I’m curious . . . Do you celebrate Halloween with your kids?  🎃 Why, or why not?

Halloween is a tricky, sensitive topic for many Christians. Because it’s a gray area, you get to decide for your family what you think is best, based on your personal convictions.

I grew up trick-or-treating and carving pumpkins. We do the same with our boys. We don’t glorify evil or celebrate Satan. It’s just a fun time to dress up, get a little (or a lot!) of candy, and spend time with friends and neighbors.

If you choose not to participate, I respect that choice for your family.

We have conversations with our boys about the fact that:

• Yes, the origins of Halloween centered on pagan occult practices. That’s not what we’re doing. There are no pagan practices of witchcraft involved in our festivities.
• Yes, witchcraft is real. Evil people do evil things on Halloween. Evil people also do evil things every other day of the year. We’re not celebrating evil or participating in evil by dressing up as dinosaurs, aliens and ninjas, and visiting our neighbors to get candy.
• Yes, we could hide in our back room, turn off all the lights, and pretend we’re not home. But we’re called to be part of our community and connect with non-believers. What other night of the year is the entire neighborhood milling about and initiating conversations with strangers?
• Yes, other kids may choose to dress up in costumes that celebrate evil. We’re not doing that. But giving candy to a child in a witch costume does not mean you are supporting or celebrating witchcraft. (And neither is that child by the way).
• No, we do not need to fear evil. We know it exists, but as followers of Jesus, evil does not control us. What better way to show our kids the power of the gospel than by going into the world with courage and shining the light of Jesus in the darkness? 

I know a lot of Christian families who choose to go trick-or-treating. I also know Christian families who choose NOT to go trick-or-treating.

My prayer today is that we can ALL treat each other with grace, and act according to our personal convictions that line up with the Word of God.

Do you have any traditions you enjoy with your family this time of year?