When I was growing up Halloween celebrations were something that we only saw on American movies. Even when my kids were growing up very few people did trick or treating in our neighbourhood. Though one year I was taken by surprise when a young girl knocked on the door & was trick or treating. I did manage to find some biscuits in the cupboard to give her. It’s only been in recent years that Halloween has become more of a thing here in Australia & is very prevalent in our shops now.
Depending on your beliefs you may be wondering should my family celebrate Halloween & if so how should we celebrate? Or maybe you just think that my kids don’t need to go and knock on strangers doors to get lollies and also don’t need that much sweet stuff.
What is Halloween?
Halloween comes from All Hallows Eve. In Ancient Celtic times Samhain was celebrated on October 31 to welcome in the harvest and usher in “the dark half of the year”. In the eighth century, the Pope at the time designated November 1 as All Saints Day, to honour all the saints. This was also known as All Hallows Day, thus October 31 was known as All Hallows Eve which became Halloween.
After the reformation many Protestant Christians began to celebrate Reformation Day on 31 October and rejected the Catholic celebration of Halloween. Many Lutheran churches still celebrate reformation day with the traditional colour of red which symbolises the Holy Spirit.
Should Christians celebrate Halloween?
There are many and varied opinions on this. Some Christians reject it saying that it is a pagan holiday during which evil is glorified. Others accept it as harmless fun with an opportunity for kids to dress up, get lots of sweet treats and have fun. Still others look at Halloween not as ‘us versus them’ but rather as an opportunity to engage with the community. It is up to each individual or household to decide if they choose to celebrate and how they will do so.
A few articles that show various opinions:
- Why Kids need Halloween: A Christian Perspective
- Exploring different responses to Halloween
- How we approach Halloween as a Family – different each year depending on kids ages and the community they’re living in
- Reflecting on how we used to do Halloween – Looking back, Becky sees how she didn’t help give her daughter a framework for her fear.
Alternative Ways to Celebrate Halloween?
So if you choose to celebrate Halloween in some way here’s a few ideas:
- What do we do for Halloween – Rachel who grew up in America but now lives in the UK shares about how her family celebrates the beauty of light in the dark.
- Messy Church at home: Holy Hallowe’en – Have fun as a family exploring the scariness and safe-home-ness of Psalm 23
- The Halloween Pumpkin: A Christian Twist – “Could there be a better symbol for our Christian life than the harvest time jack o’lantern? Are not we, like Jesus, called to be emptied out and filled with light?”
- Soul Cakes: A Traditional All Hallows Treat – includes a recipe for soul cakes
- Light Parties
- 26 Tried and Tested Light Party Crafts & Games
- Pumpkin Heroes – a free pack for children aged 4-10 to enjoy alternative Halloween crafts, activities and games
- Unmasking Halloween – exploring and reclaiming the positive aspects of Halloween, recognising that God is all-powerful
- Halloween for those haunted by the holy – hearing the stories of personal saints & public saints
- Celebrate All Saints Day: 1 November – activity & craft ideas
- Reformation Day Party Ideas
If my now young adult children were younger I would probably do something around Halloween. It I like the idea of light parties or celebrating the beauty of light in the dark.
And I usually have some lollies or chocolates in the house in case we have anyone who knocks on the door to trick or treat.
If you celebrate Halloween, what do you do?