Why Christians Should Celebrate Halloween

While there is much disagreement among Christian communities as to whether is it appropriate for a Christian family to celebrate Halloween, one must remember that God has chosen us as his messengers to reach a superstitious, unbelieving world with the truth of the gospel. We cannot witness to people we refuse to associate with. This article is not meant to open the debate regarding Christians celebrating Halloween, but to give you suggestions as to how to use this holiday to spread the Word of God and His message of salvation.

The dark, pagan history that is Halloween, the obsession with evil spirits and death, appears to be a direct rejection of the Biblical standards given us. Deuteronomy 18: 10-11 instructs us, "Let no one be found in among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead." (NIV)

The truth is, we encounter these sort of people every day. Pagans don't all wait until Halloween night to come out and practice their evil, superstitious acts. While Halloween may glorify death and demons, the Christian family can celebrate Halloween in a way that brings glory to God instead. Children (or even adults) who have not been raised in a Christian home may never learn the truth of the Gospel if we don't take every opportunity given us to reach them with the life-affirming message of Christianity.

Halloween trick-or-treat night and Halloween parties can introduce the Gospel to a great number of unbelievers when Christians participate in the holiday. Most churches have tracts available that can be passed out to others with whom we want to share His glory. But a mere tract alone won't convince an unbeliever to change his ways; we must set an example in our daily lives as messengers of God to truly convince others of the power to overcome obstacles and the joy He promises us as believers.

Hosting a Halloween party yourself will give you control over the spiritual influences that your children might be exposed to on this night. Call it a "Fall Celebration," if the word Halloween displeases you. Instead of decorating with witches, ghosts, and goblins, decorate with the beautiful fall bounty nature gives us; brightly colored pumpkins, corn stalks, gourds, leaves, grasses, and fall flowers can all be incorporated into your party decorations. Ask your guests to dress as a character from the Bible, but don't express disapproval if a guest shows up in a spooky costume, since evil spirits are present in the Bible, too!

Your Christian Halloween party should avoid the appearance of promoting evil spiritual activities such as seances, but you don't need to quote scripture to your guests either, especially if many of your guests are unsaved. Show them your love for Jesus by treating them graciously and making them feel welcome in your home. Let your beacon shine without overtly witnessing to them. Traditional party games, bobbing for apples, bean bag tosses, and perhaps a pinata will keep young guests entertained.

Basic instructions for Christian Halloween Costumes

Creating a character from the Bible is often just a matter of draping a sheet around yourself to create a toga, or making a simple cloak or tunic out of woven fabric, and adding accessories to identify your character. Your church members may already have Biblical costumes in their possession from Christmas and Easter pageants. When an unbeliever asks about your costume, you are given the perfect opening to tell about your character and the role he/she played in God's plan for mankind.

To create a tunic, use a long piece of fabric that measures twice the length of your body from your neck to your feet (if you can't find a piece long enough, stitch two pieces together) and slightly wider than your shoulders. Fold the fabric so the short ends meet, then stitch the long sides together, leaving an opening on either side for armholes. Cut a neck opening at the fold. A cloak can be made in the same manner as a tunic, but split the front from the neckline to the bottom. Tie a piece of rope around your waist for a belt, and wear simple leather sandals or shoes (no sneakers or rubber flip-flops, please!)

Jesus. The most important person in the Bible, I think he would be pleased to see himself running around on Halloween night, spreading his message of love and compassion in contrast to the generally devilish atmosphere. Fundamentalists may think that dressing as Jesus on Halloween is sacrilege, but didn't Jesus hang out with those who needed him the most? Wear the basic costume of cloak, tunic, and sandals. Add a long-haired wig unless you have your own long hair, and a walking staff, and you're ready to spread the Good News! Of course, Jesus seldom traveled alone, so engage some friends to be:

Disciples of Jesus. Depending on the number in your group, you can be Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, or even all twelve disciples. The number doesn't really matter because Jesus traveled with varying numbers of disciples at a given time and crowds often followed them. Simple cloaks, tunics, and sandals will suffice (they were instructed by Jesus not to carry anything with them on their journeys, but to rely on the charity of strangers). When entering a home, greet your hosts with "Peace to this house." (Luke 10:5 NIV)

The Holy Family. The perfect choice for a young couple with an infant, or carry a doll for the Baby Jesus. Mary is usually portrayed in blue, so make her tunic of muslin fabric and a cloak of blue. Drape a blue scarf over your head. Joseph should wear a tunic underneath a cloak of rough fabric. Swaddle Baby Jesus in strips of muslin. Who says the Nativity should only be portrayed at Christmas?

King Herod (and his servant). If you want to be a baddie from the Bible, King Herod is a good choice. Wrap yourself in bed sheets to create a toga. Satiny, deep purple bed sheets will create a rich, royal-looking costume. Use gold braided trim (from the sewing supply store or sewing section of the department store) to decorate the costume in a royal manner. Wear much cheap, gaudy bling around your neck and on your wrists and fingers. Complete your royal costume with a plastic gold or silver crown from the Halloween costume aisle or play-dress-up section of the department store.

Of course, King Herod will need a servant, he's not going to carry his own eats, so dress a friend up in a simple tunic or toga and have him carry a silver platter (or cheap plastic imitation thereof) loaded with grapes, chicken legs, cheeses, and other goodies. You can find imitation food in the toy department or the kids' toy box, or use the real thing and you'll have your own munchies all evening! Your servant should remember to always walk a few paces behind the king, and never precede him. Adopt a boisterous, arrogant manner such as you would expect from a king. Your servant should be humble in your presence and kowtow to your every command (but don't push your luck or you might be wearing the tray of food). If you're using real food, the servant can pop a grape into the king's mouth now and then.

The Three Wise Men. Secondhand graduation robes in bright colors can be the basis of your costume. Otherwise, dress in much the same manner as King Herod, but tone down the bling, gaudiness, and arrogance. Bear gifts for the Baby Jesus; unless you happen to have gold, myrrh and frankincense around the house you may have to substitute by carrying inexpensive gold-tone containers from the dollar store. Fill the containers with trick-or-treat goodies, either ones you are collecting or are passing out.

Shepherd and his flock. The shepherd should wear the basic tunic ensemble and carry a shepherd's crook (check Halloween costume stores). Drape fabric over your head for the shepherd's hat and secure it with a headband. A sheep costume can be made quickly and easily by wearing a sherpa-lined coat inside out. Fashion a tail out of sherpa fabric or fleece to be pinned to the back of the coat. Cut sheep-like ears out of the sherpa or fleece and attach them to a headband for your sheep ears, and paint your nose black. Go "Baaaa" once in a while, and wander off from your shepherd occasionally so he can pull you back with his crook. If you have a lot of friends who are willing to go along, you could have a rather large flock of sheep following your shepherd about on Halloween! Remember that in the Middle East, sheep follow their shepherd (as we do our Savior) and aren't driven ahead of them as we do in the American West.

There are many people who may never hear the Good News if you aren't the one to deliver it to them. Take advantage of this Halloween season to reach out to others who are lost, and may never find their way to Jesus (or back to him) without your influence. The most effective Christian witness is one who makes people wonder "How can this person have such joy and enthusiasm for life when he/she is surrounded by misery? What am I missing, and how can I find it?"