Halloween is fast upon us. In the United States, Halloween now rivals Christmas in the amount of money spent per household. While Covid has served to scale-back many of the usual “trick or treat” rituals, Halloween still is firmly rooted in the culture. As a child, I was one of the many excited, costumed children who went through the neighborhood collecting a sack full of candy. But when I became a parent, my husband and I started asking questions like: "How should we view Halloween from a biblical perspective? What are the historical roots? Is there a way to be a light for the gospel during this time? What might that look like?" Furthermore, this year Halloween falls on the Lord’s Day which should cause parents to ponder these questions even more carefully.
In his excellent article, “Christians and Halloween” Travis Allen provides a very informative, biblical, and balanced approach to thinking through the above questions. It would be a great article to pass on to every family in your church. Here are Mr. Allen's concluding remarks:
Ultimately, Christian participation in Halloween is a matter of conscience before God. Whatever level of Halloween participation you choose, you must honor God by keeping yourself separate from the world and by showing mercy to those who are perishing. Halloween provides the Christian with the opportunity to accomplish both of those things in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's a message that is holy, set apart from the world; it's a message that is the very mercy of a forgiving God.
Also, keep in mind that there is something vastly more consequential to celebrate on October 31! Check out “The Reformation and the Next Generation + Free Devotional and Lesson.”
