Why We Don't Celebrate Halloween

First of all, let me preface this by saying that this is ONLY what our family chooses to do, NOT what we think everybody else should do.  That's between you and your Heavenly Father and is nobody else's business. I honestly don't think any differently of anyone for whatever they choose to do this time of year.  I promise.

But we have been asked our feelings on Halloween a few times so I thought it was a good time to type up a blog post about it.

In today's society it is normal to celebrate Halloween.  Most of the time it's not even given a second thought. All through my childhood years I dressed up and went trick-or-treating and absolutely LOVED it!  We had Halloween parties at school and carved pumpkins at home and it was a lot of fun.  I don't remember us ever taking part in anything extremely scary or gory and even though we had witch and monster and ghost decorations I knew none of them were real and therefore wasn't scared.

So why the sudden change once I became an adult?  Well, to be honest with you it's actually very simple and requires very little explanation.  I simply love my Lord and Saviour so very, very much and I am SO thankful for what He did for me on that cross that I don't want to take even the slightest chance of offending him.

Philippians 4:8 says, "...whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" while 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says to, "Abstain from all appearance of evil".  That's all I need!  Halloween simply isn't worth it to me. 

I know there's always the debate over the actual origins of Halloween, trying to justify celebrating it.  All Saints Day, All Hallows Eve.  I've heard it, I've read it, I've watched it.  Regardless of it all, I'm living today.  And what I see Halloween is today, I don't see things that are true, honest, just, pure, and lovely or worthy of any praise.  In fact, a lot of what I see represents nothing but pure evil.  Just walk down the Halloween isle of any Wal-Mart and tell me which you see more of, pure and lovely or evil?

I know for little kids dressing up can be cute and fun and innocent, and that's fine.  I'm not against dressing up, having fun, or eating candy.  But as one that is supposed to be a light in a dark world why would I want to participate in a holiday that, for the most part, brings images of dark, scary, and ungodly things? 

Having said all that, I'm also very careful to not appear 'holier-than-thou' about it either.  If we get trick-or-treaters (which we never have) I would gladly hand out candy.  They're kids.  They don't know any different and will have to make their own decisions about Halloween when they're older.  But if they show up at my door doing what they know Halloween to be about then I'm going to smile, comment on their costumes, and lovingly give them some candy.

We love to decorate our home for the fall with pumpkins and gourds, fodder shocks, mums, scarecrows, cornucopias, pilgrims, orange and yellow leaves, etc. We also have our own little 'Harvest Party' here in our back yard every year where we get together with friends and family and eat, have a fire and make S'mores, play age-old fallish games (bobbing for apples, sack races, etc.) and this year we even had a special devotion using a pumpkin.  But it is completely focused on Autumn and the harvest season.

In short, it's simple.  My Father, who died the cruelest of deaths and saved me from eternity in hell, is so much more important to me than celebrating some silly man-made holiday.  Is it wrong?  I honestly don't know.  Does it offend God and break His heart to see His children participating in a holiday that the very name brings images of darkness and evil.  I can't say that He has ever told me that exactly.  However, I love Him too much to take the chance. 

My husband has always said something I thought was very wise and I think it applies perfectly here...

"When you don't know, don't."  And that's what we choose to do.