Why My Family Doesn’t Celebrate Halloween

After I got saved and began understanding the darkness of this world I began disliking Halloween, and didn’t want my children having anything to do with it. Does that mean I never let them go trick-or-treating? No, unfortunately, there was a time in my life when I got out of church and away from God, and let the pressures of the world get to me and allowed my children to go trick-or-treating three different times. I have regretted it every since. I had taught my children when they were little that Halloween was bad and not of God and was not something we partook in, but then allowed them to participate in trick or treating and ‘harvest’ parties at church, thus sending them mixed messages not only about Halloween but more importantly about my convictions and what God’s Word has to say about these things. Halloween focuses on death and things of darkness; Scripture tells us to put away deeds of darkness in Romans 13:12 – “let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” and that light and darkness have nothing in common in II Corinthians 6:14 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”
God’s Word also tells us to stay away from witches, witchcraft, wizards and the such in Deuteronomy 18:10-13 “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.”
I honestly cannot for the life of me figure out why a true follower of Jesus Christ would knowingly, and willingly place themselves or their children purposefully in situations of darkness.
When I allowed my children to go trick-or-treating they did not wear ‘scary’ or ‘bad’ costumes, my son dressed up as a solider and my daughter a nurse; they looked cute. After teaching them their whole {short} lives that Halloween was bad and not of God then allowing them to partake in it, what did I teach them?
1. That I wasn’t strong in my convictions
2. That I didn’t take God’s Word serious about this topic
3. That they would be missing out if we didn’t let them do something on October 31
I have since repented and had to ‘eat crow’ with my kids about this topic, and every year I have to remind them again WHY we don’t celebrate this day and how I made a mistake several years ago by letting them go trick-or-treating. I made a huge mistake allowing them to go out and do that and could have messed them up spiritually. Rather than partake in activities of darkness, my family partakes in activities that glorify Christ, not only on October 31, but every day of the year.

Jesus has nothing in common with satan; and a Christian celebrating evil, death, witchcraft, and darkness brings sorrow upon our Lord. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? II Corinthians 6:14.
Remember, we have been set apart from this world, we are in the world but we are not to be part of the world. I Peter 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;” Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” I Peter 2:9-10 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”
Some people argue that allowing their children to dress up in cute costumes and go door to door asking for candy is harmless fun, but when you research these ‘customs’ you’ll see they all have an evil root and purpose.
None of us is perfect, and we all sin, there is no such thing as the perfect parent. All any of us can really do is what we feel like is best for our children. Like many Christian mama’s, I choose to let the Holy Spirit and God’s Word be my teacher and my guide, after many, many mistakes in my early years of parenting, I have learned {a lot of times the hard way} that God’s Word is right, it holds true for today just like it did when it was first penned. What I do and the reasons I do them may not be popular in the world, or even in my own extended family, but, someday when I stand before my King, there are somethings I would like to hear Him say “good job” on, and this, is one of them. There is so much darkness and evil around us, everywhere we turn, t.v., internet, books, magazines, billboards, in school, even in churches; it is very difficult to protect our children from all of the darkness around us, but this is one area I can and do make a stand to protect them.
Jenn