Halloween Week

So this time of year I always bring up quite a controversial topic - what do you do about Halloween as a Christian?

For my family, we go to the carnival at our church, wear a pretty (not scary) costume, and get enough candy to last until Thanksgiving :)

We do this for several reasons:

1. It's how I grew up. I grew up going to carnivals or trick or treating in my grandmother's neighborhood in a Minnie Mouse costume or something of the like, getting a pumpkin bucket full of candy, and then being hyper for the best part of the next two weeks ;)

2. It's fun. Truly, it's a fun time, and as a girl turned woman who STILL loves to dress up, it's a great excuse ;)

3. It lets my child participate in a secular event but still be different from the majority - and that's how I view my role as a Christian. We are to be IN the world but not OF it. For me, Halloween is an example. She wanted to be a witch at one point for her costume and I said no. I said that was scary and that we don't do Halloween that way, we don't glorify that element of it. Halloween wasn't about being scary or looking scary for us, it was about dressing up as something pretty and trick or treating, practicing manners (saying please and thank you for candy) and having fun playing games at the church. She readily accepted all that (even at 4 years old!) and chose a fairy costume. (We didn't go the Merida route because I'm not dealing with another wig after she was Tangled Rapunzel last year! haha)

4. I support my church's decision in that instead of avoiding the night altogether, we provide an alternative. Get kids off the street, offer something safe, show them Christians have fun too (wink), keep an eye out for a witnessing opportunity, and introduce them to our church. I see no downside there!

I know there are Christians out there though who feel that participating in Halloween in any form, even the above, is still celebrating a pagan practice and it's best to lay low. I totally respect that opinion! Everyone has to follow their own convictions for their family.

So what do YOU think?