Christianity and Halloween??

Question

I'm a Christian, and very active in my church. I have nearly 2 year old twins, and I want them to enjoy the festivities of Halloween, without any religious connotations. My pastor is firmly against ANY sort of participation in Halloween activities, and won't even condone a Harvest party. What do you think? Do you think that I can allow and encourage my kids to participate in the dress up, pumpkin carving, and oodles of candy part of Halloween with out making it a religious holiday? I know that for some it IS a religious holiday...but can we participate outside of that? Sort of like how atheists celebrate Christmas outside the religious aspect...

Any advice on HOW to do that??

Answer 1

I'm pretty sure halloween was a pagan celebration but guess what? No one celebrates it for pagan reasons anymore. Have fun.

God knows your heart and your intentions, and he knows that you aren't celebrating halloween for other purposes besides enjoying tooth decay

Answer 2

Before I came forward as an atheist, the pastor of our church said the same thing espousing demons, satan and all it's influences.  I told him that Halloween has it's roots in both pagan and christian traditions and if he is so weak minded and easily led, then he shouldn't participate in Halloween festivities.  Boy, did that shut him up.  Of course my parents grounded me for a month......

Answer 3

it so is not a religious holiday for anyone. That is such a myth.

Answer 4

join the catholic church thet reconise holloween its funny you never looked up the origin or are you pagan?

Answer 5

As far as I know, most parents do not attribute the demonic side of halloween when participating.  

Answer 6

i grew up in a christian home..I'm a twin myself. my parents didn't take us trick or treating or even dressed us up. as i got older they would explain to me why we did not partake in the holiday. they got us candy any day of the week. Halloween wasn't any different from any other day to us. we didn't celebrate the Easter bunny nor were we taught about Santa. we had a great childhood. as a christian, i don't want to go against God for just some candy and a costume. so the decision is up to you. you do what you want with your kids. the holdiday is deeper than candy and a costume. it's the meaning behind it and thats what i was taught.  

I'm not judging you. you asked for advice and i gave it.

EDIT--to the person who called us "hypocrites"...it would be hypocritical of us to call ourselves a christian and partake in something we are not supposed to be doing..IE Halloween.

Answer 7

The fact is that it just isn't possible. Halloween/Samhain IS a pagan holiday and we celebrate the harvest so having your church have a harvest celebration would be even more like a pagan celebration than trick or treating would be.

Answer 8

why are you asking people here for advice? why not go to God. honestly, ask God if this is what you think you should do for your children. you said to someone else that YOU DON'T THINK is a "hill to die" on situation...well what does God think? that's all i can say. my nephew is 7 years old and as his legal guardian i am responsible for what i teach him. the bible said to train your child so that he/she grows up they will not depart from it. when i meet God, what i teach him will be on me. so honestly, i don't want to confuse him. i can not tel/teach him the bible and take him trick or treating the next night. that's like me going to a club on a Saturday night and then serving as a minister on Sunday morning. i have to lead by example. go to God and see what He says.

also, ask your pastor why he does not celebrate the holiday. he has good reason too. i understand that they are children and they want to have fun...but you also have to look into the origin of what you are taking part in. yes, even dressing up and getting candy is taking part of the whole celebration...not just part of it.

Answer 9

it is not spirtual children love dressing up it brings the family together but one should do it inmodertion just like christmas thats agood time also but some religous people would stop that so you enjoy your self with your family  and take the mickey out of the devil  

Answer 10

Does your pastor celebrate Christmas and Easter?...If so, then he should not judge you for partaking in Halloween Festivities.

All those Holidays have pagan roots.  I think you should do what you want and don't let hypocrites judge you!

To Ms. Lady:

MS. Lady, I didn't call YOU a hypocrite or anyone else here.  If her pastor is judging her for celebrating Halloween and He himself celebrates other pagan rooted holidays...then what does that make him?...I.E.!....Get over yourself already!

Answer 11

The reality of it is, Halloween is as divorced from its pagan roots as Christmas is from its early pagan roots.  Halloween just became secular and Christmas became a religious holiday.  The vilification of Halloween is relatively new, there was *NO* protest against it in centuries past.  I think the current backlash from the christian fundamentalist and evangelical communities comes from the resurgence of paganism and their adoption of the holiday as one of import.

You sound like a moderate christian and your pastor sounds a bit more in the extreme camp, read up on the facts of the holiday, think about it and make a well educated choice.  I've included the Wikipedia article on Halloween here, be sure the read the sections for the united states and the section on religious perspectives.

We have an annual Halloween party here at the house, the kids dress up as whatever (I expect batman will be popular with the kids this year).  We get some punch, 50 lbs of dry ice (to make fog and make the glassware chemistry stuff look nifty), and have a bonfire to roast weenies and marshmallows on.  We give out a bag of candy to all the kids who stop by and everyone always seems to have a great time... there has never been a religious connotation added by any of the christian, pagan, or other religious parents who show up (and we have friends of many religious types.)

You could move the holiday to all saints day too, it's only one day off.

Locally at least there are A LOT of Halloween celebrations at churches even.

Answer 12

You just do it.  It's your family.  Step up and act like a mother and do what you feel is best, not what some pastor tells you is best.

Answer 13

don't worry about it. go ahead and let your kids trick or treat. If your pastor repremands you then just calmly explain that you aren't celelbrating it for pagan reasons.  God knows your intentions, and knows you aren't celebrating it for any reason other than letting your kids enjoy gobs and gobs of candy

Answer 14

You do what you want to do.

I would probably skip the oodles of candy part since they are not even 2 years old, but that's your call too. I never think of Halloween as a religious holiday. It's just all hallowed EVE. But if it's not a religious holiday for you, why don't you just do what you want to do?

For me, if my entire church were against it, I wouldn't participate either, and if I really wanted to, I would probably seek a new church.

I also don't see why atheists and jewish people will often celebrate Christmas, "outside the religious aspect." For us, Christmas is not something that's outside the religious aspect.  

Answer 15

I have a little boy.  We love Halloween.  Our family does not consider Halloween a religious holiday.  We decorate the house, We go to the pumpkin patch and he picks out a pumpkin.  Then we shop for his costume. On Halloween eve, I take him and his little friends trick or treating.  I suggest you do what is right for you and your little twins.  You Pastor seems to be a little extreme about this matter.

Have fun with your little ones!  Childhood is fleeting. Let them enjoy it while they can.  Some of my fondest childhood memories are of having fun on Halloween.

Answer 16

Yes, most churches understand it is part of our American culture to dress-up and do fun things on Halloween. I'm sorry that your pastor has decided to be so rigid about it. Pumpkin carving you can do at home with the kids. I would call around to your local mall or even a different church to see what activities are available. Have fun with your children, and when they are older you can explain that the costumes originally worn on the first Halloweens were meant to scare away evil spirits, and not to celebrate evil.

Answer 17

Just do it, get costumes for your kids, or make them yourself, and take them trick or treating, and have a small party with their friends from daycare, etc....  I'm Catholic, my kids always went trick or treating (in fact they still do...) And we never put any religious connotations on it, although the next day, and the day after that, we did have religious holidays.

Answer 18

Your pastor is a moron.

Halloween is harmless fun. Let the kids go out trick or treating  and get yourself a new pastor

Answer 19

If you are a born anew believer(christian) then you only need to listen to one person. And that is the Lord Jesus living in you.

If you have the peace  then go ahead. No man can tell anyone what to do. However as a Born again beliver myself for over thirty years, when my children were younger we did not let them particapte in Halloween activities. Because what is behind Halloween is something of Satan.

Now just to shake up some other CHristians, we do not celebrate Christmas either, Because there is nothing in the Bible about christ birthday. We know that Christianity has picked it up as halloween from pagan beliefs and mixed it with Christianity.

So Halloween and Christmas have the same origin read your History books, becuase you will not find it in the Bible

Answer 20

Halloween has long since become a secular holiday. Even when it was a religious holiday, the timing was specifically tied to the harvest season which was also seen as a secular celebration to some.

Many of us Pagans still practice rights on that day and others, but we do not ask others who are not of our faith to participate.

Besides, if you started running from everything that had a culture had considered it holy where would you draw the line?

Keep you children from enjoying a full moon because almost every culture in the world has had a moon deity?

Refuse to let you children view a solar eclipse? How about that they cannot enjoy the sun at all because there are so many solar deities out there?

No vinegar, no fireplace/hearth; heck no barbecue: that has religious significance to the Hawaiians and other islanders that we got the tradition from.