Halloween Celebrations- What Christians are Teaching their Children

Oct 29

Every year, the question of whether or not to celebrate Halloween shows up on social media and in conversations among Christians. This topic appears as Christian parents struggle with determining whether they should or shouldn't celebrate Halloween. There is no straight answer according to some, while others believe there is an easy answer. No matter where you fall on this subject, I wanted to address what our choices about Halloween are teaching our children.

Halloween in the United States is typically a time for dressing up and trick or treating. Kids dress up in their favorite costumes and go door to door to get candy. Many Christians have no problem with their children dressing up to get candy. American churches have even started hosting trunk or treats as a means of fellowship and outreach to their local communities. It is not uncommon to find multiple Halloween trunks or treats, parades, and events happening every single weekend leading up to this celebration. Halloween has infiltrated our churches and every aspect of life, whether we like it or not. There have been numerous teachings on Christians and Halloween but today let’s talk about some of the things we may hope to teach our children and the reality of what we are teaching.

Family Traditions for Children on Halloween

One thing that we may hope to teach our children through celebrations is the passing of a tradition. Many of us grew up celebrating Halloween and want our children to experience the same thing. Traditions are very important to many families and religions. Traditions help provide stability and memories for our family. They are wonderful things for families and churches to partake in, but should our traditions be the same as everyone else? As Christians, we should be set apart from the world, our celebrations should not look the same as everyone else. When we participate in trick-or-treating and other Halloween events, we are teaching our children that our traditions are the same as the world. We can look at 1 John to see what Scripture has to say about the things of this world.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
1 John 2:15-17

Yearly participation in trick or treating, trunk or treating, or other Halloween activities teaches our children to expect these celebrations. We are teaching them to cave to the cravings of the world and the short-term pleasure from a night of dressing up and getting candy. The world is a very enticing place to be and because of sin has much evil as well. When we choose to use trick or treating, or trunk or treating as a family tradition we are setting the foundation for our children to learn that it is ok to celebrate in the same way that the world does. As Christians, we can ignore the deeper meaning of a holiday to pick and choose the aspects we enjoy. Trick or Treating on Halloween while ignoring the underlying meaning of the holiday is similar to providing gold for the golden calf and watching the worship but claiming to not be a participant.

Long-Term Implications of Celebrating Halloween with Our Children

If you still choose to celebrate Halloween with your young children, dressing up as cute characters and princesses, what happens when they grow up? There will come a time when your children will no longer look forward to dressing up as superheroes and going trick or treating. They will want to attend Halloween parties, haunted mazes, and haunted houses. They may want to dress in scary or revealing costumes. What then? 3 John tells us that we are to not follow what is evil.

Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good.He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
3 John 1:11, KJV

Maybe you don't think Halloween is evil., I didn't either. Our kids have celebrated Halloween, and I celebrated as a child. Over the past few years, the Holy Spirit has changed me to see the celebration for what it really is, a night centered around darkness. You might not run into this when your children are young, but as they grow they will appear. If you are interested in hearing about the evil that occurs during Halloween check out some of these resources. So maybe trick or treating isn't a good thing to do, but we can still have parties and watch scary movies, right?

What Halloween Movies are Teaching our Children

Let's go back and remember that what we allow and do now with our children, is laying the foundation for their whole life. They will remember what they watched as a child and will make decisions in their life based on that.

During Halloween, many families like to watch movies about witches and ghosts. Some may be scary while others might be more lighthearted and fun. I was one of those people who loved to watch kid-friendly Halloween movies like Halloween Town, Casper, Twitches, and more. What I have learned as I have grown is that even kid-friendly movies have messages that are contrary to Christ and His Word. When we watch these movies with our children we are often telling them these movies are pretend. That witches are pretend. They don't exist. Ghosts and evil spirits are not real. Everything is just pretend. But is it pretend? There are many passages we can open in the Bible to see that witches, ghosts, and evil spirits are not pretend. They are very real.

31 “ ‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:31

When we teach that witches and ghosts are pretend we are teaching counter to scripture. How can we expect our children to believe the Word of the Lord when we are undermining it? Something as simple as watching a kid-friendly Halloween movie is laying a foundation that evil is not real.

Overall Message to Children

Participating in trick or treating with young children may seem innocent enough, but is it? Our children are growing up looking forward to celebrations of this world instead of God. How often do your children talk about Jesus, His death and resurrection? Do your children know Bible verses and stories more than they know the characters they want to dress up as? When we lay the foundation that Halloween and trick or treating are not evil and are fine, we are laying a sandy foundation for our children.

They are being taught that the Word of God is not the solid ground we should stand on. That God's word is not true. Why are we shocked that youth and young adults are not attending church today? That they are not followers of Christ when we have taught them to be a part of this world. They have grown up to look no different than their pagan neighbor and friends.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2

Halloween Should Not Divide Christians

Let me end with this, do you believe that the Word of the Lord is True? If so, then we must also believe that there is true evil in this world. No matter what decision you make about Halloween, I ask that you take time to pray. The celebration of Halloween is not a Gospel issue and should not divide us as Christians.

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.
1 Corinthians 8:9-13

There are times for us to abstain from certain things of this world to not cause others to sin. When praying about Halloween, spend time in prayer for your children. Although you may be able to participate in good conscience, can your young child make that choice? Are they able to stand up to friends and others about their faith while still participating in the celebration? There are many things in this world that can divide Christians. I hope that this article gives you some things to think about as you pray about the celebration of Halloween in your family.