishes of candy corns, and once in a while build a scarecrow. It is a fun time of year but it doesn't take a very deep look to see what Halloween is really all about.
With all that said, I think many Christians, myself included, often ignore the subtle voice of God asking us to change our ways. Sometimes it has to do with drinking alcohol, sometimes place we go, and sometimes even the way we dress. The real question probably isn't whether or not "we" think it's okay. It's what does God say?
We use this time of year much like you do, fun family time and memories made! This year however we will be moving over Halloween weekend. If we arrive in time for a fall festival at our new church (which happens to be 3 houses down from us) we will try to go and get to know some of the people. But my kids know that the dress-up box will be on the moving truck that will not arrive until after Halloween.
If this came through twice, please disregard :)
My view on Halloween....I totally don't see anything wrong with trick or treating, watching Halloween cartoons, carving pumpkins and eating the seeds, and just having fun creating those family memories.
It doesn't HAVE to be dark and evil and scary.
I say why not just enjoy it for the childhood fun that it can be.
Jodi
We love this holiday. I am a Christian and I don't feel any conflict at all. In fact, if anything I think it makes God happy to see us having a good time.
Not only do the children dress up but so do the adults- even the grandmoms.
We all meet at a pumpkin patch to pick out huge pumpkins. We also save some seeds to plant the next year so we always have a few home grown pumpkins. We all carve the pumpkins together, and we have great beautiful pumpkins.
We have had a halloween party for the last 40 plus years and everyone in the extended family comes. We often dress up as people that are signiificant mainly to our family.
We all have our halloween box in the attic or basement with years worth of costumes and decorations.
At the party, we all play silly games- adults & little kids everyone must play, like musical chairs and potato races.
We always take a load of photographs and it gives us so many laughs to look at them later.
I was raised Catholic and yet my family always went all out for Halloween. It is my favorite holiday. Knowing the TRUE history of Halloween, its cultural purpose and reasons why it didn't disappear or become a "Christian holiday" like so many others makes it that much more enjoyable and adds another layer.
Halloween was not an "evil" or "devil" holiday, quite the opposite.
I love your blog. You have been a great inspiration to me! Thank you
K
We do not do halloween. I believe it's a satanic holiday and christians should have no part in it. I think it's silly to candy coat evil.
When I was really young we always did something as a family for halloween. My parents didn't allow us to participate even for school activities revolving around halloween. We'd turn off the lights and go downstairs to watch movies or go out swimming at the pool etc. Then when I turned 9 or so we were allowed to go trick or treating to 3 houses of our neibors not dressed up. Each year from that time on we were allowed to participate but not scary or gory costumes, no witches etc. I have follwed that tradition with Oksana now. We talk about what Halloween really is about each year around this time and what we like and don't like about it. This year Oksana decided to try and fight me on the no witches issue and I point blank told her that any more arguing would result in not being allowed to go at all and then my reasons why. She decided she wanted to be a dinosaur instead. :) We participate while trying to preserve good family memories, we played "Santa" for Oksana as well for 2 years and early this summer she asked me if he was real and it brought out a wonderful conversation about real and make believe, reality and fantasy. She liked believing but also liked as she got older to be told the truth. :) As she gets older we will explain more about the background of Halloween, right now shes just a little girl having fun pretending to be a princess or dinosaur having fun with her friends and family. We will probably continue to do the same with our son as he gets older.
Martha your post hit a chord with me. Things certainly need to be balanced when deciding what is right and wrong and it is not fair to have one thing lumped together and classify it good or evil. Choosing one way shouldn't make anyone a hypocrite if they have chosen this because it is best for their family. While I have shared what we do for Halloween, we have recently made some changes on how we celebrate other holidays.
MrsD-- Thanks for the encouragement today. Iw ill definitely post more about homeschooling and our move!
Homeschool Mommy I love how you said that our hearts should be right with what we do. I think celebrating Halloween feels okay for some, not okay for others just like I believe it is okay to eat pork and my Christian family member does not. It is okay to be different.
I refused to do halloween as a child (didn't do Santa Claus, either) but my husband thoroughly enjoyed halloween. With our children some years we did costumes, trick or treating and all the stuff associated with halloween and other years we just didn't bother. Now as adults one child loves halloween and the other could care less :)
We will participate in our church family fun day but not much else. I don't decorate for halloween but I do put Thanksgiving decorations out in October.
I don't trick-or-treat anymore just because it takes too much effort...but i used to as a kid and loved it, despite the fact that I'm a Christian. I don't believe in any of the evil things having to do with Halloween...so I don't think it's wrong to trick-or-treat. Dressing up as a princess or whatever it may be and collecting candy doesn't seem wrong to me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween
As a christian I try to avoid anything satanic or demonic etc...
However I also like to avoid judgement. So while I believe that my children should not be involved in anything halloween related, I undetstand that some people do choose to be involved.
We do fallish things like paiting pumpkins and fallfest etc...
We did Hallowe'en as children and it was fun - and harmless. It doesn't sit right with me as a parent, so we don't do it now. I did enjoy carving out turnip lanterns though.
There's less innocence about it over here I think - if you're dressing up then you're dressing up as something scary or evil and are very clearly out to scare people.
Our church has a "Light Party" which aims to be the opposite of all things spooky. The children dress up as something light, they have games and craft and food and a spot of praise and worship and puppets and teaching. They bring a lot of non-church friends and it's usually a very popular event.
Not criticising those who do go all our for Hallowe'en nor those who avoid it completely. Different families, different lives, different choices. Hopefully the same God though - isn't it great how diverse His people are?
Didn't know toasting pumpkin seeds was a Hallowe'en thing - we do it whenever we eat pumpkin. Annoyingly though over here they're only usually on sale for the couple of weeks just before Hallowe'en and then they disappear. Grump. I'll grow my own one year!
I totally agree with you. May even post about it.
We dress up and enjoy an evening strolling through the neighborhood and my kids love a silly scare!
There is nothing at all but walking, eating and socializing going on, we absolutely participate in it, we pariticipate in about anything in life though-its worth living!! That is why we got our kids out of those institutions, to live and experience all life has to offer. My kids don't even think of scary costumes, it just doesn't cross their minds, they are tinkerbell and puppies and book characters and such. So much of this evening takes creativity and socializing, I think it is a fantastic experience for all. No one one is out to get us on Oct. 31st!
So funny you posted about the "End of the Spear"... We just finished Nate Saint's Biography as a read aloud yesterday. Such an amazing man. We are going to watch that this weekend (got it from the library)
Short take on Halloween we give out candy. Good candy. We figure if we are going to have our neighborhood beating on our day we may as well give them our best and be a "City on a Hill".
Hmmm. Such interesting comments! We don't "do" halloween. I really don't have a problem with the dressing up or trick-or-treating, but I do have an issue with the costumes that look like skeletons, witches, etc. We have a house down the road from us that decorates their yard for halloween nearly more than they do for Christmas....tombstones, witches running into posts, people with no heads....and it's rather difficult to explain to my 3 & 5 year olds what they do that for. I think it's disgusting. We do eat 'halloween' candy...purchased after the fact as it's then on sale!! We sometimes carve pumpkins. We eat fallish foods. Really the only thing I don't like at all is the witchy, etc. side of it. It gives me a creepy feeling and I always feel like I have to call on God for extra reinforcment around me when I come in contact with that stuff!
Jody
Interesting topic! I was raised by VERY strict religious parents and we did not celebrate Halloween. We also were not able to use any sort of masks for dress up because that was considered demonic, along with a whole pile of other things.
As a parent now, I'm having to take a close look at each area of my life and my beliefs. I'm not a church going Christian, I believe in God and that his Son came to die for our sins, but I'm very much against most churches because of experiences as a child and teen.
In our house now, we don't do Halloween. It helps that we live in Guatemala where it's not really celebrated. This year, some of my friends want to get the kids together to celebrate and I had to stop and think about it. I don't think having fun with the kids is wrong, so we will probably go. But we won't be dressing as ghosts or devils, etc. And, the very next day, we will celebrate the Day of the Dead with the other Guatemalans, which I find is actually very respectful and a good way to remember and honor those who have gone on before, not at all the demonic ritual that some people seemed to think it is!
Our kids have never been trick or treating, but we have enjoyed autumn by carving pumpkins together and sometimes roasting the seeds, going to a Harvest Party at our church, where they play lots of fun games and bob for apples. Sometimes we have just stayed home and watched a movie together and eat popcorn. We have never been celebraters of Halloween, although I grew up in a Christian family and we were allowed to go trick or treating. I guess as the years have progressed I see too many evil costumes and graveyards, or "corpses" hanging from trees or somewhere else...just decided not to become involved in something that didn't feel right.
I look on Halloween as a fun fall time for kids to dress up, make believe and go around the neighborhood with one parent (while the other is home to hand out candy). It's part of life in America. Some people just are too up tight. Let kids be normal kids.
My daughter never wore scary costumes nor did my ex and I when we went to a few Halloween parties. It was all in fun.
We also did family carvings (my daughter and her father), decorating outside with pumpkins, mums and corn stalks. I decorated the kitchen with small pumpkins, gourds and a few craft things I'd made.
The quote from Steve is a bit off if you ask me. I think you're better making your argument without his help. The bible doesn't say that Jesus hung out with the dregs of humanity because they needed him more, or because they're more real. But I guess that makes me a self righteous christian for pointing it out, according to his post. Just a poor argument in my opinion.
However, I think like other celebrations there are good and bad reasons to do it or to not do it. I think you have to listen to your conscience - because it's often the holy spirit guiding you. If it says not to, then don't.
In Australia Halloween is not something that's celebrated, so it's not something I have to worry about thinking very hard about. My family don't 'do' Santa, but still make Christmas a really fun time by creating our own family traditions. I suspect Halloween could be similar - make it your own, as it sounds like you are doing. And look for opportunities to use it to reach out to your neighbours, etc.
I loved the idea of reversing it, and giving gifts instead - how much fun could that be for your family - go and knock and give gifts to your neighbours as well. Particularly if you've moved by then. Then they'll be remembered for sure!
Good Post Christine.... Good things to think about.
We come from a slightly different era... (I'm old) LOL
When the boys were tiny, we dressed them up and took them trick or treating in our area... but when we moved to Texas, the atmosphere was very different. That was at the height of people dabbling in Satanism and doing animal sacrifice or even human sacrifice.
I wouldn't have believed it, but for a couple of years, our local public school sent out information regarding a group looking to kidnap a child for a sacrifice. You still cannot purchase a cat, especially a black cat from the week before Halloween until the 1st of November, because cats were being used in Sacrifice.
I worked at a Christian bookstore, and at Halloween time one year, a young couple came in. They looked very "gothic" (the term used today)
and they were truly terrified. They wondered if we had a book to counteract incantations as a spell had been cast upon them by their coven and they were truly afraid.
I was able to share the Lord with them freely, and they went away changed in thought.
So, during that time, we decided that it was not a good idea to celebrate a holiday that was so ridden with evil.
Our boys didn't even want to celebrate because they were actually afraid, after all the hullabaloo about kids being kidnapped etc.
So, we searched for an alternative idea.
Somehow "trunk or treat" at our local church just wasn't that fun.
We do celebrate the Harvest, and always have, so we just expanded on it. And then, a wonderful friend invited us to their Reformation Party".... The Reformation was when the Catholic church divided and it was the birth of Protestantism.... The Monk, Martin Luther, realized that it was Faith Alone, Grace Alone and Scripture Alone, that was what mattered, and he wrote the 95 Thesis and Nailed it to the Wall at Wittenburg. It was a list of "complaints" if you will, or things he felt were wrong at that period of time. Here is a copy of it:
http://www.reformed.org/documents/index.html?mainframe=http://www.reformed.org/documents/95_theses.html
He nailed this to the door on October 31.
Soooo, we found something we could whole heartedly celebrate.
We always hand out candy.(where we live there aren't many any more) but where we used to live there were zillions of kids. We would make popcorn balls and give out candy, and then at 7:30, head over to the Reformation Party. We have been doing this for 20 years.
It is sooo fun and a highlight our our family. Everybody shows up, married kids, our kids, friends from years gone by, and new friends.
We have Pizza, Hot soups, games, Pinatas, dunking for Apples, and many other things, and then at around 10:00 there is a short talk about a perosn from the Reformation in the Church, who made a difference, and then we watch Martin Luther.
It is a fabulous way to celebrate Harvest and our thankfulness to the Lord for all he has done. :)
Thanks for posting about this. :)
Great Blog
Don't miss out on Halloweens Spookiest Slot's Tournament Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
Don't Enter Here if Your Easily Spooked
oh wow... this is strange to me. halloween is just a fun holiday for kids. lighten up! sheesh.
I agree with Tina in CT. It is just a fun time in the fall for the kids to have a fun time. Summer is over, they have beenback at school for several weeks. It seems to me some people get so hung up about it being pagen. Perhaps it was 500 years ago but honestly, I see nothing wrong with the kids having fun. My children and grandchildren all had fun with it. I grew up in a country where there wasn't halloween but I love it and love to see the little kids come to the door. My husband loves the left over chocolate bars!
I really, really don't like Halloween. Pretty much all parts of it! I don't like dressing up because the date always creeps up on me, I'm cheap and noncreative. I don't like the extra candy at the end of the night, nor do I like all the high schoolers around our neighborhood who don't even make an effort to dress up.
However, after trying to put up Christmas lights last year in 20 degree weather in November, I had a GREAT idea to extend the Christmas season. I told my husband we should put up Christmas lights for Halloween (there are several houses that decorate for Halloween AND Christmas...crazy in my opinion!). We could dress up as Mr. and Mrs. Claus with our little elf helper Eli and pass out Candy Canes and say Merry Christmas or Happy Christ-o-ween. Brings Christ in to Halloween and makes us the crazy house all in one feel swoop! LOL I'm not sure we're doing it this year, though.
BTW- End of the Spear is a good movie, but we actually enjoyed the documentary more.
I don't agree with what the man said. Holloween is a dark holiday. Christmas and Easter celebrate the birth and resurrection of our savior. No matter how they began, it is what is in the heart today and the reason why you celebrate that matter.
Now, I too have celebrated Holloween with my family for years, but like you I began to think more about it. We have decided as a family not to do it any more.
This is just for our family. I don't think we have the right to tell others what to do or not do when it comes to something like this.
I will tell you what I do when I am having trouble making a decision that isn't clearly stated in the Bible, I read Phil 4:8
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
This verse gives me such guidance about what is right for OUR family, no one elses.
Pray and do what God leads you and John to do, that will be the right thing.
Blessings, Sue
When my kids were small, a neighbor boy came over to play one October day. I had a jack-o-lantern on the table.
The little boy said, "I know why you celebrate Halloween."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because you don't go to church enough times. My mom told me."
I'm a Christian who trick-or-treated eons ago as a child; then, I dressed my kids up as lions and Batman and princesses -- and took them to neighbors' houses to ring doorbells and have a good time.
I don't like to celebrate Halloween these days, but it's not because I finally have "enough church" in me. It's because it's too much trouble, and usually on a week night when I have a million other things to get done before bedtime.
But, you know what I really, really, really can't stand? It's when we Christians look down our noses at each other in judgment on points of issue that have nothing to do with our salvation.
It's really true what I've heard: we Christians sometimes kill our own wounded.
I personally, don't like Halloween mostly because there is so much fear associated with it. I think there is already enough fear in our world and we do not need to generate more or expose our children to it especially when they are little and don't have a clear understanding of what is real and what is pretend. That being said I have nothing against others who chose to participate in Halloween activities and I know there are lots of options that try to stay "fear free." Though the documentary mentioned is not well made and is outdated (if it is the one I am thinking of) it does bring to light what Halloween is based on and what occasionally happens on Halloween and I think those things should be taken into serious consideration when it comes to deciding wether or not your family is going to participate in it.
I do NOT feel at all that in choosing not to participate in Halloween mades me any better then those to choose to participate. I am responsible for my own family and how I choose to raise my kids and you are responsible to yours. It is not a self righteous position that I am taking it is just what I have decided for my kids. You decided what you feel is right for your kids.
In the end the question will not be "did you celebrated Halloween, Christmas or Easter?" but rather "do you know the Savior?"
P.S. End of the Spear - great movie about forgiveness! I loved it! And it's all true......
We intend to do H'ween much like y'all. Ditto for the reasons. Truthfully - 'holidays' are what you MAKE them.
An awesome movie that you could watch with your older kids is The Hangmans Curse:
http://www.amazon.com/Hangmans-Curse-David-Keith/dp/B00018D41S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286591221&sr=8-1
It has great lessons, things to discuss and it's a good story! The book is better, but if you want a spookyish type movie then this is the way to go!!
I was raised in a very strict Christian home, so there was no trick-or-treating, or costumes. My friends and I went to our church's "Hallelujah Night". Before any games or candy we were all brought into the sanctuary to watch a skit. It always had a good, strong Christian message. There would be a point when the devil and his demons would come out. (I have always been afraid of clowns, so seeing a guy in red face paint was always the scary part of the night.) Then Jesus would arrive and conquer over all. It reminded us kids that no matter what the devil tries to do, God is more powerful than anything. He loves us so much He sent His son to die in our place, to save us.
When I got to the age where I understood the meaning of Halloween, I was allowed to trick or treat a few times. I enjoyed the costumes and the candy, but looking back on my childhood I have more memories of the fun I had at church, where my parents didn't have to go through the candy, and follow behind me in a car, or be concerned I'd see costumes that were distasteful or scary.
I have yet to have children (I would like to finish college first), and I'm not real sure if I'm going to let my children trick or treat, I'll worry about it when I get there I suppose.
If you show your children anything on Halloween I'd recommend going to youtube and looking up Carman.He's a good Christian singer from the 90's and his videos always got my attention as a kid,especially "Witches Invitation" (Though the graphics are quite dated, view it yourself before showing it to any of your children, I do not recommend it for Alex or Dennis especially.). Let them know that yes, there is evil in the world, but God is the one who is in control, and in the end it is He who wins.
There is something so special about small town or close neighborhood Halloween, that to miss it is in my opinion, a shame. Funny, I thought about Phil 4:8 referenced above, but don't find Trick or Treat to violate that. Halloween is a way to thumb your nose at death, to laugh and to say, "you don't scare me!" which we all know is not entirely true but is a reasonable approach to the issue for a day! I encourage our children not to dress in evil costumes, but I don't know that I would prohibit a witch dress, all the while extolling the virtues of a princess theme! Since we don't believe in, support or practice witchcraft, making fun of it seems harmless and an opportunity to discuss points of view. I did use the holiday as an excuse to bring home a mangy black cat roaming near my office for fear of what might happen to him, and got past my DH's objections to a new cat! Now he loves the cat, who is a treasure. So Halloween will always be a special memory for me, as I am so happy to have my new pet (this will be his 2d "safe" Halloween). I do hate the negative side of Halloween, and the drunkenness of some celebrations, but the same could be said of Ohio State football games!
Sherry
Love the Reformation Day celebration idea!
We never acknowledge Halloweeen, because I have a friend who was a satanic ritual abuse victim, and I've heard enough about the horrors of this 'holiday' committed upon innocent children to make me scream, cry, and grieve for the rest of my life if I really let myself go.
I'm with Martha, too, about Christians labeling each other "self-righteous" because some choose to speak out on something they strongly believe is wrong.
We celebrate all things fall. Pumpkins, walks in parks, barn parties, bobbing for apples, we Trick or Treat. We do not do the real scary stuff but the older kids like a little of it! And, dressing up is such fun!
Loved the commentary you posted...I agree with most of it too. Thanks Christine. Good stuff.
We do do Halloween. I make the costume for Aidan and then we gather some of the neighbor kids and have a fun kid kind of dinner with monster punch. . .but then we take our candy and we go to the town parade where the kids receive the candy they get from us neighbors or from the firemen or policemen or from other "safe" people. We usually have a float or two from the area churches which is pretty neat because it is a place for the kids to so some god given creativity. In years past we even had a Blessing of the munchkins ceremony at our church, which was a lot of fun. The following Day is All Saints day and we go to celebrate all of those persons, known and unknown, who have joined the Saints in heaven during the past year. It makes us remember that, although Halloween started out as a Pagan holiday, the Christians have transformed it into something that is more Godly (All Hallows Eve, or All Saints Eve).
God Bless!
It would be wonderful if everyone would keep Halloween a fun holiday but in my area there is some kind of competition for blood, gore, and scarry effects in decorations. It's one thing to have a good time and another to scare young children so that they are crying and fearful of nightmares over the images they now have in their minds. It's no longer a holiday for a couple of days but the entire month of October people decorate their houses and yards with headless corpses, and bloody arms sticking up from the earth and numerous skeletons hanging from trees. How can we justify this as just harmless fun to our children? Obviously it is an attempt to bring fear to our youngest, most vunerable little ones. I have to find another way to drive home at night because of the *harmless* fun my neighbors are having. It takes me over an hour to settle one of my children down for bed because the images torment her at night. It's just not fun in my area when Halloween starts.
We don't celebrate it and we don't not celebrate it. I know that sounds dumb. When I say we don't celebrate it, I mean... we don't decorate our house all up, I don't read Halloween books to the kids, we don't go trick-or-treating. When I say we do celebrate it... we do carve a jack o'lantern, we dress the kids up and take them to the local church harvest fest. That's all. I don't like all the emphasis on death and darkness, to me CHristians need to celebrate the Light. But, neither am I going to tell the little children dressed up knocking on my door for candy that they are celebrating Satan's Holiday. So, we just kind of ignore it as a holiday.
I am not a fan of Halloween, but my daughter does dress up and we go to our church's "fall festival', We will take her to a few houses around our neighborhood, but usually not very many. I do not tend to decorate our house, except for the jack a lantern that she makes some years (remember I am not a fan. So some years we get them done, some we don't). We do not usually get real into it, but I don't completely keep her from it either.
Hi! Locally for Halloween several churches are having parties at the churches so the children do not have to go out into the neighborhoods. A couple of the churches have asked the children not to wear costumes and donate money that they would have spent on the costumes to the poor poor.At the local mall many merchants have gotten together and ask that chldren walk the mall and get candy from the merchants instead of going out into the local neighborhoods. Some feel it is safer to walk in the mall. In order to do this walk the children must purchase a ticket and the money from the ticket goes to a local children's organization.Blessing, Pat
Life is short. Celebrate every chance you get no matter what your spiritual beliefs. (and leave the judging to G*d)
Christine, what a great topic. I've really enjoyed reading your thoughts and your readers' thoughts.
Our family is similar to yours in how we celebrate, but this is a holiday that makes it difficult to be "in the world but not of the world." It's hard to go shopping for an innocent child's costume in the midst of bloody and provacative ones. It can be difficult to make the focus about fall fun, when the world wants it to be about having fun with death and horror as its theme.
We spend Halloween at a church's fall festival which helps, but I'm always happy when that holiday is over and the next one focuses on being thankful.
Hope all is well (and everyone is well) at your house!
Blessings,
Kathie
This is strange to me also. I never put that much thought into Halloween as a child or now as an adult with my own children. Growing up we always decorated our house, wore costumes and went trick-or-treating. It was nothing more than fun. Same now with my kids. I don't get all deep about Halloween-it's just kids dressing up, getting candy, and having a good time.
I feel the same way as you do.
Like Hevel, I celebrate Purim. Like Sarah Bees I know more about the gore and sacrifices on this day than I would like.
I do celebrate autumn by celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths/Sukkot.
I have a tablecloth with autumn inspired colors and leaves and I also use this same cloth at Thanksgiving.
I do decorate with pumpkins but I do not carve them. I do celebrate autumn.
Marci - I second that! I think if we act with love, we can't do wrong.
Because you asked...
There are times that I wish you all in the states could witness what we do on a daily basis--demon activity/oppression/possession. It is real. Halloween, in our view, is an open door for demonic influence. Remember, satan is all about making light of his activities--"satan transforms himself as an angel of light {2 Cor. 11:14}.
I am not sharing this to condemn, but rather to exhort.
Blessings from the North,
Summer
We did Halloween as kids and my older adult children did Halloween. My daughter does it with her kids. We however, did not wear scary costumes.
I enjoy pumpkin carving! My girls do not like staying up past 6 pm so miss out on it . Both are medically fragile. I do hand out treats and love seeing what people come up with for costumes.
We only get a handful of trick or treaters here. Our church has a halloween alternative.
We celebrate halloween and I don't see it as worshipping the devil at all. I don't know what dressing up as a superhero or a princess or a puppy dog has to do with the Devil. Halloween is what YOU make it. Yes there are people who make it evil and scary but really it's just a time to pretend... imagination is a good, god-given talent. I don't see trick or treating as greedy.. I see it as sharing. And YES my kids ALWAYS say thank you.
No Halloween here. My parents did it in a mild way with us when we were children, trying to keep it clean and God-honoring. I have no problem with how they did it, but I have seen Halloween become more and more about gore and evil the older I get in this area of the USA, and I don't want any thing to do with it. We are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and aren't to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. So I'm happiest leaving it alone. We enjoy FALL for several months--pumpkins, leaves, yummy apple cider and candy corn . . . that's ALL of Oct and pretty much of November up until Thanksgiving is past. My children don't seem to feel any lack--we do enough fall-fun things.
I really don´t look too much into it....Its fun for the kids, period and we don´t do anything gory or scary...its dress up and fun with friends..
I know this is sorta off topic but you really should get the end of the spear movie..... The property our daughters orphanage was built on was owned by the Saint family. (weve done Fall fastivals but not trick or treating. We used to live out in the country where it wasnt possible then moved to the city and didnt know the neighbors and wanted to work at the church festival. I was so so sad to hear they werent doing it this year. I dont know what/ if we will do anything withMiss G this year. Im afraid it will be too much for her.
We celebrate Halloween and don't think much of it. The kids dress up and Trick-or-treat and maybe go to a party or two. They also have Harvest Festivals at school. We love this time of year!
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