Christian Alternatives to Halloween

As a proud and faithful Christian, many of us decide not to celebrate Halloween. Though in most instances this is not a difficult decision for a Christian adult, it can be an extremely difficult decision for a child. To see their non Christian friends with a sack of treats and dressed in what they perceive to be as a fun costume, they may not understand the reason behind not celebrating. Thankfully, there are some Christian based alternatives that can be fun for the entire family!

Your main priority here is too develop a positive tradition with no negativity. A great idea instead of a Halloween party is to a host a Fall or Autumn celebration. This celebration, welcoming in the autumn season can be held at someone’s home or in church. If there is an interest in wearing costumes, focus on positive people in the Bible. The day can be spent in fellowship with others while you decorate and craft.

Another Christian based alternative would be a celebration focusing on the pumpkin! Even better, this can be a pumpkin fundraiser with proceeds going to your church’s youth group. Ideas include, selling pumpkins and pumpkin pies and contests for who carves the best pumpkin.

This time of year also provides a perfect time to evangelize others. Dress in a positive character from the Bible and instead of going door to door for treats, pass out information on how others can be saved (of course you can accept a piece of candy as a thank you!).

Lastly, a Christian alternative to Halloween does not have to be a loud party. Invite a few friends and family over for some quiet time. You can all fellowship together as Christians, and at the same time you can feel the Lord’s love surround you all. Include sharing some pumpkin pie and prayer and praise time.

Just because you and your family have made the decision not to celebrate Halloween, doesn’t mean that you can’t have a positive and good time together instead. These are just a few ideas on what to do instead of celebrating Halloween. Be aware that there are probably countless others. Sit down with your loved ones and ask them what they think they would like to do. It really doesn’t matter what you do, just as long as you and your family are together. Remember to also spend time praising and thanking our Lord for all that he has done in our lives. Then you can be sure that you will all have a perfect day together.

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Evangelism and Halloween, Can They Really Go Hand in Hand?

As Christians many of us make the decision to not partake in the “holiday” of Halloween. Many Christians are very proud of their decision yet they have overlooked a big opportunity to spread the Lord’s word to others. Instead of shutting the lights and not answering the door as many Christians do the night of Halloween (to be fair, there are some who do not do this) have you ever though about what Jesus would do in this situation?

Think about this, children raised without the Lord in their lives are arriving at your door in cute costumes. They have their bags with them, opening them to you and hoping to get a treat. They are in a willing and impressionable position. Thankfully, in this situation we are available to practice a phrase that was coined originally by Reverend Greg Asimakoupolos, known as “evangelism in reverse“.

Evangelism in reverse refers to the fact that those who need the Lord are coming to us, we are not searching them out. We are now able to advise them on the Lord’s view of the entire practice of Halloween. To be put in this situation is an awesome opportunity to serve the Lord. If we do not take advantage of this, what kind of message will we be sending to these vulnerable, impressionable children?

They may portray us as thinking that we are better than they are. Also, if we make the decision not to answer the door or to leave and go to church, who will be there to welcome them? We may be passing up the opportunity to teach and enlighten these impressionable young minds. In either case scenario, do you think Jesus would be proud of us if we did this?

A better idea is to spend time in prayer and ask the Lord who you may be able to spread his word to and how you may be able to do this. One family has made the decision to extend a Christ like smile and welcome to everyone who arrives on their doorstep. With each treat they are attaching a special poem. This poem was also written by Reverend Asimakoupoulos, he has been kind enough to give permission for anyone to copy and use it. It may be something you would like to also use this Halloween for those special trick-or-treaters.

Our Trick, God’s Treat

It was really quite neat
that you asked for a treat
when you stopped by
and rang our doorbell.
Though we don’t know your name
we are still glad you came
and would like to pass this on as well.

Long before time began
Father God had a plan
for His people to all get along.
But, we blew it, you see,
when we chose selfishly
to insist on OUR WAY and do it wrong.

What we did was a trick
that made God really sick,
but he didn’t trick us in return.
He reached out with a treat
that is sweeter than sweet.
It’s a treat that we could never earn.

God says, “I’ll be your friend!
I’ll forgive you all your sins,
I sent Jesus to make you brand new.
On this Halloween night
as you turn out your light,
Just remember how much God loves you.”

Copyright 2003, Reverend Greg Asimakoupoulos, used by permission.

How to Teach Your Child the Truth About Halloween

With the coming of autumn, Christians become aware that Halloween is just around the corner. Children become excited talking about what their costumes will be and where they are going to go trick-or-treating. This is just fine if you celebrate the holiday of Halloween.

Many Christians though decide either not to celebrate, or they celebrate in a more Christian centered way. The question is though, how does a Christian teach their child about Halloween without compromising their Christian values? Included are some ideas that will hopefully point you in the right direction. Couple these ideas with prayer time asking the Lord for guidance in this area, and you can be sure you are doing the right thing for everyone involved.

A good first step is to research the subject Halloween at your local library. Discuss your findings with your Pastor to decide the best way to approach the subject with your children.

Take time to sit down with your children and explain your Christian beliefs to them. Take further time to explain how they conflict with non Christian beliefs. Do not stop them from asking questions and encourage their participation.

If you make the decision to change the name of the day, consider your children’s ideas. You can call it the “Welcome, autumn” day or the “Crazy costume” day. These are just ideas, whatever suits your family is the way to go. Use this day to fellowship, dress up in a positive costume and gorge on your favorite sweets.

Spend time together as a family carving a autumn pumpkin. Though the pumpkin does not need to be scary looking, this may be something you are not thrilled about doing. Try replacing the pumpkin with a watermelon and carve a big smiley face instead. Make sure all your children get a turn at carving and pray together before and after your activity.

If your family decides to give candy to children at your door, you can “modify” this “tradition” also. Don’t buy candy weeks before. You can actually find candy on the 31st, but you more than likely can find it at a reduced rate also saving some money. Attach you and your children’s favorite bible verse to each treat. Not only are you spreading God’s word, you are also inventing a activity that you can all do together.

Stand by your convictions and beliefs. Have fun together as a family and don’t let others opinion or pressure sway what you believe.

By spending time with your children and explaining why you celebrate Halloween the way you do can make all the difference. They will still end up enjoying the day, without forgetting our Lord. They may even make an impression on other children, by spreading God’s love to them as well. Remember to never leave the Lord out of the picture and to have fun as a family. Enjoy the day!

What Does the Bible Say About Halloween?

Many Christians have debated the subject of Halloween for an extremely long time. Strongly divided on the subject, some Christians celebrate the holiday and believe they have the freedom to do just that. Other Christians boycott the holiday, believing Halloween promotes darkness and evil which are against their biblical beliefs.

They also tend to lean towards the belief that Halloween celebrations began from pagan roots. Others yet, celebrate Halloween in a positive way. Approving and allowing dressing in costume and going trick or treating only if their costume represents a positive influence or positive character.

Contrary to popular belief, there are no direct references to Halloween in the Bible. Due to this fact, it keeps the subject both disputed and controversial between Christians. Many Christians classify the subject of Halloween under a “disputable matter” which is referenced in the Bible under Romans 14.

To make this a bit more clearer, other subjects that would fall into this category include smoking, drinking alcohol, working on Sunday or deciding what kind of movies and television should be viewed. There are other subjects as well. You can reference Romans 14 for a further, more in depth discussion about the subject.

The majority of Christians decide not to partake in these actions because they believe they are un-Christian acts, yet there are no specific scripture that tells them not to. Many families with children decide on a “modified” Halloween due to the fact they do not want their children to miss out in any fun with their peers.

They allow them to dress up in a positive costumer or a biblical character, rather than a ghost, goblin or skeleton to reference just a few “un-Christian” costumes. Adults without children tend to lean towards the decision to either celebrate a “normal” Halloween or not celebrate at all. In choosing not to celebrate at all, there are other options available. Consider having a fall party or just inviting church friends and family over for some Christian fellowship instead.

Basically, the decision lies on you and your family. Spend some time in prayer and ask the Lord to guide you. He will never lead you in the wrong direction. Remember not to be swayed by the decision of others, do what you feel in your heart. Since the Lord made no specific reference to it in the Bible, He will let you know what is best for you and those you love.