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Halloween can be a tricky subject in some Christian circles. Some see it as harmless fun while others think participating in it is to shake hands with Satan. I grew up with Halloween in a Christian home, yet my own family doesn’t participate in it. Here are some reasons why.
But first
When Christians give reasons for not participating in something, whether it’s dating or homeschooling, emotions can run high and all sides can get upset as they feel like their personal convictions are under attack. That’s not the intention of this article. I believe Halloween mostly falls in neutral territory, not going against God’s character while also not benefiting much.
All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. (1 Corinthians 10:23)
My wife and I try to be very purposeful with our parenting decisions (link), trying to focus on the adults we’re creating. Our reasons for not participating in Halloween actually have very little to do with evil and everything to do with how we’ve been convicted to love and serve our children and other believers. We’ve even told our older ones that they are free to do Halloween with their own families if their convictions allow them to do so.
#1 Origins, themes, and Christians discomfort
We’ll get the more common reason out of the way. There’s no getting around the dark nature of Halloween. Fear is celebrated, horror and death are made entertaining, and whatever discomfort someone has with things like witchcraft or Satanism is magnified on the occult’s version of Christmas. However, that’s not specifically what guides our decision.
Although Christians are certainly called to resist the celebration of evil, there are plenty of ways to take part in Halloween while rejecting the negative bits. However, it is out of love for those Christians who are bothered by the holiday that we don’t take part in it.
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13)
As Christians, we can celebrate Halloween without condemnation. We have freedom through Christ’s death to let the Holy Spirit guide our consciences, oftentimes leading Christians toward very different convictions that still honor and glorify God. However, it’s easy to become selfish with that freedom and use it to justify doing whatever we want, heedless of our testimony and the impact it has on our brothers and sisters.
Many Christians see Halloween as a huge deal. Whether it’s the Devil costumes, horror, or the darker ties the holiday has with the occult, this particular day can become a huge stumbling block for Christians. People become shocked that others so joyfully celebrate the holiday without thinking, and it can cause unnecessary rifts in Christian fellowship.
Whether others are right or wrong, we are called to love them more than ourselves. And in this way, not celebrating Halloween is one way we attempt to do that as a family. Our testimony and relationship with others are important, and in this particular case, we are willing to go without a fun holiday out of care and mindfulness of others.
#2 Celebrating sinful mindsets
As we consider what sort of adults we’re creating, my wife and I had to look at what Halloween would really be about. Dressing up in costumes is fun, but they can do that any time throughout the year. People love getting candy, but our kids eat it so rarely that we regularly have to throw out their candy stashes because they get old. So what would make Halloween so special?
People giving them stuff because they’re wearing costumes, and they’re encouraged to consume that candy rapidly.
We are all raising kids in an age where everyone thinks they deserve things simply because they want it. Money, fame, relationships, you name it and there is someone who thinks the world owes it to them. In a worldview like that, humility must be pushed aside to make room for an overwhelming amount of pride and greed.
When we look beyond the fun costumes and scary movies, the entirety of Halloween for kids is built on entitlement and greed. Kids expect overpriced pieces of plastic and fabric so they can have the best costume. They eagerly look forward to knocking on doors to be given things for free. They can’t wait to get home and gorge themselves on sugar because that’s just what you do on Halloween.
It’s important to teach children a consistent worldview. Nearly every day, Christian parents find themselves battling a child’s natural tendency towards sin. We try to teach them the depths of their sin nature, the destructiveness of pride, the importance of humility, and the value of self-control.
With those things in mind, the very concept of Halloween seems to be at odds with the biblical principles we teach every day. For one day every year, we would tell our kids to go get the candy that people are expected to give them, try to have a better outfit than everyone else, and throw caution aside as they give in to their gluttony just this once. Despite the very fun aspects of Halloween, it’s important for us to teach our children to be consistent with their beliefs, and Halloween’s lack of redeeming qualities has contributed to our conviction to avoid the holiday.
#3 Keeping up the tradition
Eventually, kids must outgrow trick-or-treating much like they outgrow birthday parties at a bounce-house and certain parts of Christmas. However, the fascinating thing about holidays is that we always feel compelled to keep up the tradition. We may not celebrate it like we did when we were 10, but we still want to keep it alive because, by growing up with it, celebrating it has become a part of our worldview.
With that, we had to consider what value Halloween would have as they got older. If they grew up celebrating it like everyone else, what might it look like to celebrate it as teens or adults? Often, it will still involve getting dressed up and going somewhere. Yet what else does that usually entail?
Halloween for people under 30 is certain to include a measure of drinking, immodest costumes, or an abandonment of self-control. People are encouraged to go out and cause trouble, get drunk, party, have sex, and in general embrace a night of foolishness.
Of course, I’d like to think my kids would never take part in all of that. I’d hope they would enjoy a night at home, or perhaps take part in some church-sponsored youth event. Yet there’s no guarantee that my kids will follow Christ as they gain more independence, nor can I be assured that my desire for their holiness won’t blind me to the sinful path they may follow as they get older.
By making a regular celebration of Halloween a part of their upbringing, they are encouraged to keep up the tradition. Whether they are following Christ or not, the desire to do something like everyone else that night won’t leave them with many good options, and I don’t want to burden them with the temptation to compromise themselves for the sake of celebrating a holiday they’ve always enjoyed.
The candy holiday
Coincidentally, celebrating Halloween is like eating candy. It’s an enjoyable activity, but in the end it holds little value and can lead to some serious issues. Unlike Easter or Christmas, there’s simply nothing Christ-honoring about the core of Halloween that can help us outweigh the celebration of greed that has become attached to the holidays. It’s purely a time of giving in to our desires.
For our family, Halloween just isn’t worth it. It’s understandably hard for our kids to hear their friends talk about it year after year, and as their parents we want them to take part in fun things. However, we also want to encourage our entire home to prioritize convictions over desires.
Our decision about Halloween isn’t made lightly, but instead is the result of careful prayer and consideration. We want all of our decisions to honor God, and that sometimes takes the form of setting aside immediate pleasure for long-term benefits. I know there are those who will give out gospel tracts or DVDs along with full-sized candy bars, while others are able to celebrate it like everyone else without issue.
Again, we don’t look down on others who take part in the holiday.Most people don’t think much about it because they’ve always celebrated Halloween and have never found themselves sacrificing a goat under a full moon. Yet as Christians, it’s important for us to be mindful of why we do the things we do. Do we celebrate Halloween because it builds up the spiritual walk of us and our children, or do we simply do it because it’s a tradition?
I’d like to end by considering this passage in Romans:
One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. (Romans 14:5-8)
Although Paul is talking about specific Jewish holy days, the principle here is important to understand when we consider any holiday. Whether we take part in Halloween or choose to avoid it, why are we doing it? Never should any decision we make be about pursuing happiness or cultural tradition, but should always be about bringing God the greatest glory. Our lives are His, and to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in our convictions will bring us far more joy than enjoying or abstaining from wherever our desires lead us.
So if you celebrate Halloween, celebrate it for the Lord. If you abstain from it, abstain for the Lord. Whatever you choose to do at the end of October, do it to the glory of God.
