This is the Day

It’s that time of year again; Halloween. Boo!

Fall is my favorite time of year. The temperatures drop, the air is crisp, and the beautiful season of red, orange and yellow colors emerge from trees, each leaf declaring the glory of God. The season also includes Halloween. I have a lifetime of memories surrounding this cultural and now perhaps controversial holiday within the Christian community.

• In my childhood my brothers and I would dress up in homemade costumes and walk around our neighborhood getting candy!

• In my teens and early 20’s I’d go to Halloween parties and haunted houses with friends; screaming and running out as fast as we could!

• As a mother in my late 20’s and early 30’s I’d buy cute costumes for our two daughters and walk them around the neighborhood to get Halloween candy.

• As a mother of three daughters in my early 40’s our pre-teen and teenage daughters would typically dress up and go to Halloween parties with friends. Our young daughter would dress up in a cute costume and we’d take her to church fall festivals for games and candy.

• As a grandmother in my 50’s and 60’s I’d  take photos of the grandkids dressed up in their costumes, pass out candy and gospel tracts to the neighborhood kids, take them to church fall festivals, and help with our church’s “Trunk or Treat” programs. I also made the mistake of agreeing to take a group of our youngest daughter’s friends to a haunted house. I immediately regretted it. It was sponsored by group of local firemen and I mistakenly assumed it wouldn’t be too scary. I hadn’t been to a haunted house for many years, have not been to any since, and don’t plan to go to any in the future.

• The one time I can remember wearing a costume for Halloween as an adult was recently in October of 2023 when Harold and I were on a 14-day Carnival cruise. He wore his Peyton Manning Indianapolis Colts Jersey and I wore a makeshift Indianapolis Colts cheerleader outfit. It was fun for both of us! I think especially for me, as I always wanted to be a cheerleader when I was young. 

Now at age 71 and reflecting back over the years, I remember when I was first convicted that Halloween was not just all fun, candy and games. I was in my mid 30’s and had recently experienced a remarkable growth in my personal walk with the Lord. It was like a light had been turned on in my head; all of a sudden I started wondering about the dark side of Halloween. We were living in Brandon, Florida at the time; new to the area and attending Providence Baptist Church. I asked a couple of the ladies in my Sunday School class if their kids went “Trick or Treating” and they replied, “Of course.” I resolved to ease up on my negative thoughts about Halloween. I let the girls pick out some Halloween costumes, as we had always done in the past, so they could go “Trick or Treating” in our neighborhood. I was reassured I made the right decision upon receiving an early knock on our door on Halloween evening and hearing the words, “Trick or Treat!” It was the associate pastor and his family at our door. 

However, over the many years since then I’ve steadily seen more and more Christians speaking out against the evil of Halloween activities. I actually think this was a catalyst back in the early 2000’s as more and more churches began sponsoring Halloween alternative activities during this time. I don’t recall this being an option when I was young.  

In more recent years, however, I’ve been seeing some pastors and Christian leaders speaking out saying that churches should not be sponsoring Halloween alternative activities. To this I have mixed emotions as I’m of the opinion that any opportunity to share the gospel and the love of Christ is a good thing, even during Halloween. 

I remember one Bible verse in particular that helped me get through this years ago: 

“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalms 118:24

While this verse is referring to the Sabbath, I personally took this verse to heart and decided to apply it to my everyday life. I resolved that the devil doesn’t get to have the honor of any one particular day. It is our Lord that makes and blesses our days, including October 31. 

I could go on with a list of all of the evils associated with Halloween but I’ll leave that for others to do. Instead, here’s a list of Bible verses to help guide us in our daily choices.  These verses, and the whole of the Bible, are meant to guide us each and every day in our life, not just on one day in October. 

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. Ephesians 5:11-12

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 1 Corinthians 10:23

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:21

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

In conclusion, I believe God has given parents the awesome responsibility of raising our children to adulthood. We are to love them, provide for their needs, and protect them from harm, but most of all it is our responsibility to “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4) With that said, personally I would not take my young children out “Trick or Treating” today unless it was to visit neighbors that you actually know, friends, and family. I would not allow them to wear any type of costume that appears evil or that glorifies murder or evil characters. I would allow them to go to church fall festivals and “Trunk or Treat.” Bottom line, there is no Bible verse that specifically states we are not allowed to do these events. Christians have “Christian Liberty” which is the discretion to make personal choices in areas of life that are not explicitly forbidden in scripture. 

And remember, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”Philippians 4:16-17