It's that time of the year, when many families around the world and families in our church, and groups start decorating and planning for Halloween.
They start planning on what their kids will wear, what they will be this year. etc....
This; sometimes has been a touchy subject for me when discussing it with my friends. Why? Because I am very passionate when it comes to Halloween. And sometimes my conviction is much stronger than other believers, and I don't know how to best share with them. And who isn't afraid of rejection? Or the fear that you friends think you are judging them? Yikes! (which I am NOT, I am praying for the Lord to reveal his word regarding Halloween to them for THEIR family)
Halloween is not celebrated in our home.
In our home; we do not believe as christians we should celebrate or participate in this holiday. AT ALL.
Several verses come to mind when I begin to share my heart with others,
3 John 1:11 ("do not imitate what is evil")
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 ("Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.")
Ephesians 5:11-12 ("Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness" / "live as children of light")
2 Corinthians 6:14-17 ("what fellowship can light have with darkness?")
Philippians 4:8 (think about pure, lovely, noble things)
Deuteronomy 18:9-14 (do not learn to imitate detestable ways, including spiritists, sorcerers and witchcraft)
My children have always been very sensitive to any kind of evil. From their begining we have taught them " Above all else guard your hearts, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23. This means that when we walk into the comissary , they shield their eyes, and they say "Mommy, I am guarding my heart..." when they see the witches and goblins hanging in the entry way to the store. When they are watching a show or a preview comes on, and I am not there, they still choose to shield their little hearts again, and again. They are taught that evil is all around us, and that God is bigger than anything, and we are protected from it all through Jesus. But that we should "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil."1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
My children are only 4 and 6. They are still very young. So we do not go into great detail on the evil that lurks in movies, books etc... as they grow we will discuss it more.
There are a few articles written on this subject explaining why Christians shouldn't participate in Halloween I have included them in here should you like to read more.
Christian Answers.Net has one here Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
There is also a great DVD called Halloween Trick or Treat (if you want to borrow it local gals, it's a great show! NOT for kids) This video features Chuck Smith, researcher Caryl Matrisciana and Hal Lindsey, as well as a number of Witches, Satanists and law enforcement officials.
And finally, I wanted to share a great book on explaining to our children Why we don't celebrate Halloween.
Mommy, why don't we celebrate halloween? by Linda Hacon Winwood
amazon says:
Children ask the toughest questions! As a parent, you want to give them the best answers. This amazing children's book will help dedicated parents answer tough questions simply, biblically, and lovingly. Christ- centered and sensitively written, this book will help satisfy the curiosity of even the most inquisitive children.
Book Description
Halloween! Do you know the truth behind the dressing up and trick-or-treating that are important parts of this holiday? If not, you and your parents need to read this book.
Mommy, Why Don't We Celebrate Halloween? helps children understand why Christians shouldn't celebrate Halloween. It reveals, in story form, the truth behind the activities that have become such an accepted part of Halloween traditions. Children who read this book and talk about it with their parents will learn how the "fun" of Halloween harms them. They will also learn what to say to others who do not understand the true meaning of Halloween.
Crafts and bible fun for the kinders
Pumpkin parable craft from little blots of faith
Another great book....
This charming story for children illustrates how a loving farmer can turn a simple pumpkin into a simply glorious sight. In the same way, God's transforming love can fill each of our hearts with joy and light. Liz Curtis Higgs created this parable as a way to share the Good News with her own precious children each harvest season. . .and now with children everywhere.
October 31st is the day our LORD, has made. It is His beauty and light that we celebrate!
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
This is the 2nd time I have read this post...I just noticed that you mentioned commisary, which must mean you are also a Military Spouse. =) Me too! I appreciated your post, we don't celebrate Halloween either, and I LOVE the 1st book for teaching the reasons why to our children.
ReplyDeletePS...I recently posted a similar topic on my blog, feel free to come and check it out =)
ReplyDeleteHi Kelli,
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful, thank you for sharing. My little girl, 4 yrs old, is like your children. She is very sensitive to evil and does the same as them. It is very encouraging. Bless you.
I agree wholeheartedly with your position---and have maintained our stance that we should not imitate evil or invite it into our home for the sake of a 'great candy hunt' since the early days. Now that our children are older we continue to carefully discuss it with others when asked, but maintain our ground. Just the past weekend, I was reminded by another adult how the radar is turned off for so many and allow their children to participate in activities otherwise deemed off limits. Stand your ground, as your children age it will bring you comfort when their choices without you follow what you've taught them now.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the encouragement! When I was single it was easy to avoid Halloween. I would use it as a day to respectuflly remember my deceased ancestors, which felt appropriate. Now that I have a toddler, it is more complicated. We are still working on figuring out what we feel is appropriate for our family. We do have a 'nothing evil/creepy/scary' rule for decorations and costumes, and as of yet have not taken our son trick-or-treating, but we do enjoy costume parties and will give candy to those who come to our house.
ReplyDelete