What are your thoughts on celebrating Halloween? Do you let your kids dress up and go trick-or-treating? If that’s too much, what about hell houses? What about fall festivals? In your opinion, what is and is not ok to do in celebration?
When I was a kid my parents never let me go trick-or-treating. The only times I got dressed up was for the fall festival at my church (and then the costumes there had to be of biblical characters). I don’t feel like I really missed out on much, but that’s not the point here. I know what my parents thought was wrong. Now I want to know what you believe is acceptable or unacceptable for Halloween.
MSE
Filed under: Blog Update, Christian Living, Question
If it were widely celebrated as a pagan holiday, I would forbid my children from participating in the harmless fun of dressing up and getting candy. I don’t let them dress up as witches, vampires, or the like, simply because of the images and lore that surround them. But I don’t think it’s devilish or dishonoring to Christ to let them trick or treat.
We always had the kids friends over and had a cookout before taking the crew out trick or treating. It was always a hoot to watch some of them try to eat in their costumes
As Jason said, it’s not widely celebrated as a pagan holiday. We always took it in good fun. We also usually did book characters being the avid reading family that we are.
I personally would prefer that my daughter didn’t go out trick or treating, but her mother and I differ on the issue and it’s not a big enough deal for me to get into a big argument over it. My daughter doesn’t ‘celebrate’ Halloween though, and certainly has no ideas about its origins (not that the origins matter much). She just likes the idea of getting candy for free. Oh, and like Jason, I’ve never let her dress up as anything that represents something evil. Last year she was a doctor, the year before that she was Bat Girl.
Oh, and you might find this interesting as I think it’s relevant to the topic.
Halloween isn’t much different than observing Mithra’s birthda . . . er, I mean Christmas.
Ok, that was a bit tongue in cheek.
I wonder if Paul’s words concerning meat sacrificed to idols has any bearing here.
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