I completely agree!! We celebrate Halloween. It's actually one of my favourite holidays! It's kids being kids.
we do take our son trick or treating,but as any child he likes to dress up that time of year,he is older so this will be his last year to go, we take him to churches for there carnivals and go to corn mazes ,pumpkin patches and getting a pumpkin.
I'm trying to figure out what to do this year. We live out in the country in a new town so we don't have any place to go trick or treating. I think my dd14 has a costume party to go to but I am trying to find something fun for my dd7 where she can dress up.
I actually did grow up in a Lutheran church that celebrated All Saints Day. From the time I was very small we helped to make banners for the church for everyone who had passed away that year in the congregation, we were taught about the traditional ways it had been celebrated throughout history, and always had a party that tied in with this Christian holiday. I know that there aren't many places that do that though. We have continued this tradition with our children and they are just as familiar with All Saints Day taking over the pagan festival as they are with what the church did for Christmas and Easter.
Michelle I grew up Lutheran and we celebrated as well. The church I grew up in no longer does but when I was a kid they did.
THIS! I think church functions on Halloween are absolutely critical, actually. It removes the want or need to participate in more destructive behaviors, especially for teens. As for those of you who stay home, if you want to hand stuff out, nobody said you can't share the message of God with trick-or-treaters
We do not celebrate Halloween or take part in any "alternatives". Trick or Treating, whether you call it Halloween or not, or dressing up in only Biblical characters, is STILL clearly participating/celebrating Halloween. Schools are removing any religious significance from Christmas (often called winter break) and Easter (spring break). Isn’t it ironic that most public schools still celebrate Halloween even though it has occultic origins? Participating in Halloween gives sanction to a holiday that promotes witches, divination, haunted houses, and other occultic practices - which is clearly stated in the bible to AVOID!
Most public schools around here, possibly even all of them in this area, do not celebrate Halloween for the same reason they no longer celebrate Christmas or Easter; they do not want to offend anybody. Another reason is that the costumes have been deemed unsafe attire for school.
You know...I have a TON more respect for churches who just say they are celebrating Halloween then try to cover it up by calling it something else. In my church bulletin we are having a Candy Parade in Awana. Well, it is ONLY done one time a year...Halloween. It is about dressing up and walking around the parking lot collecting candy. We don't do it any other time of year. There is even a costume contest. Yeah...ummm..that's Halloween. Okay...just a vent. But I think if you feel the need to cover it up yet do the same junk...you know you are wrong...otherwise call it what it is and have fun. Ya know? I don't care who does what but call it what it is.
AMEN and AMEN! There are NO alternatives! Either you do or you don't! Disguising it is STILL condoning it!
I love how you explained it is not a conviction, but commands given in scripture! Love it. Post this on CurriculumShare.com in our Halloween post! As far as other holidays like Christmas goes: You know that when the "world" starts changing it to "Holiday Tree" and "Happy Holidays" instead of Christmas, just because they want to celebrate it, it is no different than Christians changing "trick or treat" to "trunk n treat" at churches, or candy parties at AWANA, or many of the other disguises Christians make just because they want to participate. For any 1st time non-celebrators, this book is EXCELLENT and will help you, as well as your children, understand why you do not celebrate Halloween. HIGHLY recommended! http://www.amazon.com/Mommy-Why-Dont-Celebrate-Halloween/dp/1560438231
This. And we do do Halloween. My kids dress up, and usually go to a church thing and the mall for some trick or treating. Celebrating Christmas doesn't make one a Christian. Celebrating Halloween doesn't make one a pagan. As far as it is not a conviction, but commands given in scripture. I still think one needs to be convicted, even for commands. There are LOTS of commands given in Scripture. I know no one who follows them all. But some are very convicted to follow command a or b while their neighbor is convicted to strictly follow command c or d and views command a and b differently than the first person. (ok-that makes sense in my mind-is my point clear? LOL)
I'm not at all asking this in a sarcastic manner, so please don't read my post that way. I'm trying to understand your thinking on the commands vs. conviction thing. How is a command left up to discernment? I understand there are things that used to be forbidden before Jesus took on our sin (i.e. eating pork, etc.), and some things are not forbidden, but are said to be foolish. However, I just can't understand about a command being only meant for some and not others. Can you think of examples? or did you mean even the list of abominations I posted? Thanks, dear sister! Really want you to know I'm asking sincerely.
I honestly was going to ask the same thing AND in the same spirit...not of sarcasm but truly seeking an answer.
I have that book! It is GREAT! I cannot find it though...so sad. We read it every year the week of Halloween.
How about this...........................I don't care what you think. Wouldn't it be great if we all just had that attitude? I'm serious! I mean, come on. I celebrate Halloween and frankly don't care what any of you or anyone else thinks about it. People can think I am pagan (which I'm not), or evil (which I'm not) or worshipping the devil (which I'm not) or not "christian enough" in their minds (which I don't care cuz I know where I am with God). It's your conviction, not mine. Now I didn't just say that to be a trouble maker. Those that do not celebrate should also not care what others think. Seriously if someone is giving you a hard time because you choose to not celebrate Halloween then you shouldn't even be talking to someone who thinks they know all about how you should act. Why do we care so much and get into other's business about something like this? Why do those who do not celebrate try and tell those that do that we are wrong? Why do those that do celebrate think those that don't are weird? I just don't get why every year this is such a big hot button issue. This is on of those things (just like homeschooling) where everyone has an opinion but frankly none of those opinions have any bearing on what my family chooses to do. I certainly won;t try and make you go trick or treating and you certainly won't make me stop. Can't we all just get along?
Lol, nicely said, Monkey!!! I do what *I* think is right, regardless of who does or does not agree with me!
I agree. I hope I have stated clearly that I do not judge those who do celebrate Halloween. I really don't care. But if you ask me my opinion I will give it...lol. Honestly, I have yet to find someone who does not celebrate it try to implement that on others....I mean offline. In fact, I am in the complete minority on celebrating Halloween. I would dare say I am the ONLY person in my church who does not. In fact, I only have two other friends who do not. If anything I am the one who gets the questions about it. I am sick of being accused of being wrong myself or legalistic. I agree, Tiffany...let's all get along. It's ONE day out of the year...it's time to just put it to rest.
