Today’s post is going to possibly hit a nerve with some of the people who read it, but I felt like sharing why I no longer participate in Halloween. This post isn’t to judge anyone. I think for some of my family members and friends who’ve attended my Halloween parties in the past, they could be wondering, why the change? My children didn’t understand either until I explained it. Of course they still didn’t like the idea because to them Halloween meant CANDY! They realize now that we don’t need to participate in Halloween to eat candy.

Let me give you a background before I discuss why I no longer participate in the day.

When I was entering 2nd grade my parents began attending church regularly, of course with my siblings and myself as well. We did not participate in Halloween. We didn’t trick-or-treat and we didn’t have parties and we didn’t buy or wear costumes. I remember in public school, which I attended in kindergarten and first grade, I did wear a costume and participate in a during school Halloween parade. But for most of my young life, I didn’t. I guess it wasn’t until maybe I was about 10 or 11 that my sister and I began to ask why we couldn’t trick-or-treat when most of our friends were. My parents decided that we would be allowed, but with rules. We were not allowed to dress up as witches, zombies, or anything scary. Our costumes were created by things we found around the house. We dressed up as hippies one year, for example. Mostly we just liked the dressing up part which we did even to just hand out candy. Our trick-or-treating years were short because once you reach a certain age you pretty much stop going.

That brings me to my young adult years. As a teen still in highschool Halloween just meant handing out candy to trick-or-treaters that came to our door. When I graduated I was too busy for Halloween with college and working. One year my sister and I decided to throw our first Halloween party. I was 20 years old. My first official Halloween costume that I bought was a Vampire. This would not have been allowed when I was a younger and possibly my parents didn’t even know what we were up too though my mother did know we were having a party, she was not present. (My parents were separated by this time and my Dad was not living at our home)

There were many costume parties thrown by myself in the years after with the help of my sister and one of our friends. As people grow up and begin getting married, and moving, some years there was no party. Once my husband and I settled into our house, we began throwing Halloween parties again. It was a way for all of us to get together. Honestly I didn’t think about it much more than that. It was fun to dress up and hang out with our friends and play party games. With those parties came alcohol as well.

The parties continued after our children were born but not every year. I bought them costumes and I took them to safe trick-or-treating places like our local park event and trunk or treats. They wore costumes at school parties. I let them choose whatever they wanted. I decorated my house with spooky decorations every year. We did all things Halloween up until almost 5 years ago. So, what changed? Why?

Here’s what changed. Even in the last few years of doing Halloween I had a feeling deep in me that no longer enjoyed it the way I once did. It felt wrong, for lack of a better word. I ignored the feeling and kept on. I know now that feeling was God. Just as he’d done for me in the past he was trying to get my attention and there I was ignoring him again. God is so good that he never quit on me even when I tried to ignore him. Five years ago I finally decided I needed to find a church and start going after many years not doing so. I needed and wanted my children to know Jesus and to grow in him. My beliefs were such a big part of me for so many years and then I put them away in a box inside me so I could just have fun with no consequences. (which, by the way, never works)

I guess it was after the first year of attending my church that I really no longer had any desire to do any part of Halloween. Here’s the part many of you may not like and please, this isn’t to condemn anyone. Halloween is rooted in paganism. There is no way to get around that truth. I have always known that. I convinced myself that dressing up, decorating, and participating in Halloween was all just fun and innocent since I wasn’t worshipping the Earth or Satan or practicing paganism. I have been a Christian since I gave my life to Christ when I was about 11 after all. It may well be just innocent fun, but you have to realize that there is nothing at all Christian about Halloween. That, however, does not mean it’s wrong to dress up and it’s not the reason I’ve stopped.

The reason is because when God called me, again, and I listened and I began my new relationship with Him, I gave all of me, not just part of me. That meant for me to change who I was. A total transformation. I needed to let go of all those things that took me away from where I truly belonged. That meant giving up Halloween parties and dressing up as vampires or any other number of costumes I’ve worn over the years. Again, hear me, dressing up in itself is not wrong. Giving up Halloween wasn’t the only part of me that I changed either. It was only one part, but we’re specifically talking about Halloween today.

Was this fair to my children? Yes it was. I’ve explained my reasons to my children. I’ve read to them the origins of Halloween. At first they grumbled about giving up Halloween, but once I explained it, they understood. They have fully accepted it now and none of us miss it. We can still eat candy. It saves me time and money not having to buy costumes they wear only once. The parties we threw also were fairly expensive. We don’t need Halloween to have a party and hang out with our friends. This decision hasn’t been easy for those in my life who can’t understand why the dramatic and seemingly abrupt change. It wasn’t abrupt at all. God was convicting me long before I decided to let things go that were not honoring to Him. That’s what it really comes down too anyway. Are we honoring God with our costumes and Halloween decorations and the parties and other aspects of such a holiday? For my family the answer was no, so that meant it had to change. Since I don’t know how to honor God while participating in Halloween, we simply stopped.

God gave me the job of raising my children while on this Earth. He expects me to instill in them trust, faith, and hope in his son Jesus Christ and teach them about the narrow path to eternal life. If that means being mean and taking away a holiday that isn’t God-honoring than I will do it as many times as needed. My goal is to bring my children closer to God and farther from the world. Not doing Halloween is just one part of the process.

I would never judge anyone for participating in the festivities of dressing up and trick-or-treating on Halloween. I would like my fellow Christians to keep in mind if how you participate is God-honoring. We can’t put our beliefs on hold even for one day. We can’t set aside our Lord to look like everyone else, even for one day. We need to keep the light shining and we need to be set apart. Let’s be different because we are in Christ and Christ is in us.