My daughter's daycare is having a Halloween party on friday and so I asked my husband if I could buy her an outfit. He thought about and has said no because we're Christian and don't 'do' Halloween. I understand that and respect him for taking this view but she's only 2 and I feel terrible that she'll be left out.

I'm completely in agreement with you about enjoying the fun innocent side of Halloween.  For the kids it's all about the Candy.  Actually, the two public schools that both my children attend do not have any sort of Halloween activities at all because of the objections of many parents. They feel Halloween is a dark satanic pagan holiday and should not be celebrated in school.  Just FYI we live in the Baltimore/DC corridor that is probably a more liberal area of the country!  I'm so sad my kids don't get to have a School Costume Parade where all the parents come and take pictures.  One of my fondest school memories is when Mom made me a beautiful Cinderalla Princess costume with a Hoop Skirt for the Halloween Parade at school!  It was so much fun!

We definately will do trick or treat in our neighborhood this year and then have a few friends back to our house for some cake and ice cream as Halloween happens to be my Husband's birthday! 

I would also like to point out that just because something is rooted in Pagan traditions does not intrinsically mean it's Evil or Satanic.  Christmas Trees are deeply rooted in Pagan Tradion. (No pun intended)  The Tradition of Christmas trees comes from Druid Tradition and the celebration of the Winter Soltace (The Yule Log) is part of the winter soltice ceremony.  Over the years the Pagan and Christian Traditons have merged.  As a matter of fact the reason Christmas is celebrated in December is because it was merged with the Winter Soltace Celebrations by Ceasar (no sure which one)  In reality Christ was born in the Early spring.   Long story short, I don't plan on boycotting Christmas Trees because they come from Pagan traditions.   I think plain old common sense gos a long way on issues like these.

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts,

Chris in Baltimore, MD 

Hello Everyone!

     What I had decieded to do with my sons was to look up Halloween to aid us in our decision about celebrating it. Halloween is the holiest of the pagan holidays. It is a time for spells, rituals, sacrifices (yes, even today), and darkness. As we studied I recalled working with a teen age noy who had along with his sister were physically and sexually abused during a satanic ritual. He was a great kid, a victim. In halloween fun (?) some kids while driving down the road through out a pumpkin from a moving car,. The stem of the pumpkin went into my cousin's eye. He says he heard a pop, everything went brown. He has no sight in that eye and wears a glass eye as he has for years. We all know hallowen encourages pranks, some go very wrong.The boys and I have since been convicted not to participate at all feeling it as Christians is not our holiday. and we don't wish to facilitate it by participating. My son's school due to halloween's popularity had a pumpkin with the words witch craft on it, magic books (God says no to this in His Word), vampires, ghoulish things, skeletons, creepy stuff, etc. As we participate we also whether we want to or not help to facilitate halloween into a direction we have no control. We have given some thought that just because it is fun, and we try to make it good, is it?  I guess it's like aiding and abedding the pagans LOL. We have decided just to tell others that bring it up "It's not our holiday". It's our stand and is looked upon as weird, and judged. We feel everyone walks at thier own pace. God is about light, love, goodness. Halloween's basis is darkness, evil, and everything that goes againest light/God. I just wonder how popular, wide spread and financially profitable halloween would be if all Christians stop celebrating and instead got together in churches and prayed for the pagans. Just curious.

Our two children are young, and this is the first year we considered going.  I went every year as a child and had fun, and my husband's famiy did not go growing up.  We decided not to do trick-or-treating with our family, though we will hand out candy to the neighbors, so as not to seem unfriendly.  I understand the view that it is just harmless fun, but the general cultural associations with halloween seem to be witches, ghosts, and other gruesome images.  We went back and forth on this issue, but decided that we'd rather err on the side of caution since as parents we alone are responsible before God for how we raise our children.  I'm not saying I think it is wrong or sinful to do, but as a previous post states, each person should follow how God convicts their heart.  On a side note...I feel like this there could be an increased risk of getting sick going door to door this year with H1N1 going around.

Hello, I'm 15 and a Sophmore in highschool. I've been thinking a lot about Halloween lately and i'm not sure where I really stand on the topic. A lot of people, including my family, say that the majority of the holiday has been made into a fun and innocent time, an excuse for kids to dress up an have fun, a great way to get candy, ect. But my question is, if God is watching me and is with me everywhere I go and in whatever I do, would He want to celebrate this holiday with me? Would the one who is against satan more than anything else in this world be wanting me to have anything to do with a day that celebrates him? My first instinct is no...and when I really think about it, the majority of the holidays that we celebrate have been founded on Christain princibles and more than that, Christ Himself! For instance, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's day (St. Patrick), Valentines day (St. Valentine), ect.

So I think that if I'm going to do my best to follow Christ and honor Him with everything I do, Halloween is something I can do without. No matter how many stares of strange looks I get, I think I'd rather be on the safe side and choose the approval of God over the approval of man (Galatians 1:10). I think I'm going to place Halloween on my list of things that fall under "the patterns of this world," (Romans 12:2)...

We've chosen not to participate in the holiday at all.  Biblically, it appears that holidays are significant to God and that he has little tolerance of mixing the "innocent" parts of pagan festivities with the lives of believers.  Yes, Christmas and Easter have pagan roots and we do celebrate those.  The difference for me is that those holidays have been redeemed, whereas I see no redemption story in Halloween.  In a nutshell, my understanding of Halloween contradicts a biblical worldview. 

This decision, however, is only half the battle.  Living this out is very difficult and I cringe every time this time of year rolls around.  We don't like the church-type alternatives, because it just appears to be an attempt to "sort of" celebrate Halloween while calling it something else.  I don't want to hide with the lights off in my house either and I appreciate the value of mingling with your neighbors that the day affords.  The last several years, we've gathered with other families that abstain from the holiday at a house out in the country (where no one goes trick-or-treating) and have had a party / bonfire.  No costumes, no candy.  It's not a foolproof answer, but the best we've come up with so far.

We don't participate in "Halloween". My daughter's kindergarten year the teacher was going to dress up as a witch so I pulled her out of school for the half of day with the party in it and went swimming instead. We did that for two years. Then moved to a new town and the school there did Storybook Day with the kids dressing up as storybook characters. Then the kids brought their books to school and read them. This year we are back in the same town and after realizing that quite a few kids would not be in school for the party, my daughter's teacher didn't hold a party. Instead she took the kids to a museum for a scavenger hunt and then swimming after lunch. The kids then received a bag of candy during the last 10 minutes of class.

When we were deciding how to handle Halloween all we had to do was look at the store displays and we could see who the holiday was really glorifying. It wasn't God. So we participate in the Harvest parties that the local churches put on and dress up in God glorifying costumes. And, though our daughter won't be trick or treating, we will be passing out a bag of candy and Way of the Master Dollar Bill Gospel tracts to any trick or treaters who come by.

We are told to "be ye separate" and come out from among them.  Halloween celebrates fear and death. Jesus took the keys of death, hell and the grave from satan.  We, as Believers in Jesus, should not participate in that holiday.  Our children need to learn, from a young age, that we are living epistles, read by all men and we should take a stand for truth and righteousness.  The church looks, acts and talks too much like the world.  We are to be God's hand extended and give that drink of Living Water, but it's hard to do that if the water we are giving is very muddy with our compromise.  I challenge those who think it's all right to trick or treat, carve jack 'o lanterns, etc. to really do some research on Halloween.  My children, ages 26, 21, 18 and 7 have all been taught these things and they did not feel deprived.  We attended church's Harvest Festivals when we could and candy is always available year round.

I decorate with a Harvest theme which can last through Thanksgiving. I tell my children the harvest is life and celebrates the provisions God has given us.

We cannot stop children from coming to our door, so I have chosen to penetrate the darkness and hopefully plant the seed of God's Word in their heart by giving out Gospel Tracts.

Why do we, as the body of Believers, feel we need to participate in these worldly events to somehow reach the unsaved?  Spend some time reading through the O.T. prophets where God was continuously exhorting, rebuking and disciplining His people to stop adopting the ways of the heathen.  They were to be separate.  God has not changed His mind; He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Hi!

My husband and I are Christians, we have 2 children ages 6 and 2.  It is our personal decision not to let our children participate in the traditional halloween festivities.  We do not see halloween as an innocent celebration, because of what it represents. It represents darkness, and we as children of GOD are children of light.  I wanted our 6 yr old daughter know why we do not follow the halloween tradition. I explained to her than when GOD created the world He separated the light from the darkness. GOD has called us to be set apart for Him. So what do we do on halloween? We use that day as an "outreach day". The day before halloween we get little bags, we fill them with candy and with a children's tract that talks about Jesus and how they can receive Him as Savior.  This is a family affair. We create "an assembling line" around our kitchen table starting with my husband and ending with our 2 yr old. After each bag is ready we put them in a basket and each of us prays over the basket. We ask the Lord to bless each bag and for the child (and family) that will be getting one.  On the 31st, when the door bell rings we give those little bags out.  We have a great family time.  About dressing up?, our children can play dress up any day they want, except on halloween.  This is again a personal decision we have made as a family.

Though I do not have children, my neighbor's do, and I always have something on hand for the few trick or treater's that knock on our door.

I haven't carved a pumpkin in a very long time, but would if I had kids. There are more decorations on the market now than when I participated in the parties, but I don't put them up. Not that I think there is anything wrong with Halloween, I just don't have much reason to join in the festivities.

I see Halloween as the eve of All Saint's Day, and supposedly nothing so upsets the "wicked" as the holy do; therefore the witches and goblins and other gore are out and about in protest (thus the traditional theme). Many costumes are not reflections of dark myths or bad spirits at all, and the evening is merely carried out as play.

To be too spooked by Halloween is pure superstition. Though unkind or irresponsible pranks happen, for the most part Halloween is just a simple spirit of fun.

Charmaine A.

Arizona

Marlene,

You said, "Halloween celebrates fear and death. Jesus took the keys of death, hell and the grave from satan."

It seems more like Halloween spoofs fear and death. When people take this autumn festivity so seriously they only give it power.

While nothing riles the "wicked" so much as the holy (All Saints' Day),

Christians being upset by it only grants the "evil ones" more joy. While I don't decorate or dress up for Halloween, I wouldn't even think of passing out gospel leaflets at the door. Churches have Halloween parties in response to the growing dangers in society. Maybe they refer to them as harvest festivals, and that is fine, but it is still frivolity for everyone.

I think all the sugary, sticky candy the trick or treaters eat for the next month is doing more harm than the injest theme of Halloween. But I can purchase packets of healthier snacks, and even things like pencils with pumpkin faces to hand out if I want to present my case, so to speak.

I agree, some of the costumes get pretty gruesome, and while I myself could live without the particular holiday, it is more a poking fun of death and fear and the spooky than anything else.

Charmaine

I would have to agree that there is a sense in which every individual needs to foster their own convictions, as stated by other comments here, although Marlene has well said that if we we're to be well acquainted with the Old Testament, it's very difficult to ignore the need to remain separate from the ways of the nations round about. I understand the need to remain gracious toward other believers who have differing views, however that being said, it seems strange to me that the majority of believers do not shun this pagan tradition. Everything associated with it (other than kids wearing costumes and eating candy) is completely satanic and the only reason it may be difficult for some Christians' children to feel left out, is the fact that other Christians are not only allowing it, but in many cases are saying insensitive things to children who come from homes that don't participate. Almost without fail the main reason that is given for participation in this is that we don't want our kids to feel left out, but is this a reason to participate in a holiday which blatently goes against everything honouring to God? Is a sense of "belonging" in the world (which has given it's verdict of Christ - "We will not have this to reign over us") a valid reason for participating? It's difficult to avoid the scripture "learn not the way of the heathen..." Jer.10:2). This being said, I agree that it's an opportunity to reach out with gospel tracts and candy ...and being gracious (while remaining truthful) when asked why the children don't participate. The principle of biblical separation mingled with a spirit of grace has always ensured "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world". Phil. 2:15

A lot of people have mentioned the origins of Halloween. To me, the fact that it is considered to be the Wiccan New Year's Day is reason enough to stay far away from Halloween, not to mention the abundance of sinister or gruesome decorations that always seem to be associated with Halloween. If I were home on Halloween, I think I would hand out a healthy snack and some sort of tract to trick or treaters. But October 31 is also the date on which Martin Luther hung his 95 theses on the church door at Wittenberg, one of the milestones in the reformation of the church at the end of the dark ages. Our church has a service commemorating Reformation Day on October 31,

I buy candy to hand out every year. I think Jesus would, too.

Jesus allowed His disciples to break the Sabbath when they picked and ate the grain, saying that the Pharisees were too strict about what's not ok. Jesus told them they have a fine way of nullifying God's Word to uphold their own traditions.

Jesus Himself broke the Sabbath when He healed people. Jesus told the Pharisees that although they tithed (obeying the letter of the Law), they were ignoring the more important aspects of the Law, justice, mercy and faithfulness.

So once a year, I buy candy for kids who come up to my door and ask for it. I put a smile on their little faces, telling them "yes, it's safe to go outside at night, yes, it's safe to talk to people you don't know, and yes, it's ok to ask for candy that's safe to eat."

I would rather stay home and give that message to dozens of kids than go to Church. Which is exactly what I did this year. And I think Jesus would do the same.

My wife and I have a 4 year old and the catholic school that he attends has a Halloween party every year. It is obvious that the teachers make a plug for this in the days leading up to it so the kids get excited. I was strictly against having him participate and in the two year prior he only wore orange and black but did not wear a costume.

I am also over a youth group and when we meet with the board we decided that we would not celebrate--or encourage-- the practice of Halloween. As an alternative, we opted to have the kids come on the Friday before dress up as who they wanted to be when they grew up. They had a great time. This was  a week before the schools Halloween party.

On the day of the party I got my sons clothes together. It was just a pair of jeans, a rugged button up shirt and a nice down vest. When my wife woke up she said that she feel bad that he is going to be left out of the party--and honestly as I was getting his clothes together I did too. So I actually fought threw the "don't be a hypocrite" chimes in my head and said ok.  I didn't change his close I just gave him his toy construction helmet, his play tools and told him he was a construction worker.

When we got the the school, it was as if the kids were perched at the door to see what everyone was wearing. My son walked in and all these little voice said look he's Handy Manny; look He's Handy Manny! lol. My son just turned looked at me and said: By Dad, with a smile. I'm glad I changed my mind.

After raising three kids now grown and depriving them of dressing up and going out on Halloween, I have changed my tune with my young teen the past few years.  I have concluded like anything else in my Chrisitan faith, that it's what in the heart that God sees.  God knows our hearts are not involved in the wickedness of the darkside that may accompany Halloween.  My personal opinion is that we can get so uptight as Christians trying to follow the letter of the law, that we miss the spirit of the law.  This is a stressful world for our kids.  They are faced with war, hate, sexually saturated culture, that is relentless.  I want my kid to have the freedom to be a kid, and yes, to me that now means using her imagination to dress up and then join in the community to receive candy.  btw: she won 1st place at her Christian Youth Group for cutest costume.

In our little town, trick-or-treat is one of the few times of the year where everyone is out and about.  You see people that you only see a few times a year.  Our fire department hosts a chili supper, and we have a costume judging for the kids (big and little).  It is a time of community gathering.

We impress on our children that this is for fun only, and try our best to make sure they understand why some of the tings to do with Halloween are wrong.  I believe that you can separate out the innocent side of modern-day Halloween, and enjoy the fun with the kids.

                                         Photo of toddler in duck costume from LA Times

                                                   deleted due to copyright issues.

I grew up in a non-Christ centered home, and we went trick-or-treating every year!  I remember my  mom dressing me up as "Dolly Parton" (oh ya- THAT Dolly" and being so extremely uncomfortably dressed in HER high heels, and a fake chest.  Other than that (memorably akward) occasion, I can't say that I had ever seen anything satanic going on during the Oct 31 holiday.

As a mom of 3 girls (6 and under), we've yet to 'technically' take our kids trick-or-treating door to door all night long.  We've done the "Harvest Fest" thing at church, etc, and last year we visited with my Grandma and had fun going to a few of her neighbors house's.  (This is when I realized what a special treat it is for ME, their Mommy, to witness the excitement they showed when knocking at the door, and having it opened up to them with a massive bowl full of candy;  for them to reach their teeny little hands into and take all they want!!!  How fun!!!)

As my girls are growing older, our decision to abstain from this 'festival-of-treating' is waivering.  They're old enough to comprehend the strange going ons of scarily clad monster faced toddlers and tweeners with a simple explanation from mommy and daddy.  Safety is still an issue- and I can't say that I see myself allowing them to EVER go treating with out either my husband or myself present.

And I write all of this to say, in the most respectful way.... I DO believe Jesus would go trick-or-treating.  (minus the trick should He be denied the treat- of course).   He would do it if He had a purpose in doing it- whether the purpose be to minister to the little children (to get to where they are) or to minister to the door openers and candy givers.  In all things we do- we should (as He did) have PURPOSE!

I want to clarify how totally in love with my Savior I am, so that I am not confused for a heathen or blasphemer.

Christmas in such an amazing holiday to celebrate as well.  It is fun to plan out the sweet gifts our girls will receive and to find our 'yearly' ornaments to put on the tree, next to the past years' ornaments that hold such precious memories.  What would Christmas be (as far as the festivity and preparation to celebrate) with out the wondrous Christmas Tree???  Did you know it, too, was a Pagan ritual?  It was.  The cutting down of, and placing of the tree during the Christmas season is what the Pagans did!  But their rituals were turned to good, over the years-  The tree represents the Light of the World, it holds each year The Star of Bethlehem at it's peak (or the Angel).  It's a sweet reminder of so many beautiful things that surround the Christ Focused holiday.  Yet it did, previously, belong to the Pagans. 

You see?  A Pagan's rituals are their own.  Just as Christian tradition can be taken and manipulated into something like a "Holiday" rather than a Christmas, so too, can a Pagan tradition be turned from Halloween, to Harvest Fest.  From Trick or Treating, to TREATING. 

Renee...I am very impressed with your point of view, especially from a 15-year-old!  Thank God we do still have some young people who seek God's point of view, and consider what He thinks and feels about their actions!  You hang onto those convictions and you will surely be blessed.

I grew up believing Halloween was just a harmless innocent holiday for children.  But after becoming a Christian as an adult, I did some background research as to the origin of the holiday.  I also have been in contact with some ex-satan worshippers who will verify that Halloween is their "high holy day" in satan worship.  I cannot in good conscience as a Christian participate in Halloween activities.  Our church has the "Fall Festival" activities with games and fun for children as an alternative to Halloween, so the children do not miss out on innocent fun.  We all should follow our own convictions.

Hi, I know this is a whole year later when I'm writing this comment and probably no one will see it anyway, but I had to respond.  My issue is with Christians who shut the door on Halloween.  So you won't go trick or treating that's your decision but I'm highly against them closing the door.  What good are you doing anyone?  We as Christians are told to go out into the world and preach his name.  There is no other holiday were people are literally flocking to your door.  We choose to hand out Christian tracts to our trick or treaters.  We make little bags of candy and include in them tracts that teach how they can be saved by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  I LOVE Halloween.  It's an amazing time to witness for Christ.  We ordered 100 tracts last year and gave them all out before trick or treating was done.

My children are only 2 and 3 right now and my husband and I let them help put the bags together and we explained to them what the tracts are and we prayed that people would read them and accept Christ.  If you close the door and keep your faith to yourself then who are you helping?  Is it teaching our children to share their faith.  We don't know what people are going through now a days, our 3 year old has cancer and it's made me think a lot more.  When I'm out and about the people I come in contact with don't know my son and that our family is battling such a horrible disease and we don't know what people are going through who may come to our door.  Someone may be coming who is being bullied in school, or is in a house that isn't safe, these people need to know there's a Savior who loves them.  They need to know that there's Hope.

Secondly I didn't accept Christ until I was 23 and before that I came across many Christians who because I didn't believe like them or have the same convictions as them they "closed their door." 

I'm not saying your should or shouldn't celebrate the holiday.  That's a very personal issue that Christians are heavily divided on.  Truthfully in our home we don't celebrate it but we do open our doors because when I was introduced to Christ at the age of 23 I was introduced to Eternal life.  My family and I couldn't survive this situation if we didn't have Christ to cast our cares upon and carry us through this situation.  I want everyone to know the God we serve.

Stay true to your convictions and live your lives to honor Christ but please don't forget that we are to be fishers of men and we cannot do that if we shut ourselves off.

God Bless and thanks for reading

Some asked "would Jesus Trick or Treat"? That made me think. Since Jesus came to saved the lost and often did things and went places that were against the norms of that time, I would think that Jesus would not actually trick or treat, but would be visible to those who were, either by walking around and witnessing to them, or by handing out Christian reading materials/tracts. I remember getting those tracks on Halloween and going home and reading them. They were scary, and even though I was a Christian at a young age, I still enjoyed reading them even though they scared me. I was allowed to go trick or treating when I was young, and on and off allowed my older kids to go. However, later in life, I didn't and don't allow my kids to go.

I hold fast to the principle that if I don't like the origins of something, I stay away from it if I can. Halloween is a pagan holiday and having kids who have had problems with getting wrapped up in the confusion of this world (drugs, alchohol, Wicca, vampire and demon worship), I don't allow my kids to participate. I have younger kids now, as well as older ones, and I explain my reasons to them. We will go to Fall Festivals and such, if we can, but I just don't "do" Halloween and have no problem telling co-workers why when they ask what my kids are going to be for Halloween every year. I see such excitement building in the workplace and the world when Halloween time comes around, but I don't share that excitement and can't wait for it to pass over. I don't "preach" to people about it, I just make it clear why I don't celebrate it.

My husband and I have discussed this topic, and so far our four children have not celebrated Halloween.  Our thought has been, Satanists do not celebrate Christmas, why would we celebrate a holiday so meaningful to them?  People somewhere in between do not worry about the religious side of Christmas, and find middle ground with Santa and the likes. Are Christians doing the same with Halloween?  I'm interested in people's thoughts on this.  I grew up trick-or-treating myself and he did not.

While I can understand the thinking that says no, the truth is that this holiday hasn't been any kind of pagan festival for as long as it's been a holiday.  It's prety much scooby doo and a fun time too.  Just as we need to do when we encounter differences in worship practice, we need here to apply an amount of perspective and balance.  Honestly, I am more concerned for the load of sugar that is going to come in my door than I am about any negative influence this might have on my children. 

If you aren't comfortable with it, figure out something else to do.  The kids will adjust.  If you are OK with it, enjoy the day.  And of course the fashion show that goes with it.

Good for you, Patty Jo -

I can't understand why the churches don't encourage us to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in October -- that is the time the Messiah was born -- what a nice time of year -- beautiful leaves, and nice weather - what fun you can have camping out with your kids, even if only in your own backyard.  Remember, we will ALL be REQUIRED to celebrate Tabernacles/Sukah in the Millennium!  Just imagine how much more peaceful it would be:  you would avoid all the crowds, pressures, lines, ice, snow, craziness, etc. of December.

As for Halloween, for heavens sake, surely we can be creative enough to have a dress-up, costume day for kids other than Halloween!  What about having a Queen Hadassah party?

Imagine what the church would look like if we were to remove ALL pagan influences . . .

That sounds great!  The more I study, the more I realize that the Message to the Greeks was moulded to conform to and to appeal to their Greek/Roman religious concepts of God, rather than presenting to them a clear choice:  Yahowah (be set apart / the whole Truth), or their false religion.  As a result,"we have inherited lies" down through the centuries.  I've been reading yadayahweh.com and listening to blogtalkradio.com - yada yahweh .  I just recently came across an article about a new book by FF Powell titled "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul."