Being a Christian and all I’m still a bit torn about my feelings in relation to Halloween. We don’t ever plan to take our child(ren) trick-or-treating but we do give out candy because I just love the sense of community it brings. We also chose to dress Maddie up this year, and perhaps the years to come, but I’ll always make the costumes and keep them on the respectable side if we do.
Mario and I were even toying with the idea of being Super Mario (him, obviously), the Princess (me) and a mushroom (Maddie) next year…too cute, right?!? We also plan to attend Fall Festivals throughout the week leading up to Halloween and on the day of as we did this year but I honestly feel like we’re still celebrating Halloween but just calling it something different. So I don’t really know at this point!
I read a few articles about Christians celebrating Halloween and really liked what a particular article had to say:
Halloween is a matter of conscience before God. Whatever level of Halloween
participation you choose, you must honor God by keeping yourself separate from
the world and by showing mercy to those who are perishing.” (Source: Grace to You)
Can you say…ADORABLE! This is a great post. I love the view you have regarding giving out candy as a sense of building community. We haven't done that in the past but definitely something to consider!!!
-Natasha @ Lovely You
I honestly don't feel like the purpose of Halloween is from a satan worshiping stand point. Initially it had some religious starting points. In my opinion even if you go to church to get the candy, are you still not getting candy on Halloween? The only difference is you aren't going to someones home, but at church. Your child/ren are still dressing up in costume. My feelings may change once I go deeper into my spirituality but for right now those are my feelings on it. But she is the cutest little bunny/kitty!!!! And her costume was cute!! How did you make it?
Personally, I do not celebrate Halloween because of its Pagan traditions but I used to celebrate it before then after doing much research and prayer came to the decision to stop.
I feel that it is fine to celebrate Halloween as long as you realize what it have evolved into now – another fun activity for kids in the fall. If you do your research into other Christian holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, part of the reason they are celebrated at the time of year they are is because they were around pagan holidays and it made it much easier on the "converts."
As a christian myself I do feel how you feel.. However I didn't want to take the joy away from my daughter when she was younger to enjoy Halloween. Bc as kids they don't understand. But now that she is much older(13) we have discussed what it means and we go to church on Halloween and we have a fall festival. Like year(the other day) we had a fall festival at church. I brought stencils and we carved pumpkins and bobbed for apples other games and activities. At the end of the night,the Pastor had us sent around a bomb fire and the told aaaall the children the real meaning of Halloween.. We really did have a great time. So for me… I just let my daughter enjoy her youth and as she got older things were explained.. I didn't wanna take the fun outta everything for her..
Your daughter is so adorable! I wasn't allowed to celebrate Halloween growing up; however, my parents always took my brother and I to "Hallelujah Night" at our local church. I still remember the time around 1st grade my mom dressed me up as Esther in the Bible. She let me wear my hair down AND wear lipstick?? You couldn't tell me anything! lol Although it's celebrated on or around October 31st and is a quite obvious substitute for trick-or-treating, I don't feel like it's celebrating the same thing but rather providing an alternative. Instead of celebrating a holiday with an origin of glorifying evil, the church gave us an opportunity to dress up and pig out on candy while celebrating the Lord.
That said, the quote you mentioned hits the nail square on the head: To each their own. 🙂
Maddie looks really cute!!!
I was kind of on the fence about Halloween too. My parents always took us to church, so I don't really know about dressing up or trick-or-treating. I'm not sure how I feel about my little one participating in it. Like you, I will have to continue to pray about it.
Jasmine
Buzzing With Mrs. McClain
My mom always let us dress up but just not anything evil – devils, witches, etc. I will carry the same tradition for my children. I don't read too much into Halloween as a Christian. I don't expose my daughter to scary horror films or plan to take her on haunted trails or anything scary as she's older (I don't enjoy those myself anyway!) We took Aly trick-or-treating only to a few houses – family and friends only. It was so fun letting her dress up, carving pumpkins, putting out a few decorations and passing out goodies that we will celebrate Halloween as a fun time with family and nothing else.
I love Maddie's costume by the way – what a cute kitten!!!
I"m so glad I ran across this blog, your daughter is a cutie. I have great memories of halloween as kid but as an adult and a believer I have stayed away from it. Locking my doors, turning off the lights and hiding until the sun came up. But I have noticed more and more of my believing friends dressing their kids, and enjoying the holiday as a day of community and dressing up and getting candy, not of glorifying evil. I had planned to do my usual hiding this year and my neighborhood was relatively quiet last Halloween. But, my neighborhood is experiencing a "revitalization" with new young families moving in and this years Halloween was amazing. Kids everywhere, the church across the street with it's doors flung open giving out hotdogs and nachos, LOL! Meeting the people. I spent half the night on my neighbors porch people watching and helping to hand out candy. It was community and it was showing the love of Christ, not hiding behind closed doors. I definitely plan to participate next year. Unless God says otherwise.
she sure is cute!