Halloween is rapidly approaching, and with it comes the moral battle I hear mom’s going through each and every year:
Do we, or do we not allow our kids to celebrate Halloween? Does it dishonor God if we chose to participate?
Even if we call it, “Fall Festival”, are we participating in an evil holiday that was primarily made to honor the lord of death?
Here are some Halloween articles with varying views: What is yours?
http://www.exposingsatanism.org/halloween.htm
http://www.gci.org/church/holidays/halloween
When I was a kid, we were not allowed to go trick or treating, or even give away candy to trick or treater’s! We posted a sign on our door that said “‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’ We do not celebrate Halloween!” You’d be surprised how many candy-hungry kids, still rang the doorbell! It wasn’t a big deal to me, we go to hang out in the basement, watch a movie and have snacks! Cool! (Of course, church carnivals were not so readily available back then either!)
Dale and I choose to allow our kids to dress up in nice costumes, and go to our churches Fall Festival. It’s a carnival, which means fun booths and inflatable’s! They also get some candy, but you know me and sugar, they can each have a piece or three that night, but we leave most of it at the church for the other kids to enjoy……
Ok, ok fine! I admit it! I keep all the good chocolate candy to indulge in later. What can I say? It’s great to be the mom! 🙂
Destiny goes to a Christian school, and they don’t even have a day where they can come to school in costume. In fact, we aren’t even in school on Friday this year, so it’s not something we deal with! (maybe they do this on purpose every year and I just haven’t noticed) If she was in public school, would I allow her to dress up and participate in a celebration of Halloween? I don’t know. If I had a guess, I’d probably allow her to dress up, but would I allow her to stay for the party? I’d have to make sure the party games, activities and movies were appropriate before I could make that decision. Is it worth all that? I doubt it, it’d just be easier to pull her out at that point.
For you public schoolers thinking about taking a stand against Halloween, does it change it for you when you think your child will be the ONLY one not in costume? Would you pull your kids out of school for the afternoon if you find out they are watching a creepy movie, or something you deem inappropriate? Or is it just easier to go with the flow and talk to your kids about what is appropriate or not later on, at home?
Unless Dale and I feel God is asking us to take a stand in a different way, we will choose to allow our children to dress up and go to the church carnival on the evening of Halloween. No haunted houses, no spooky costumes, no creepy Halloween movies or tv shows will be watched. We just explained to them, in simple terms, that we feel Halloween is satan’s holiday and we will not participate by going trick or treating or doing any of those kind of Halloween activities. Then we remind them, that night also happens to be Fall Fest, and they are welcome to go there instead, and celebrate fall, and honor God by being in His house.
To them it’s as simple as that: Fall Fest = candy and fun at church!
When they get to be teens, I am sure we’ll re-visit this issue, but for now, we are all good! Besides, if you ask me, once they outgrow participating in the carnival, they can WORK at the carnival! I just don’t want them out and about on the streets that night. Too many creepy people, doing creepy things after the kiddies have all crashed from a sugar coma and been tucked into bed.
What is your stand on Halloween? What are your children allowed or not allowed to participate in?
Next Sunday night, our family will be dressing up in 50’s clothing. Fun, friendly and fabulous 5o’s! Man I would’ve loved to live back then.
So, am I a sheep just blindly following the herd? Baaaaa!
Or I am doing the right thing by finding a middle ground, and allowing my kids to participate, but only if they go to church that night?
The great Halloween debate continues……
Does me not taking a 100% yes or no stand on Halloween, make me a Halloweenie?
~T 🙂
4 little Fergusons 