LEARNING CAPSULE: Halloween

God of Laughter and Joy,
We turn to you in the way of our ancient ancestors, grateful for the abundance of food festivity that surrounds us at this time of year.

Keep all children safe as they embark on their Halloween revels.

Light their way through the dark night and enfold them in your love.

May the real treat in their lives be grace that multiplies in depth and breadth as they grow older.

We pray this with all the saints in heaven.

Amen.
Prayer for Halloween

MOST CHRISTIANS reject or accept Halloween without much thought. Those who don’t like the holiday assume satanic origins while those who like the holiday celebrate with little critical thought. Before deciding whether to celebrate or not, please take the time to learn about the complex history of the holiday and the many ways Christians can redeem it.

READ

READ: Redeeming Halloween – How Should Christians Approach the Holiday? / Luke Gilkerson
There are three ways Christians can approach a holiday – we can choose to receive it, reject it, or redeem it. Former University of Toledo minister Luke Gilkerson, with four caveats, says there are four solid reasons (showing love to your neighbor, unearthing the good roots of Halloween, making use of holy horror, and teaching children that Halloween is really a mockery of the devil) to redeem Halloween. Gilkerson realizes that redeeming the holiday may not be for everyone, but provides a wealth of practical and useful advice. This article is not to be missed.

READ: Memento Mori: The Catholic Case for Halloween / Olivia Hill
The integration of the Memento Mori philosophy with Halloween can serve as a reminder of the transient nature of life and a worthwhile way to celebrate Halloween as a Christian.

LISTEN

LISTEN: Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? / Ask Me Anything Podcast
For some Christians, Halloween should not be celebrated. For others, it is an enjoyable holiday. Using Romans 14 as a guide pastor J.D. Greear says that whether you celebrate or not you should respect the other side’s decision and, at the very least, Christians should use the holiday to connect with their neighbors.

WATCH

WATCH: History of Halloween: Pagan or Christian? / Religion for Breakfast
An excellent starting point for learning about the complicated, muddled history of Halloween in just 8 minutes.

DIG DEEPER

READ: Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night / Nicholas Rogers
Most Christians participate or do not participate in Halloween based on their own cultural context. Some reject the holiday outright saying it is a holiday devoted to Satan while others wholly participate. Both do so without knowing the history of the holiday. In Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night Nicholas Rogers touches on various aspects of Halloween such as its historical roots, cultural influences, folklore, and societal impact.

QUOTES

“Fear over Halloween reverses the gains of early Christianity and its victory over the fear of those tiny little tyrant pagan gods. They fled from the sign of the cross. Now we cower or worse attack the liberty of those who do not cower. So very, very, very tired of the whole Christian killjoy thing. The Bible is not a book of don’ts. It’s a book of do’s with a few don’ts mixed in because some kinds of behavior interfere with living a full life. Want to cower in fear? Your choice. Don’t goad us into it. Halloween is a Christian holiday, All Hallows Eve, designed to mock the powers of darkness, and demonstrate that we don’t fear them. I plan to live in the true spirit of Halloween, which is not fear kids in masks or to fear people who fear kids in masks.” ^{_{Jerry Bowyer, https://americanvision.org/9630/halloweens-improbable-origin-and-meaning-for-christians/}}

More curated resources on Halloween:

FIVE QUESTIONS: Halloween

In a nutshell, what are Halloween’s roots and origins? What is one reason to celebrate Halloween? What is one reason not to celebrate Halloween? Should Christians celebrate Halloween? What are some ways to redeem Halloween?

ARTICLE: Have Yourself a Hallowed Halloween

Instead of outright rejecting Halloween, author Clarissa Moll suggests four unique ways to “creatively opt-in” to celebrate the holiday with your kids.

SHOW: Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? (The Beat)

The Bible does not contain a verse stating whether a Christian should or should not celebrate Halloween. With that in mind host Allen Parr provides five keys (avoid genetic fallacy, avoid misuse of Christian freedom, avoid being legalistic, avoid violating your conscience, and avoid anything that appears demonic) on how to approach the holiday.