Celebrating Halloween ... by Dave Foucar

Autumn brings changing colors, falling leaves, and falling temperatures. Many of us anticipate fall as a respite from the summer heat and look forward to the opportunity to cozy up to the fireplace with a good hot drink. In the midst of Autumn, along with all these, comes Halloween.

I have good memories of Halloween. In reality, much to the surprise of my wife, I have relatively few memories from my childhood that really stand out. Of those, I remember dressing up on Halloween. I think this memory is as much about my father’s participation as the dressing up itself or the requisite trick-or-treating that followed. In particular, when I was in fifth grade, I remember him dressing me up as the Headless Horsemen of Sleepy Hollow fame. One of his overcoats raised above my head, a stuffed paper bag with a mask on it to carry in my arm, and I was ready to go.

As a fifth grader, this all seemed harmless despite the ghoulish character. How could anyone see any harm in it? Or perhaps it was just a simpler time. Maybe the world was oblivious to the evil historically associated with Halloween. Or maybe, more cynically, the fun of it simply overshadowed any serious consideration of its macabre implications. Were these things simply ignored?

Whether or not the issues around Halloween were ignored previously, the holiday is becoming a bigger and bigger deal. I understand Americans will spend 10.6 billion dollars this year on costumes, decorations, parties, and Halloween candy. Yes, that’s a billion with a ‘B’. Of that, 500 million dollars will be spent on pet costumes alone. We’re surrounded by more and more extravagant decorations each year, in every store, vying for our dollars. We can’t avoid the presence of Halloween.

Since we’re surrounded on all sides, should we, as followers of Jesus, ask if Christians should celebrate Halloween at all and, if so, to what degree? Do I think you should take part or not? I can give you the answer. We certainly should seriously consider our actions. But each one of us must decide for ourselves: Are our actions pleasing to the Lord? Even if participation in Halloween seems harmless on the surface, we need to place our decisions before God asking for direction. In reality, what we should do in every area of our life.

As we consider what to do with Halloween, let’s start with the basic assumption that we should stay away from the extremes. Obviously, we shouldn’t get involved with anything having to do with the occult or witchcraft. Costumes that are overtly sexual, evil, or gory are not a good idea either. Do we need to even discuss these? Recently, I was using a healthy food app intended to identify good eating choices. Out of curiosity, I scanned a beer bottle. The app’s resulting response, “we don’t rate alcohol, but you know the result!” The same applies here. The implications of participating in such things, without caution, should be obvious.

Where other, perhaps more benign, activities are concerned, how do we show discernment? While the scripture does not give us specific direction regarding Halloween, since it isn’t mentioned, as usual, we can look to the Bible to give us guiding principles. One such principle comes from the Apostle Paul’s teaching related to food sacrificed to idols.

The issue for the first century Christians was one of conscience. The culture was predominately pagan, with food being sacrificed to idols as a matter of course. Not only was food sacrificed to idols directly during feasts and ceremonies, but the food available in the market could very likely have come from a pagan offering as well. The newly converted Christian of the day was concerned that eating this food would pay homage to other gods. Something that they did not want to do.

Paul clearly indicates that there is nothing wrong with eating these foods. But the issue wasn’t as simple as that. At stake was more than the physical eating or not eating. People still felt badly overwhelmed by their preconceived ideas and prior practices. So, Paul taught that we need to be careful “that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” (1 Corinthians 8:9 NIV)

Where Halloween is concerned, and any other area as well, we must consider more than whether we can but whether we ought to. And that “ought to” has much to do with how it affects other people. Do our actions cause others to draw closer to God or, whether because of their conscience or for any other reason, do our actions push others away from God? Here’s the hard question: Are we willing to put aside our own feelings, our own enjoyment, our own freedom, for the benefit of others? On self-examination, if we aren’t, perhaps we need to rethink our actions.

I have found that I am able to take part in good conscience in some Halloween activities. At this stage in my life, I look forward to the innocent joy as my small grandchildren dress up. Just as I did when my children were young. But each year comes with a re-evaluation. And let me be clear, what is right for me may not be right for you, but neither of us, as Christians, should condemn the other. As I said, each one of us must decide for ourselves: Are our actions pleasing to the Lord?

Finally, even Halloween can be a time for open doors to the gospel. Look for the opportunity as you walk up and down the street with your neighbor to share your faith. Perhaps, as my wife and I have done before, you would consider including a gospel tract with your Halloween candy. For you, maybe not taking part is an opportunity to share about Jesus. Be ready to discuss why you have chosen not to celebrate Halloween, but do it with gentleness and respect.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17 NIV)

Dave Foucar

Dave Foucar has spent his career as a financial professional, but his heart has always been in ministry. He has spent decades in lay leadership teaching Sunday School, Bible Studies, and Small Groups for all ages. He has been a lead speaker and seminar leader at Couples Retreats, Men’s Retreats, and Family and Youth Camps. Dave has been married for thirty-five years to the love of his life, Debbie. They have three beautiful daughters. Each of them brings immeasurable joy as they expand their families and careers.

Dave’s first book, “What Do I Say When Asked About Jesus?” is a conversational approach to helping people answer questions about Jesus. Christians want to share their faith, or at least they should, but it is not always an easy task.