Holloween? As Christians, should we try to replace the celebration for our children?

Question

It doesn't say anywhere in the bible "Thou shalt not celebrate Holloween." However, it does say that we shall not participate in anything wicked. Is it okay for the church to throw a party for our children on Holloween? This is an open question and I would like to hear from any non-christians as well. However, I used to be wiccan and I know about the history of all of our holidays.

Thanks for your answers!!!

#1.) Why don't atheists leave Christians alone and stop trying to say that we are brainwashing our children?
#2.) What is wrong with believing in any God?
#3.) We are having a costume party for my daughter's birthday in January.

Answer 1

It's time we all stopped overanylizing something that is nothing more than harmless fun and fantasy. Surely people have something more pertinent to consume their busy body lives.

Answer 2

Since the name changed from Samhain to Halloween b/c of Catholic-Christian attempts, use the time to teach your children about All Hallows Eve, which was a day to honor the dead...IE, your ancestors. My interpretation is that it's a European 'Day of the Day'...I personally am not even close to any monotheistic religion but I find some costumes morbid. I don't like the plastic masks of rotting or dismembered corpses. But, I have seen very cute costumes-I heard somewhere last year that some church had an autumn celebration and had their own version of a 'haunted house'-one that was meant to be entertaining, somewhat educational, not at all scary, just fun. I would talk to the pastor of your church about doing something like that. If you do, there will be some who see it as competition and will get mad. You never know.

Answer 3

Why not replace the celebration, since Christianity has replaced celebrations throughout it's history. During the Council of Nicea, your religious forefathers voted on the religious dates to be used in your religion. Does that not make you feel better, that your Christmas was actually voted on? That Easter was voted on, etc. That is because there is no evidence anywhere to support when Jesus was born or died (if he existed at all). The Council of Nicea invented your religion and beliefs and decided which gospels were going to be in your religion from which disciples and which gospels of other disciples were going to be left out. Now why would that be? Why not include all the books of the disciples of Christ, even if they exposed Christ as just a man? When will Christians demand the truth about their beliefs?
Christian religious dates were picked to follow along the lines of the pagan religions in order to make Christianity an easier fit into Roman society and elsewhere in Europe. Did you know that? So a nice cookie cutter religion, specially invented to fit into society, makes a logical person sit back and see it for what it is.

Answer 4

Embrace halloween, ask yourself, what in the haloween holiday is it that is wicked. Nothing. Haloween like Christmas and Easter had it's roots in Pagan holidays. All Hallows eve was after it's pagan beginnings a religious holiday. I fail to see how letting the little ones dress up--and get candy is participating in anything wicked. Me thinks the objections to Haloween from some people arises from those with not nearly enough to do and too much time on their hands. Id tell em to get a job;.

Answer 5

Symbolically it is wrong to celebrate the rising up of evil spirits... but have a Praise party instead so that your children do not feel left out

Answer 6

I think this is a matter of personal conviction. I don't celebrate it , but I have let my son go to an alternative at church. I think if I was planning one, it wouldn't be on Halloween and it would be a Fall party without costumes.

Answer 7

im not christian anymore, but i grew up christian.

Part of childhood, is hollidays, trick-or-treating, dressing up, easter baskets, santa clause, all of that stuff.

If your religious beliefs take that away from the child you are not helping them, you are hurting them. They are memories that will last their entire lifes, their religion, may, or may not. Also, depriving them, of what so many around them have, based upon religion, that is so fragile, can create animosity, which is what has happened in my case.

I remember tick-or-treating, 2 times maybe...and then my parents church told them it wasnt ok to celebrate halloween because its the devils holliday. My younger sisters have never done it. I am not religious, and have questioned my beliefs since i was 12 or so. So my parents were forcing me to adopt their lifestyle, while i was struggling against it.

I feel like i have missed parts of my childhood, that they robbed me of the things that everyone else got to do. They are done in innocence, not in sin. To take that away, is cruel. It will take years to repair my relationship with my family, all because of religious differences. Dont let it happen with your children, let them be kids, its innocent, let them be innocent, and enjoy life and all it has to offer.

Answer 8

If, as you say, you used to be wiccan, then you know that the ancients used to honor their dead ancestors on this holiday. When the Catholic Church came to prominence, they usurped it as a time to honor the Saints of the church. In either case, it is a celebration of those who have gone before us, and if there is anything of corruption to it, it's from the purveyors of all things over-indulgent, turning it into yet another excuse for purchasing gaudy decorations and an over-abundance of sugary, tooth rotting junk to hand out to kids who have been taught one more unnecessary lesson in greed. where is the honor and holiness in that?

Answer 9

It's not wicked. It's very healthy.

The whole point of Halloween is to look at our fears, to engage with them, to walk around in their shoes. This brings them to light and helps us be less afraid. It helps us understand that fears can be conquered. It takes the power away from fear.

This is a positive effort regardless of your spiritual views. You just need to understand it for what it is.

Answer 10

Well since it is the Eve of All Saint's Day ("All-Hallow's Day" in Old English, hence from "All Hallow's Eve" we derive "Halloween"), why not celebrate the great Christians of the past?