Halloween – Observe or Ignore?

Posted on October 29, 2010 
Filed Under Fathering, Parenting, Social Concern

As October 31 approaches, Dena and I are talking about our plans for that night. We’re thinking some movies, games, and sweet treats. But not costumes and trick-or-treating.

We’ve never “celebrated” or observed Halloween, due to personal convictions. We don’t judge families who do allow the kids to dress up and go door-to-door. We just decided early on that we’d not participate in the rituals. We usually don’t do the “Harvest Festival” that many churches host, either. So, we offer our kids a fun alternative at home. They’ll tell you that through the years we’ve had some really fun, memorable times together on October 31st.

In this Wall Street Journal piece the writer suggests “most people love Halloween.” Does that include you? Will you be sending the kids out in the neighborhood to collect candy? Will you be passing out treats – or tracts? – to the masked kids who come to your door? Will you have some other activity for your kids to engage in instead?

Check the responses below that best fit your family’s approach to Halloween (multiple answers allowed).

Do you observe - or ignore - Halloween activities?

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Comments

2 Responses to “Halloween – Observe or Ignore?”

  1. Randall on October 29th, 2010 8:37 am

    We’re also going to hand out candy with some tracts. We first did this when we lived in Montana eight years ago but didn’t have the opportunity to do it again until last year as we lived in rural Arizona for five years and no TOT-ers came to our house. We’re hoping we run out of tracts this year so we we can figure out something else to do next year. BTW, we never allowed our daughter to trick-or-treat–and now she’s too old.

  2. Liz on October 29th, 2010 9:58 am

    My mom was strict and didn’t let us participate in trick or treating and to be honest, I grew up resenting that. So, yes, I look forward to this time of year when I take my kids trick or treating and see their JOY. Our kids are still quite young and we agree that we will not permit them to dress in scary costumes or emphasize the darkness surrounding Halloween.And safety is always important. But I feel we can be a light to our community by going door to door. My husband is a youth pastor and has hosted an event a few times where the youth does “reverse trick or treating.” They hand out candy and and some information about Christ and an invite to our church. It has always been a success.

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