Halloween??? To Celebrate or Not???

Ok, so I'm aware that I am stepping into possible uncomfortable territory with this post.  I ask you to promise me something here.  If you start reading this post, you have to read every word of it all the way to the end...otherwise just don't read it at all, ok?  I don't want anyone reading half of it without getting the full picture!  My absolute last intention is to stir anything up or make anyone defensive from either side of this topic, but I do think it is important to post what our view of Halloween is and where the Lord has brought us regarding whether or not to celebrate this holiday in any form (and why). One of the interesting things about blogging to me is that you aren't just writing to one audience.  There are some who will read this post who are adamently opposed to any form of celebrating this holiday and others who will read it and think I'm crazy for even taking the time to write about such a topic, because they see absolutely nothing in the world wrong with it, even find me "extreme" for suggesting such a thing.  I know several people on both sides of this issue (and lots more in between), and love them all the same.  The last thing we need to do is be divisive in the body over issues like this, because Satan certainly has a holiday then!   Here is a little peak into why we do what we do.

I will start by saying that personally I was never drawn to any of the evil or gorey Halloween type stuff, even as a child.  Growing up I always loved dressing up in fun costumes and going to church parties or trick or treating in my neighborhood, but I was never drawn to all of the witches, ghosts, and goblin type stuff that goes along with so much of the holiday.  Truthfully, all of that stuff always made me unsettled in my spirit even before I understood why.  I never really knew many details about the origins of Halloween until I was a young adult and decided to research it further.  I had always known bits and pieces of the background, but my interest in a lot of this peaked even more when we started having children of our own and began figuring out how we were going to "do" various holidays in our own family. All of a sudden there was a new responsibility with our decisions, because we were accountable to the Lord for molding these little souls He had entrusted to us.  I will say (and remember, I was one of them) that I don't believe most Christians are very educated at all in this area and if they were, many might make some different decisions as to what all they participate in or not.  I think it's just easier for us to never pursue knowing more, because we've always done it this way or that way, and quite frankly, we still want to.  It is absolutely true (and there is no debate about it) that Halloween originated as an entirely evil, sinful, and Satanic holiday.  The costumes, jack-o-lanterns, everything.  I can say that when I first really started researching all of that about 15 years ago I didn't really know what to do with it.  I knew the basics, but I had never really dug deeply to learn anything more than the surface level info I had heard before. Try it yourself.  If you've never REALLY done the research on the origins of Halloween it's easier than ever these days with the internet, so take the time to educate yourself and know what it is you're playing around with.

Now, it may seem if you stop reading here that we are "anti-Halloween" in our home...well, yes, and no.  (stay with me)  We've always told our kids we DON'T celebrate Halloween, because "Halloween" itself is a holiday that does not honor God, but we do celebrate Fall Festival.  We don't just say that for the sake of sounding "churchy"...it's exactly what we mean. Now, if someone throws out the word "Halloween" around them they don't gasp and think ugly things about them in their heart...what bigger issues are we creating in our own kids if they grow up being little Pharisees?!  However, we do want them to grow up being educated and understand what we do and why we do it so they can own it for themselves.  My husband has led our family so well in this area, and I believe he is absolutely right in the way he describes it.  Here's the deal...One of the big arguments against doing any type of participation even in church Fall Festivals or dressing up at all in costumes is that we are just making our own version look a little nicer, but it's still celebrating a demonic/Satanic holiday in a hidden version. By the way, I have absolutely no issue whatsoever if families decide not to participate in this holiday altogether, and I can completely understand why some might make that choice.  I would much rather that than the opposite extreme which so many take of allowing little ones to dress in evil costumes and teenagers and grown ups alike going out and watching horror movies, which in no way honor our Lord no matter how you try to justify it. There is certainly no harm in not participating.  But why has our family come to a point where we are completely fine with...even intentional with participating in Fall Festivals of some sort?  Why not just stay away altogether?  Well, the God we serve is in the business of REDEEMING. Jesus Christ IS the Redeemer.  He comes to redeem ALL things.  Redeem just means to "take back, to recover ownership for"  God's word says He comes to make "all things new"!!!  God's word says "THIS is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."  October 31st is HIS day, not Satan's day!  Horrible things originated on this date years and years ago, and much of it still goes on today, but are we just going to let it stay that way?!  EVERY day is sacred and holy!!  Yes, there are evil, demonic things that take place on that night under the cover of darkness, but Jesus is the light of the world!  WE are the light of the world because of Him, and a city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Rather than sit back and let the evil take place, I absolutely love when I see more and more churches taking back October 31st for the kingdom!  "Take back" ...redeem for the kingdom. By doing so, we don't believe for a second that that is giving honor to Satan.In reference to Genesis 50:20, what man intended for evil, God uses for good! I want our kids growing up with the perspective that being followers of Christ is an adventure, and that there are opportunities to fight on behalf of His kingdom every day of their life in real ways.  There is no doubt there is a battle for our hearts.  There is no doubt that there is REAL spiritual warfare in this world.  And there is no doubt that we serve a God who is in the business of redeeming ALL things.  Now I will say that a huge portion of people who participate in church fall festivals and such don't necessarily think it through quite this extremely, and many who fall to the other side of the argument would say this is a problem. Our prayer is that more and more believers who do participate in fall festival activities would see this as the picture of redemption that it is.(and our potential role in that).

So, is this just a lighter version of celebrating the actual holiday of Halloween when we let our kids dress up in costumes, play games, and go door to door for candy?  In those early years I questioned the same thing at times before I grasped this picture of Jesus being in the business of redeeming. One year when our first boys were young I suggested to Kenny maybe we should go to the fall festival but not wear costumes.  He said, "Well, they wear costumes almost every day of their life around the house,but we're going to NOT let them to fall festival because we're being legalistic?"  Valid point.  Again...it's the Lord's day, NOT Satan's!  Jesus is the redeemer. Now, let me say, we would not allow them to wear costumes that are dishonoring to God, whether that be playing around at home OR out to a fall festival.  One of our family members last year said something I absolutely loved.  They had just moved into a new neighborhood, and he said, "what better way to start getting to know your neighbors for future opportunites to share the gospel than going trick or treating door to door with your cute little one all dressed up!"  I loved it!  That's exactly what we're talking about.  Taking back the day for the kingdom!  They dressed up their cute little one in a costume (and who doesn't love seeing a sweet little boy all dressed up?) and went door to door introducing themselves through the neighborhood as the new family on the block.  They used it as an opportunity to open doors for sharing the gospel. Only God knows what opportunities were to follow because they were intentional in this way. 

SO, most years you will see the Dallas family participating in some sort of Fall Festival event at one place or another, and our kids excited and enjoying every minute of it.  We are very open and honest with them about the truths of what "Halloween" is about at the core (for each at their appropriate age level, ofcourse, but even down to the little ones)...the origins of it and the way many people still celebrate it...many knowingly, and many unaware.  They grow up knowing why we do what we do, and that WE are the hands and feet of Jesus.  He is ,and forever will be, in the business of redeeming....He makes all things new.