Earlier this week there was a discussion on one of the local parenting groups on Facebook regarding when children are going out to Trick or Treat. I commented that if the children knocked on my door there would either be no answer or they would be turned away empty handed as we don’t celebrate Halloween. It was then followed with comments about which area has the best trick or treating in Bedford, I’ve seen it discussed on TV shows about which houses give out the best candy and things like that.
I decided not to respond further and walk away rather than cause issues, ultimately it’s their choice to celebrate. I didn’t think any more about it until I was driving home yesterday evening after dropping someone home following Connect Group. I got thinking about why do I not celebrate Halloween?
Growing up it was always a default, I mean I knew that we didn’t celebrate, we wouldn’t be going trick or treating and if anyone knocked at the door my parents would either ignore it or turn the people away empty handed. As a youth leader, I would help with alternate parties, for example Chill @ The Church back in 2008 (woah was it really that long ago!). I think I might have even attended a couple as a kid/teen myself.
The main question was “Why don’t I celebrate Halloween?”. Well me being a bit of a nerd went off to have a look at where Halloween originates from. So first up, a festival around this time of year reaches back all the way to ancient Irish and Scottish traditions. With the days getting darker earlier and the changing of the seasons following harvest, there was a lot of superstition associated with the time of year, including the belief that the spirits of the dead would wander the earth looking for bodies to inhabit. Since the living didn’t want to be possessed they would dress up in costume and try to frighten the spirits away. A bit later in history the festival was adopted by the Catholic Church and merged into a new set of festivals with an early version of what could have become Trick or Treat.
So should Christians celebrate Halloween, well most come down on the no side but there is an opinion that would imply that it’s okay within reason.
Let’s start with why we shouldn’t. In the first instance, it celebrates evil. Everyone celebrates differently but think about what you’re dressing up as – ghosts, vampires and witches etc. Sometimes it’s something harmless like a princess or ballerina but it’s still Halloween. It can be seen that Halloween is a celebration focused on reminds, devils, spirits etc therefore it’s best to steer clear.
Having said that it isn’t necessarily wrong to dress up in costume and go trick or treating. However personally I’d rather steer clear.
Now I do know of Christians who do celebrate Halloween and that’s their choice but our choice is not to celebrate.
Are you celebrating Halloween?
I respect your stance but totally disagree, especially about it being a “celebration of evil”. Evil is what people do that hurts other people, and there is no element of that in traditional Halloween celebrations. I also find it strange that people whose religion is based on so many supernatural things like virgin births, miracles and people rising from the dead have such a problem with non-Christian beliefs in similar things, which is essentially what Halloween is all about. Anyhow, whatever you’re doing tonight and tomorrow, have a great weekend.
I’m not saying don’t celebrate if you want to just sharing my opinion and why I don’t and I know that not all Christians share the same opinions so there’s people out there who are Christians and will disagree with me too and that’s okay. It’s just an opinion.
I totally agree!
My two-cents worth; I’ve always had a take it or leave it or leave it feeling about it. However, I’ve always loved to dress up for it. Never scary because I want to welcome kids. The last few years I haven’t dressed up but that has more to do with energy than anything.
Btw, my one and only successful pregnancy was healed on Halloween 28 years ago. I felt her move into place. My doctor told me I’d had a tubal pregnancy and the tube was stretched nearly to the point of breaking. He told me that does not happen. Ever. But he was a Christian and believed in miracles. He said she was indeed a miracle.
I’ve reclaimed this day. That is what the Catholic Church did. I don’t hand out tracts like some do, I just give my trick-or-treaters love and fun, something I know Jesus would do.
I totally understand your stance. I’m not a huge fan of Halloween, but I’m doing it for my son. I could totally take it or leave it though.
Also, I nominated you for a Liebster award on my blog today http://www.bethietheboo.com/2014/10/liebster-award.html
Hannah, I am not (nor would I) question your right to your opinion, especially on your own blog! Individual choice is a very important thing. However, I do have to strongly dispute Lily’s use of the word “reclaim”, especially in regard to the Catholic Church holding a festival on this weekend. They did what they did with all their festivals – they decided to celebrate them on dates that were already festivals in the Roman Empire and other territories they were trying to get themselves established in – Christmas, Easter, All Hallows, same story in each case. It was about trying to integrate a new religion into traditional, already existing calendars to improve acceptance, a calculated political move. At the end of the day it’s up to each individual what they want to do with Halloween but I remain very uncomfortable with casual dismissing of other belief systems.
I celebrate for the candy. Otherwise it’s nothing more than another Holiday for Hallmark and Retail Shops to make money on.
So long as you are confident in your beliefs it’s up to you on if you want to celebrate or not and it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.
Halloween is fun! My little one was a little mouse and she helped hand out candy – well she didn’t really help, but all in all we just had a chill night. It really is up to you on whether you partake or not, no harm done 🙂
I totally respect your opinion! I grew up celebrating Halloween for the non-religious aspects and I think it’s almost engrained in me now. I love the decor, the candy, the movies – you name it, I’m in. 😉
We celebrate Halloween. My daughter doesn’t like any of the scary parts though. She’s 8 so ours is about fun costumes candy and having fun with family and friends.
We celebrate as in dressing up and going to get candy, just a ridiculously secularized holiday, but that’s my family and whatnot. I just pass out candy because I think the whole idea of dressing up and begging for candy (especially when most kids in our neighborhood are actually teenagers being obnoxious) is just dumb.
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