I personally don't have a problem with Halloween. It's a fun holiday that can either be good or bad depending on who you choose to spend it with and who you choose to honor (God or the devil) during your festivities. Mean jokes, costumes depicting evil characters, and wild partying is not good; good clean fun with friends, and non-scary costumes are tons of fun.
I do think it's a good chance to minister, and if I lived in an area that did a lot of trick o' treating, I'd be handing out kid-level tracts right along with the candy...and adult-level tracts to their parents whenever I could.
Church fall festivals are also a good way to minister.
I've never had a problem with Halloween myself, but I have had a problem with how some costumes/some images on that day. I don't think that we should boycott it. I myself wouldn't hand out tracts (because I don't minister in that way, but if you do, that's cool). Really, it's just a day where you get to put on a costume for a few hours, participate in the kindness of strangers and neighbors, and eat candy.
Traditions of Halloween are based heavily in practices of old world European pagans, just like most modern Christmas traditions. It is just another "bad" thing that Christians have molded into something new, and I think that's fine. I do agree that gory images, frat-house partying, and egging houses are existing 'bad' aspects of Halloween. For instance, I am always sure that my one cat who is allowed outside stays in the house from the night before to the morning after Halloween because there are still confused teenagers that like to practice their versions of Satanism and witchcraft during those times. When I was a kid a group of teenagers in my sister's class were caught trying to burn a live cat as some sort of 'ritual' they were doing. So yeah, there are definitely people that use it to do some weird stuff.
Do I think because of those people that it's wrong for kids to dress up and beg for candy? No. They are very unrelated practices for Halloween. I think it's great when churches do things for kids, and adults, during the Halloween season like safe trick-or-treating in the church, hay rides, and the like. I also think it's great when responsible parents take their kids trick-or-treating. It's a great opportunity to teach kids some extra safety practices, also. Yeah, they're accepting candy from strangers, but it's the only day to do it!
Just because some people abuse it is not a good enough reason to me to not let my hypothetical kids have safe, silly, once-a-year fun.
(1) Holloween is properly celebrated with a feast of special magnificence. Read Harry Potter!
(2) October 31st is Reformation Day. On it we remember Martin Luther's nailing of his 95 theses against indulgences to a church door in Germany. So, you may decide to do something in memory of that.
After reading "The Facts On Halloween" by John Ankerberg, I chose not to work for churches that celebrate Halloween. It is not because of it's pagan origins (Christ can redeem anything), but because of it currently being a High Festival for Satanists.
Some people think it is harmless, but my personal conviction is that anything that glorifies evil is too be avoided. 1 Thess. 5:22 tells us to shun even the appearance of evil.
Some people don't believe in ghosts. I do. I believe they are the demon spirits cast to earth with Satan. Eph. 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." These powers are not greater than God's but neither are they harmless. Eph. 4:27 says, "Do not give the devil a foothold." IMO Halloween is not a game. To me, it's like playing Chicken with the devil.
Eph. 5:1 says, "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love." How can we imitate God, vampires, mummies, and witches at the same time? In order to love the light (Jesus) we must hate the darkness. We cannot love both or love God and laugh at darkness.
In college, I did a work study at a pre-school. While I was there, Halloween was celebrated. The children attended their party in scary and some bloody costumes. They would hide behide desks and jump out at the teacher. She would jump, with enthusiasm and tell them how cut they were. In my weekly report to my professor, I mentioned concern about what the children were being taught by celebrating this type of image and behavior. Why were children not only allowed but encourage to dress in costumes that are not G or PG rated. There undeniably would be psychological effects. Why were we teaching children that scaring others is a good and cute thing. 1 John 4:16, 18 says, "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,"
I agree that kids love to wear costumes. Through our Wed. night program, we try to give the kids a chance to dress up to different themes once a month. They don't feel they are missing out when we don't celebrate Halloween.
A church I worked in a few years back started using a program called "Light The Night." It is a witnessing opportunity from individual's homes. Small groups would get together at 1 house on Halloween. Pre-teens and teens are encouraged to help at one of these community homes. All the lights on the front side of the house were turned on, as well as, the porch, garage, lamp post, etc. Luminaries would line the drive. It was all WHITE light. We give out tracts, serve cocoa and cookies, hand out safety sticks (glow in the dark), and pray with the children. One year, I had over 100 kids in my neighborhood. Kids remembered and wanted to return. Parent's liked that we were "safe." On cold nights, everyone wanted the cocoa, quickly. And, we got the Word of God into non-believing households.
If you are interested in the materials that I chose for this year, you can order them from Christian Tools of Affirmation at CTA dot inc.
