“…The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” – I Samuel 16:17 (NIV)
Halloween presents a dilemma for Christian parents. Do they really want their children celebrating a holiday that was begun by people who were not worshiping our Lord? Not only that, the history of Halloween has many undesirable things associated with it. Yet, is it fair to a child to restrict them from enjoying what seems so harmless when it is the talk of the time, and all their friends seem to be having such a good time? How can we sort this out?
The history of Halloween can be easily found on the Internet. Admittedly, it is not what we, as Christians, want to encourage with our children. It is a good idea to look up this history and go over it with children so they understand how Halloween started. Although there are some places where Halloween may be celebrated in similar ways to the original Halloween, for the most part, the holiday has essentially become a day of fun with no association with the original intent. Most children, I dare say, have no idea about the original meaning of Halloween.
What, then, are we to do with children on Halloween? Many churches have alternative Halloween celebrations that serve to not only provide an acceptable way for children to enjoy the event, but provide opportunity to make contact with the unchurched. In addition, personally, I always encouraged my children to select costumes that were not scary nor would they promote the original beliefs of the holiday. There are many fun costumes. Some of the best are those that children make themselves. Making a costume provides an opportunity to be creative.
The holiday provides a wonderful opportunity for parents to let children know that we serve a loving God of whom we don’t have to constantly fear. He knows who we are and everything we do. If we give our heart and life to God, He will take care of us. We need to emphasize that no matter what we look like on the outside, God cares most about what we really are on the inside.
There are actually some good learnings that can come from dressing up as someone else. It helps children learn to “put themselves in someone’s shoes” and helps them to learn to better understand others. Also, creativity is enhanced as the children work on costumes. They can learn to say “thank you” when they receive candy or other things. (It is a good idea for parents to go with children when they “trick or treat.” There are many dangers now of which we need to be aware. Candy should be checked before it is eaten.) Parents need to talk to children about good manners.
Whatever parents decide about Halloween, children need to learn that God is a loving God and looks at our heart, and He is more concerned about the heart than the appearance.