Do You Celebrate Halloween?
Usually this time of year there are all kinds of debates about “should Christians celebrate Halloween”? Of course if you’re a really good Christan it seems you will simply have a “fall festival” where you will do exactly what everyone else does on Halloween (costumes and candy) except you’ll only invite Christians which somehow makes it OK. 
Please note, I believe this is a personal decision. If you and your family don’t celebrate Halloween, then I totally respect that decision.
As you can probably tell from last years Halloween picture, we do. Our kids dress up, we carve a pumpkin and take all the candy we possibly can from our neighbors. You could say we celebrate Halloween but I think we celebrate our kids, friends and neighbors.
1) My kids. My kids love to dress up. Jett’s going as Satan, Gage is going to be an evil spirit, and Brewer the angel of death. Just kidding!! They’re going to be a biker, a power ranger, and an Indian. They’ve been fired up all week about designing their pumpkins and running around the neighborhood. We’re going to have a blast.
2) My friends. We usually have two other couples and their kids come over and enjoy the evening with us. We’ve actually gone trick-or-treating with THIS COUPLE 8 years in a row. It’s kind of become our little tradition.
3) My neighbors. This is an awesome chance for me to build a bridge with my non-Christian, non-church going neighbors. Think of it as Tuesday night visitation, only this time they’re coming to you. Many will drop by the house and we’ll get a chance to talk about all kinds of things that might serve as a bridge to future conversations and future opportunities to build relationships. I’m probably not going to drop a “christian tract” in their kids bag, but I do want to drop a little sincere Christian love their way.
So have a Happy Halloween, or happy fall… or just have a nice weekend!
Pete
So what do you think about Halloween? Any exciting plans?
79 Comments:
We’re going to a party at some friends house – our whole staff is invited, then we’re going to get to know their neighborhood a little bit (read, take candy from them). I love Halloween!
[Reply]
Travis Thompson
7:53 am
It’s all good w/ Halloweeb for the Williams’ family. It looks like you might be doing the same thing we did my oldest son is a tackle football plwer… saves money on the costume. BTW- Your uniforms are similar to ours are they the Panthers? Nevermind probably the Titans! Have Fun!
[Reply]
Scott Williams
7:54 am
You are definitely right! Most Christians do the same thing everyone else does, but they just package it differently.
My wife and I are dressing up in homemade tin soldier costumes and showing up at our friends houses to silly string them and video tape it for the blog. Imature? yes…probably, but a lot of fun.
[Reply]
Kevin Murrell
7:55 am
Watching my daughter be escorted at Homecoming tonight. No not as a princess, but as a Senior ASB leader.. wow.. I cannot believe my girl is all grown up.
[Reply]
Heidi (san diego)
7:58 am
@heido (san deigo) that’s exciting. Tell her “congrats” for me! I hope she enjoys every second of it. Those are special nights.
[Reply]
Pete Wilson
8:06 am
Well..we LOVE Halloween and actually conquer two pretty big neighborhoods and get as much loot as we can.
I’m actually dressing up this year too. Maybe bc its on Friday night I’m a little excited. My boys are a skeleton, cutest batman ever, and a pretty scary jester thats gonna scare any kid under 6.
[Reply]
Fran
8:12 am
we do both! the neighborhood thing as a chance to meet new neighbors and to build some bridges…. but also go to the festival to grow closer with our family there and invite others with us to check out the family.
So yeah we’re the festival go-ers that you so proudly mock..
and we’re proud of it!…. any chance we get to be around ‘the family’ we take it! 
and I think having an alternate thing to do for our kids is a great thing.
I think birgit had an interesting blog about Halloween though — halloween, it’s pagan origin, the spiritual forces at work is not an issue taken lightly for many people – especially those with past wicken experience & cults.
BUT as always I’ll just use the grocery store approach here. take what I agree with, what inspires me and steps on my toes to get me to evaluate myself…. and leave the rest I disagree with that bothers me
[Reply]
randi :)
8:17 am
love your thoughts. we do the same. it’s just fun for our family. (and i can’t WAIT to raid their candy for some Snickers!)
[Reply]
Courtney
8:26 am
We bow out, respectfully. We felt convicted a couple of years ago and we are being obedient to that. However, we would not judge anyone else for whatever they do on Halloween. It is our conviction and our decision (no trick or treating, no packaged and tied with a Christian bow trunk or treat or whatever either). Both of my kids are sick tonight. I guess we’ll just pop in Tinker Bell and eat popcorn on Mommy’s bed. Maybe a pizza is in the mix too?
Have fun w/your family!
Heidi Reed
[Reply]
candidchatter
8:30 am
WHen my sons were young, we did not celebrate Halloween at all.Our church really frowned upon it.(a choice I now regret)
It was celebrated in the schools heavily, so on the big day, I wouldn’t send my kids. Instead I would take them to a children’s museum, Chuckie’s CHeese’s, Fun day, etc.
Looking back, I wished I would have let them dress up in the Fun costumes and participated in some of the school activities.
My oldest son recently shared with me how this bothered him and how he felt that he missed out on a huge part of “childhood fun memories”. I felt really bad.
I tried to explain to him that I really thought I was somehow protecting them from “evil”- it was done from a motive of love,then I apologized for my ignorance.
Although he’s 24, I’m sending him some Halloween candy in a halloween “bucket” with a note saying “This is the day the Lord has made…REJOICE and be glad in it!”
[Reply]
SHerri & Alan Murphy
8:38 am
When my kids were little, we took them Trick or Treating. We never allowed them to dress as anything scary or evil. Just good clean fun. There’s nothing wrong with good, clean, family fun.
[Reply]
Starwoodgal
8:50 am
@candidchatter, Very cool. I respect that. Sounds like lots of fun. Hope your kids feel better soon.
@randi, hope you guys have fun as well. If our church did the “festival” thing I’m sure we would be there as well.
[Reply]
Pete Wilson
8:51 am
We completely agree with you on this one. We host a bon fire and hayride each year, where children of all ages (0-100) dress up. Anyone and everyone is welcome. There are numerous crockpots of chili and hot dog roasting. Our neighbors say that when our hay wagon stops, it looks like a bunch of roaches scattering as the little candy beggars run off to knock on doors. Our friends and neighbors have come to expect this gathering every year. We cannot get away with not having it nor would we want to. We are so excited that this year it is on Friday, so we will be able to hang out by the fire longer and the sugar induced kids can run til their hearts content and play hide-and-seek in the dark.
[Reply]
Melissa
8:56 am
Halloween is my favorite holiday! I guess that makes me a bad Christian:)
I really don’t see what the big deal is. Christians have Christmas trees don’t they? Guess what people…that comes from a pagan tradition.
Now go dress up like a ghost!
[Reply]
Morgan
9:04 am
We LOVE Halloween at our house!! We make frito boats for the neighborhood…and buy the great candy for them…NO apples or pretzels…We love the opportunity to connect with the people around us!!! By the way just incase you don’t know what a Frito boat is…its a little back of fritos with chili and cheese dumped into it that you eat with a fork of course…Very messy…but yummy!
[Reply]
Brandi P.
9:06 am
We usually will rent a scary movie and see if anyone shows up. Now that my sister and I are both too old to go out and beg for candy (we’re both 20), we usually will just stay home and see what costumes the neighborhood kids are wearing this year.
Does anyone know if Halloween (the michael myers movie) is any good? we rented it, and i’ve never seen it before.
[Reply]
nigel
9:07 am
I borrowed a screen, projector, and sound system from the church and we’re setting it up in the front yard to show “The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” for whoever stops by. We also have some friends we roam the neighborhood with each year. Love it!
[Reply]
AdamF
9:12 am
Growing up we didn’t celebrate Halloween – my parents were Independant Fundamental Baptist. Halloween was the devil’s birthday. There were one or two “fall festivals” we did go to later on.
Now that I have kids we do Halloween – I still have never carved a pumpkin though, we said we would this year but the pumpkins still sit untouched in our kitchen – I did let the kids attack them with markers
[Reply]
Dana
9:13 am
HA HA Pete. You are hilarious! This made me LOL. Just one question, how do you pass out candy and go trick or treating at the same time? Do you take shifts? I obviously don’t have kids.
[Reply]
Megan
9:23 am
I’ve been wishy washy in many areas, but not with Halloween. I believe ya gotta stand for something or you’ll fall for anything. I know…it’s a country song…but it’s still true. Satan disguises himself as an angel of candy. I beleive it’s his subtle invitation to get better acquainted. Some don’t fall for his tricks, but many have taken the bait.
[Reply]
Christy Johnson
9:27 am
I guess I would say we celebrate Candy! My oldest daughter and I will hand it out… it is a fun way to meet the neighbors from all over the ‘hood (look at me sounding all hip and stuff..not!! – and you know it would have been quicker for me to type neighborhood than all this stuff following ‘hood… but I digress).
My youngest will dress up as something non-threatening… this year she is going as Obama.
Just kidding!!!
I think she is going as a hobo… for the PC crowd that would be a socially disadvantaged individual that has limited capability to take advantage of commonly approachable opportunities.
We invite her friends and their parents (all who are ‘unchurched’ or ‘prechristian’ or ‘on-their-way-to-hell’ … you pick the label that is comfortable) to join in the Candy Gauntlet … that mad dash from door step to door step in the hopes of getting more candy than the next person without stepping on flowers, running into a car, or tripping over a family pet all while tasting the stale condensation that forms inside the plastic mask whose eye-holes don’t match up with your own and are sharp enough to cut the eyebrows off your face.
I am not sure how one goes about celebrating Halloween… but I know how we celebrate the candy… we give away while the daughter takes in…. it makes no sense at all except that there is joy in dressing up and running the gauntlet.
[Reply]
tonyyork
9:33 am
Halloween is MY BIRTHDAY!! I am happily turning 34 today. It is of course my favorite holiday. We celebrate big every year. It is too much fun. I so get to be a kid with my kids on this day!
[Reply]
Kelly
9:33 am
We are stuck in the hosp..but they do a bunch of stuff with the kids.. I know Madi is excited to trick/treat at all the different nurses stations. She is excited to be wearing her Sumo wrassler costume.
[Reply]
Adam
9:36 am
Christy, honestly I think Satan is smarter than to pick the most obvious day of the year to be the day he attacks. I’m not saying he wouldn’t, I’m just saying it doesn’t fit his usually cunning M.O.
Anyway, I think my wife and I are going to help toilet paper a neighbors house and yard. Watch out T. Hines…..
Good Times!
[Reply]
Harold
9:37 am
We love Halloween at our house! I hope that your boys have a great time trick-or-treating!
[Reply]
Ladybird
9:41 am
I hate seeing Christians huddle together on Halloween like it’s something to be feared.
This could be the ultimate night to reach out to our neighbors.
[Reply]
Chad Wright
9:53 am
Oh, and by reach out I don’t mean giving out bible verses tied to apples. GIVE OUT CANDY! The good stuff. Full-size candy bars. Rock it!
[Reply]
Chad Wright
9:53 am
Harold: Don’t throw too many stones here, but Halloween is the #1 night of the year for Satanic rituals and initiations. I’m just saying.
Heidi R.
[Reply]
candidchatter
9:54 am
Thank you Jesus! Another pastor who gets it. I have people in my congregation that keep asking, “Pastor why can’t we have a Harvest Festival like _____ church and _____ church?” I tell them, “Because ____ church and ____ church are doing them and you need to be in your neighborhood passing out tracts not candy… just kidding! You should be meeting your neighbors, sharing food and making fun.”
For years, as a tradition, we have had a huge chili feed at our house. People come over with their kids, we have games and give the adults a small wine glass. Then when everyone walks the neighborhood the kids get candy and the adults get a splash of wine (I know, I know – you California Christians!) It’s amazing what this has done to build a spirit of community within our community.
[Reply]
dan perkins
9:59 am
Charlie and I were just talking about how our, “Wilson Family Halloween” tradition is one of our favorites of the entire year!! So much so, that Gentry went shopping with me and picked out treats for all “the family members!” He was really into getting your boys and the neighbors fun stuff, too. My kids are sooooo excited!!!
I love all of your points, especially the “community” aspect of sharing time and extending hospitality with neighbors. I also have the “do whatever works best for your family” viewpoint on this topic. Great post!
[Reply]
Eve Annunziato
10:09 am
Great Post! Last night was our towns Trick or Treat. So we set up a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot where we meet. The response was overwhelming! We had tons of people come through, and was able to strike up a lot of conversations. Something we haven’t been able to do over the years at other ministries we were at. And the responses from people were great (funny) when we told them we were a church. We are looking forward to next year and how we can make it even better.
[Reply]
Kevin Grubinski
10:10 am
@Adam, praying for you guys while your in the hospital.
@Megan, we do shifts.
@Adam f., that is brilliant. I love that idea. I’m going to have to try that next year!!
[Reply]
Pete Wilson
10:29 am
Since opening my company, I’ve entered several business related social circles that include unbelievers who want to debate Christianity, or bait me into defending my faith. I believe you’re correct that situations like this allow us to open lines of communications between believers and unbelievers and build friendships based on respect. Debating won’t change a person’s mind. Friendship can. Scot
[Reply]
Scot Justice
10:30 am
We’ve struggled with this for several years…succeeding in confusing our kids. We now “do” halloween with the kids but also talk to them about how we are dressing up for fun (and candy
) but do not agree with “celebrating” the evil associated with halloween.
We also like to go around the neighborhood and see all the neighbors that we don’t see often during the year.
AND the kids are sooooo cute!
[Reply]
rjeter
10:30 am
I really appreciate my pastor who gets it!!
I grew up Free Will Baptist so we didn’t celebrate Halloween openly.( or anything else for that matter..unless it was a revival or a church meal) We had this secret little deal where we went to the “Harvest Festival” at church and then my mom would let us go trick or treating afterward. VERY COOL MOM!!
So tonight I’m taking my kids trick or treating.
[Reply]
Phil
10:32 am
Partying with some families from church…looking forward to a fun evening with friends.
[Reply]
thegibster
10:37 am
Yupp.
[Reply]
Kristin Zuvich
10:41 am
I wonder if the “Jesus Camp” kids dress up for halloween.
Yea…halloween rocks…unfortunately I have to work tonight. If you get any dark chocolate…save it for me.
[Reply]
tylerjewell
10:52 am
OK, i think it is amazing how God can change our perspective on theings as we grow up and start our own families and begin to set our own traditions.
As i was shopping in Wal-Mart(one of my favorite stores, TARGET of course ranking #1 for all time) i was talking with an older gentleman that worked there. Within the conversation he ask me if i went to church, and then he told me he was a local pastor in Nashville, he worked at Wal-Mart part time to help cover his wifes medical bills.
Anyway, to the point…he ask me to come to his church and told me a particular day to come. As he told me ” your looking at a pastor who believes in Halloween and i go ALL OUT decorating my house and the whole deal,and i believe that it can also be God’s holiday also. Being raised in a home where we did not dress up, and i can only remember going trick-or-treating one time at our Friends houses, i was excited to hear what he was going to say…
He began to tell me how one year he past by this house decked out in Halloween attire, He felt God tell him, ” i want you to use your talent to decorate your house for Halloween.” As he went home to tell his wife what God had told him, she said ok, and they went and got pumpkins and carved them,sat them on the porch and he smiled and said, felling good that he obeyed God’s voice…”ok God, we are decorated for Halloween” He then heard “no, son, I want you to make the house you saw earlier look rediculous”. So, he went out and bought a ton of decoration and decked his house out and realized the more things he put out the slower the cars started driving by, to see his house. So, the week went.
He had been excited about a new Elvis Christian CD’s that was coming out. He had saved up his money for a few weeks then he and his wife went into the Christian book store to get his Elvis cd’s. As he held them in his hand he heard God say put those down, you need to get these. As he looked at what he felt God telling him to get, he said “ok God, i am here to do what you want me too” so he grabbed the pile of tracks, his wife confused about why tracks and not his CD’s, she questioned him and he told her, well, this is what God told me to get. She said ” well we better get them than!”
He went home and was making little candy bags for the children, as the next night was halloween, He heard that still small voice once again saying, “you know those tracks i had you buy earlier, i want you to stick one in each of your little candy bags.” So obeying again, he began to put a track in each bag, not knowing what God had in store for him.
Halloween came and went, handing out all the bags to children who came to his house. The next day he received a call, a man on the other line began to tell him… we got home from trick-or-treating and my son was going through his candy and he found a bag of candy with this paper in it,i think we got it from your house, the man described the bag and verified that it was the bags he had put together…well the man said, my son can’t read yet so he brought this paper that was inside to me. As i read what was on that paper i realized that i needed this “Jesus person” in my life, so i prayed the prayer and i just wanted you to know i got saved. Thank you for putting that in my son’s bag.
As the older man sat there realizing why God had told him what to do each step of the way, he was amazed and was thanking God that he listened to the small voice as it had brought a lost child home to Him.
Well, that’s not all, a few days later the man called again and said, “Just want you to know i shared the track with my wife and she got saved too.” The man was so excited,all because he listen to God and celebrated a Holiday that Christians see as “satan’s” holiday….now to him it was a great way to share Jesus.
A week or so past the man called again saying “just want you to know i shared the track with a guy at work and he got saved”
another week later the man called ” just want you to know i was talking with a lady i work and shared the track with her and she got saved…he continually got these kinds of calls over the next few days and by the last call the man whose son had originally got the bag of candy had shared it with his wife and five others who inturn got saved!!!
As the pastor shared that stoy with me i was in awe of how, when we listen, God can do AMAZING things in our life!!!
The gentleman was still so excited about the time, years ago that God spoke to him and told him decorate his house for Halloween.
If your wondering, the pastor went to church one Sunday and went out to his car after service and in his car sat the Elvis cd’s that he was wanting but instead bought the tracks that God prompted him to by that day…and look at the reward the man received by listening to God’s voice.
For me, this change my whole outlook on Halloween. I am now excited about it, instead of feeling gulity for wanting to celebrate it. I am looking forward to this halloween and i am taking my son trick-or-treating and we are going to have a GREAT time!!!
Now i get the saying a little better,”God works in mysterous ways.” We serve an AWESOME God, lets not forget and listen to the small voices in our hearts…we never know the blessings that God may be trying to give us.
Have a great halloween and remember God can make any holiday His, and use it to further His kingdom.
Sorry this entry was so long, but i thought it was worth sharing
[Reply]
Kallie
10:55 am
Kallie…great story, glad you shared it. Our family does the whole decorate and costuems on Halloween. I think it is just another time to get together with friends and family and enjoy each others company. We have gone with the same family the last 3 yrs and hopefully the tradition sticks. Last year was a hard Halloween for me…and I think the costumes and plans with friends actually got me through what could have been a difficult day. God’s planning is awesome.
[Reply]
Sarah B
10:59 am
So we don’t celebrate here. Not really anyway. My daughter is 7 and for the first 5 years of her life, she did with her birth parents. But we don’t. I felt convicted a couple of years ago, and have since done some reading, praying and learning on the issue. My personal belief is that this is not something that would make Jesus happy. And this is what we have told our daughter. This morning, she said she really wished she could go trick or treating so she could get the candy and I realized I had a perfect moment to teach her about the way the enemy works. I told her that that is EXACTLY what the devil wants…for us to be lured by selfish gain…in this case candy. That he uses things like this to draw us away from God. She understands this, and actually, agrees that Halloween probably “makes Jesus’ heart heavy”.
So what do we do? We give out candy and blessings. We are not going to ‘snub’ our neighbors…we live here too but we take it as an opportunity to spread His word, in some small little way. Last year we gave out Veggie Tales fruit snacks. Last year, our daughter wasn’t with us. This year, she will go with Daddy to a friends house (I’m recovering from knee surgery and really don’t want to have to go to the door every few min) where the kids will play and dress up and give out candy to those who come knocking. We think this is a compromise…not letting her ‘celebrate’ by getting, but rather by giving and spreading the love of Christ.
Is it hypocritical? Maybe.
[Reply]
lori
11:01 am
Great stuff, Pete. Halloween as a missions holiday… That’s a way to turn it around! By the way, can I guard the candy tonight? Last year, it all mysteriously disappeared when I wasn’t looking…
[Reply]
Charlie Neese
11:01 am
I gave our home to the junior high pastor to use for this year’s outreach. Usually we have jh’s help w/ the harvest party. This year it is full fledged Halloween party (no scary/skimpy costumes) at our home. We will even have an egging and pumpkin smash station. I am pretty much freaking out in a calm sort of way, imagining 50 – 75 7th, 8th, and 9th graders running around my home this eve. Feel free to pray for me if you have a moment :0).
Have fun and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
[Reply]
Roxanne Kristina
11:02 am
I cannot wait for tonight…I get to pull out all of my picketing signs and protest Satan’s Night. Some of the signs I use are: “God hates Halloween” “If you go to Disney you’re going to Hell” “You think Dressing like Satan’s Funny, Wait Until you Meet Him” “There’s no R.I.P. (Rest in Peace) in Hell” “I hope that candy’s worth an eternity of burning” – I don’t know there’s just something about the sound of a bullhorn ringing throughout my neighborhood as I protest the evilness in the name of JESUS!!! Last year, I kicked those people off my property who thought I was just putting on a funny Halloween skit, Heathens!!!
- -
Just kidding
Yeah we have fun taking our kids through the neighborhood and letting them dress up and go out trick or treating. Sometimes we partner with some friends and let the kids go out together. Its great fun!
[Reply]
ncarnes
11:04 am
I always think it’s good when Christian’s take the opportunity to segregate themselves from the rest of the world. That’s EXACTLY what Christ meant when He said, to be in the world, but not of it.
Let’s celebrate the God in everybody and marvel in the creativity (which God created) found in costumes, yard decor and of course, personalities.
Kyle
[Reply]
Kyle
11:17 am
@Lori, Very cool.
@ncarnes, You are so not right!
[Reply]
Pete Wilson
11:18 am
I pastor a church and we host an event called “Noche de la luz” (night of the light). I’m not interested in writing a dissertation here, but I am patently aware that there is certainly heightened spiritual activity during this season. Our event, though church based, is not just for Christians. In fact we have had people become Christians and attend our church because they loved the event. We simply create an atmosphere that is safer and provides fun, games, puppet shows with a moral lesson and of course candy! Because we have tons of people from the community in attendance, we have people dressed like dracula, Satan and everyone inbetween. Our goal is not to determine for others how they should live their lives, our goal is to find the most creative ways in every season to make Christ known.
[Reply]
Joseph
11:19 am
Dressing up is awesome.
Me being 6’7, 235lbs doesn’t give me a lot of options (uh Chewbacca) but my son LOVES dressing up.
This year he went as a Clone Trooper. What is so great is that you might be 1 of a 1000 Clone Troopers and that makes it even better. Now you are part of an army
We don’t celebrate Halloween. We do celebrate the creativity that God has given each and every one of us.
[Reply]
Joseph Louthan
11:20 am
heck yes we celebrate! the kids would have it no other way, plus its a great time to meet neighbors, hang out with friends, and just enjoy life!
[Reply]
alex
11:26 am
i agree. your last note about Halloween being an opportunity to visit with neighbors is exactly our conclusion as to why we embrace the day and why we are not going to go to some “Trick or Trunk” things at local churches like some of our other Christian friends. We spend so much time on the go that we choose to embrace any opportunity to find a little common ground with our neighbors, especially those we might meet for the first time on Halloween as a result of walking the neighborhood with our kids. Our prayer is that God will use us to meet someone and grow a relationship past this night that impacts their lives in a positive way.
[Reply]
daniel d
11:30 am
We don’t really do Halloween, and the Fall Festivals that are held on Halloween night really used to bug me. But our old church, New Life in CO Springs, hosts an awesome Fall Festival that has totally changed my mind. They advertise it on the radio and t.v. and thousands of non church members show up for the fun. It’s a great outreach time.
[Reply]
Sarah Valente
11:34 am
My son was 5 years old when I accepted Christ. We attended a church where it was not acceptable to ‘dress up’. When I think back over the last 8 years, I now see the hypocrisy. For the ‘halloween alternative’ we would attend the church’s harvest festival. But on Halloween night, we would dress up and go trick or treating.
My son is now 13 years old, and for over a month, we have been planning for Halloween. It’s all about family – it’s about going to the pumpkin patch, picking out the best pumpkins together, then picking out the best design to carve the pumpkins together, then carving the pumpkins, roasting the pumpkin seeds, eating them together, and assembling our costumes together. It’s about togetherness, and doing family time.
I agree with you, Pete – Halloween is not about anything except celebrating family time – and who wouldn’t want to make it just that?
[Reply]
Vicki
11:40 am
Satan, evil spirit and the angel of death. lol
We usually stay home so we can hand out the candy and since we’re normally celebrating my b-day. The kids love seeing all the costumes.
Like you, I think it’s a little silly that we can “christianize” Halloween into a “Fall Festival” and do the same things (except we dress our kids up as Bible characters).
I heard someone say that not only should Christians participate in Halloween, we should be known for giving the most and best candy around.
[Reply]
bradruggles
11:40 am
Oh I love this! I NEVER let my go trick-or-treating and we NEVER carved a pumpkin! We DID go to church fairs dressed as Bible characters though! Then one year my husband was in the hospital on Halloween and my neighbor dressed my kids up, carved pumpkins and took them trick-or-treating…they had so much fun. Talked about it for days and days…I thought what the heck am I afraid of? Why exactly do we turn off all our lights and leave home every Halloween night?
Well, we just couldn’t come up with a good answer to that and I’ve been LOVING Halloween ever since. I have been known to dress up just to answer the door and give out candy!
I embrace ANY reason to have fun and celebrate!
(still don’t do scary movies though!)
[Reply]
Robin
11:41 am
Thanks Pete – I almost spit my Mountain Dew all over my keyboard when I read your kids “costumes”.
We have always let our kids go out trick or treating. We put up some cute ghost and pumpkin cutouts that my wife and I made in the yard and even throw some fake spiderwebs over the porch (or our friends can go in our basement for the real thing). We keep it focused on the fun aspects of the “holiday” and avoid the whole death\”scare the pants off you” stuff – though my 11 year old son does want to go out as a werewolf tonight.
Like you we make this a friends and family thing as the wives will usually walk the neighborhood with the kids while the dads sit at the end of the driveways around the fire and pass out the candy and have a good time hanging out (we live on a cul-de-sac so it makes that easy). I love seeing all my neighbors and their kids and the way their dressed up.
Oh..and all the candy that my three kids bring home isn’t bad either
[Reply]
Jeff Honnold
11:54 am
My wife and I are having our first baby in Feb., and I can’t wait to take my daughter to our neighbors to meet them and take their candy with her! It’s a bit of a debate with my wife and I, but candy is a great way to settle a debate!
[Reply]
Brian
12:00 pm
Oh yeah – and I’ve got a full size Tigger costume that I usually wear when I pass it out. I get some strange looks (nothinng I don’t ususally get) but the kids love it when I do the Tigger “Who-who-who-whoooo” and other assorted silly stuff.
[Reply]
Jeff Honnold
12:00 pm
i love candy corn. it makes my mouth happy. thank you Halloween for providing this source of happiness for me.
when my kids were smaller they dressed up and took strangers candy. they loved it. we loved it. its fun!!
now theyre older and we carve pumpkins. and they help out at our harvest party at church. where…kids get bunches of candy. like you said, a different alternative but still the same thing.
so, yes. we celebrate in one way or another. and we are just fine with it and our salvation.
[Reply]
tam
12:14 pm
Halloween is one more great opportunity to argue with other Christians about something irrelevant, and show non-Christians one more irrelevant thing they’re doing wrong, or it’s another opportunity to love.
[Reply]
seth
12:21 pm
@Sarah Valante, Now that is a great idea. We just have to do it in such a way that it attracts the entire community. I love New Life. You guys are awesome!
[Reply]
Pete Wilson
12:24 pm
Hahahaha!! Ours is called a Harvest Party
#3 on your list is powerful. Our kids don’t go trick or treating, but giving out candy can be fun. Although it usually cuts into my Horror movie time. I am a horror movie buff, so I LOVE October. 31 Day of halloween has been on the SciFi channel all month. LOVE it!.
I grew up trick or treating in a very conservative christian family. it wasn’t till the 80′s that all this evil hype in the christian community started surfacing and than all the fights and theological arguments started. It’s sad.
Anyway. Have a great night!
[Reply]
brent(inWorship)
12:26 pm
Our former church did a Harvest Party. It’s the same thing, only kids are not walking the streets.
Our new hood has sidewalks so people actually drive their kids to trick or treat here…$$$$. We also have several folks who hook up a trailer to their small tractors. They have a hay ride for adults (complete w/ a keg) & the kids walk alongside & stop to trick or treat.
I love handing out candy. It’s fun to see the costumes & meet my neighbors, I just hate walking the hood & freezing my fanny off.
[Reply]
mandy
12:27 pm
I’m taking my two year old trick or treating to a few friends, family members, and neighbors houses. Mostly we’ll visit friends and take pictures in the costumes. (She’s dressing as a kitten – a white fluffy one, not a black “evil” one. Haha.)
[Reply]
jenn3
12:44 pm
Is calling Halloween a “Harvest Party” the Christian’s way of getting back at the world for calling Christmas “Happy Holidays”?
Don’t get me wrong…I’m all about calling Christmas, Christmas, just wondering where the “Harvest party” came on the scene.
[Reply]
ncarnes
1:29 pm
We live in small town America and they close off Main Street and we have a party! sidewalk chalk art contest, candy, food, games, kids, parents, etc. Its a great nite to get to know people. We love it!
[Reply]
Kristi O
1:49 pm
I take my kids trick or treating and also buy candy in case we don’t get out of the house before the neighborhood kids start showing up.
[Reply]
tabitha
2:06 pm
Cute photo
Our church does an outreach for Halloween – complete with Trunk or Treat, inflatables and a climbing wall – and a different presentation each year that includes the presentation of the Gospel through magic or some other “cool” format. It’s all free to the community and it is a great outreach tool. We call it “The Extreme” or “Halloween Extreme” – we also provide a dinner (hotdogs, popcorn, etc) for free as part of it so it usually gets a great turn-out. They have even had pony rides and other neat things for the kids in years past. We always look forward to see what new and exciting things they will bring to the table each year. 
[Reply]
Jill
2:17 pm
@Pete: I have to agree!;) We are away temporarily (out of state), and just miss every single thing about NLC. I even wanted to make the four hour drive tonight to join in the fun!;)
[Reply]
Sarah Valente
2:26 pm
@candidchatter, please don’t misunderstand I am not throwing stones at all although I could see where reading it back you might have thought that. I just know from my personal experience that Satan attacks me when I least expect it. I truly believe he can come at you anytime and anywhere and Halloween is no exception.
Now matter how you observe this day may everyone here at the Wax have a safe and wonderful evening.
[Reply]
Harold
3:31 pm
I have been back and forth with this issue for 7 years. I finally came to the conclusion that…
While Halloween has pagan origins, it is what we make it. I allow my children to dress up (my daughter is going as Queen Esther) and I allow them to Trick or Treat. We don’t talk about the pagan origins of Halloween. To us…it’s just the fun time of year where you can dress up and be silly.
Every year my dad rents a big popcorn machine and coffee pot. We give out bags of fresh popped popcorn to the kiddo’s and give the parents hot apple cider. It has become a tradition in our neighborhood and people talk about it all year. It gives me a great opening to start conversation when I see them next week at the grocery store.
I guess that while I don’t want to be OF the world….I do want to be IN the world. However, a lot of my friends feel it is not pleasing to Christ to participate and I respect that, too.
[Reply]
Heather
3:37 pm
big happenings in my small town this year. a brand new multiplex theater was built and is having a “soft opening” for a week starting today where all movies are free with complimentary popcorn and soft drink. my teens are running amuck there since they have finally accepted the fact that they are too old and no longer cute and cuddly enough to trick or treat. my hubs, 6 y/o son, daughter and her baby girl are all out right now trick or treating and me, i’m home alone with a big bowl of candy.
we celebrate trick or treating because it is fun and hubs and i believe that the good Lord wants His people to have fun and smile sometime.
you could pray for me and that big bowl of candy though…
much appreciated.
happy halloween!
[Reply]
laura
8:30 pm
Well Pete, I enjoy fall and candy, so Halloween is something I participate in. We did it as children and continue today. Maddie is currently on piece of candy #65 and showing no sign of slowing down…I see a tummy-ache in the future.
I will never forget our first Nashville Halloween in 2003. I was on a crappy rotation at the hospital and got home very late. I missed trick or treating with Holly and Alex (who was only 1 1/2 years old!). I came home and walked down to the end of the culs-de-sac (at the Parker’s) where everyone in the neighborhood was enjoying hot dogs and chili. It was at that moment that I saw how this lovely neighborhood embraced and included my family, especially since I was at the hospital so often…
The rest is history. That was the start of our Nashville chapter that ended with precious friendships with Parker’s, Wynn’s, Ottinger’s, Bell’s, Neese’s and–of course–Wilson’s…
So, in conclusion, we may not have cultivated such a rich relationship with all of you, if you had stuck up your nose to Halloween and instead gathered by yourselves in a “holy huddle”.
[Reply]
Nate VZ
9:06 pm
A few people have already touched on why churches in our area do a fall festival, hallelujah night, etc. We have been hsoting events like this for years (at both of the churches we were youth leaders at). But for us it was an outreach into the communities and not just for christians (it was always free). The neighbborhood I live in at some point when my kids were younger was not safe for kids to walk around and get candy. Plus you were not sure that the candy was even safe ( I recall days of safety pins in candy and apples when my kids were small). So churches started hosting events where the kids would be safe and could have more then just candy but games, prizes, etc. My kids have great memories from this time and got more candy then they ever would have gotten in our community. So did the kids in the community. Our home church started out with a few kids when we first went, after we started holding the event on Halloween we got kids, parents from the community to come out (the majority I am sure were not christians).
The small church we are now pastoring does not have the budget to hold events and we only have a few kids at this point. They live in an urban area that it would be insane to try and go out and trick or treat. Tonight they are at an event hosted by my adopted church on a ranch, a place many of them may not ever had the opportunity to do if there was not a church out there who hosted it. I guess I just want people to look at another side of this.
[Reply]
Cyndi
9:55 pm
You know many of our celebrated holidays began as pagan holidays and many of the traditions we participate in were rooted in pagan practices. That being said…our family does not participate in this night…not because of all the symbolism but because this night is still celebrated all over the world by satanic worshipers as their biggest holiday. We do not judge others who do…this is a personal decision for our family and all 5 of my kids are on board…and always have been. We get together with several other families, roast hot dogs and play hide and seek in the dark…we love it!
[Reply]
Michele Helms
12:21 am
Beautiful family.
[Reply]
Bill Wilson
9:36 am
I also felt convicted along time ago and haven’t felt comfortable on either side of the door.
I used to love dressing up when I was younger and when my son was little but there was a point in time where it wasn’t okay anymore.
[Reply]
bustersdaughter
9:43 am
Boy Christianity has come along way and so has this blog. I just read almost every comment and no one judged anyone else. Now, I am no theologian, but I believe that is how God intended on us to interact. Thank you 21st century, information age Christians.
[Reply]
jodyduncan
5:22 pm
My sister and I joke about how we send kids mixed signals on halloween. dress up to be some one you are not. ask for candy from strangers. so funny. personally though I feel the same way you do about this holiday, when else do your neighbors come knocking on your door!
[Reply]
Jamie Willow
11:55 pm
LOVE Halloween. It is a chance for me to act like a bigger idiot than I already am
And, nothing better than the candy tax I levee on my child’s candy take…call me a democrat on Halloween
[Reply]
Joseph
8:06 pm