For many people, October 31 is an anticipated day to dress up in spooky costumes, go trick-or-treating for candy, and watch horror movies. Despite its popularity, Halloween is controversial for many followers of Christ.
Some Christians decide not to celebrate the holiday because of its association with the occult and paganism. Other believers see nothing wrong with the non-scary parts of the day and decide to participate in Halloween.
The decision to celebrate the day is a matter of conscience for every believer, and each Christian should prayerfully make their choice.
Scripture does not mention Halloween, trick-or-treating, or the practice of wearing costumes. However, there are biblical ways to participate in Halloween. The following list includes a few ideas to celebrate in a God-honoring way.
1. Pass out Tracts with Candy
Families often walk around neighborhoods or stop by houses to collect candy on Halloween. Since these children and their parents are already visiting our doorsteps to ask for treats, we can share the greatest news of all with them — the gospel. For many Christians, this involves passing out evangelistic tracts on Halloween.
Jesus has told us to make disciples of all people (Matthew 28:18-20). We participate in this disciple-making work by introducing people to the Savior, sometimes in small and practical ways. By passing out tracts to children, we are planting a seed that could grow into faith in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:6).
Of course, there are wrong ways to pass out tracts. I remember receiving a tract as a child and finding the depictions of hell and the devil terrifying. We do not want to scare children or make them associate the gospel with fear.
Instead, we can use tracts that clearly and biblically present the gospel in a kid-friendly way. The best way to do this is to carefully select tracts and read them before passing them out.
Also, if we are going to pass out candy and tracts, we need to ensure that the candy is of good quality. By passing out quality treats, children and parents will have a better impression of the gospel tract.
Not only do the children get delicious candy, but they also receive the greatest message in the world.
2. Dress in Costumes That Represent Goodness and Truth
Another way to celebrate Halloween biblically is to choose costumes that exemplify Christian virtues. Many choices of costumes for children, teens, and adults are based on characters from horror movies.
Oftentimes, these characters promote murder or the occult. Teens and adults also face difficulty because some costume choices are provocative.
The Bible encourages us to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). Also, Christians should seek to glorify God in everything they do (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17).
These verses from God’s Word give us a filter when choosing Halloween costumes. If the character we are thinking of dressing up as does not fit these characteristics or glorify the Lord, then we should stop and consider if it is the best choice.
There are numerous fun choices for people of all ages. Maybe a child has a favorite superhero that reminds them of the need for self-sacrifice and bravery.
A teen may decide to go as a beloved book character, such as loyal Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings.
Even simple costumes, like a cute pumpkin or a flower, can reflect beauty and truth. We can experience the fun and creativity of dressing up while also glorifying God.
3. Go Trunk-or-Treating
Churches regularly hold fall festivals that include trunk-or-treating. These events are alternatives to traditional trick-or-treating.
Instead of focusing on skeletons, vampires, and other scary decorations, those who participate in the trunk-or-treating adorn the trunks of their cars with fun and often biblical-themed decorations.
Such events are a wonderful way to fellowship with other believers, as the Bible encourages us to do (Hebrews 10:25). Also, fall festivals or trunk-or-treating at church are creative opportunities for outreach.
Children and families from local communities could attend the event and meet Christians who lovingly live out their faith (1 Peter 2:12). Likewise, believers who participate not only have an enjoyable time but can build impactful relationships with others.
Attending a church trunk-or-treat or volunteering to pass out candy and decorate your car can be a God-honoring way to celebrate Halloween.
4. Incorporate a Prayer Walk While Trick-or-Treating
Passing out tracts to children in the neighborhood is a common first choice for Christians on Halloween. If you are taking the kids trick-or-treating, though, you could also incorporate a prayer walk as the children collect candy.
Praying for your neighbors as you pass their houses can be a powerful way to remember the need to love and point others to Christ.
Believers are encouraged to pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We are also told to “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion,” which would apply to Halloween (Ephesians 6:18).
Prayer does not have to take place in specific places or at certain times. Rather, we can pray anywhere and at any time, including as we walk in our neighborhood or (in some cases) drive children to other neighborhoods to trick-or-treat.
Doing a prayer walk as you collect candy with the little ones might seem like an odd choice for Halloween, but it is an effective way to remember to lift others in prayer and love those around you.
5. Celebrate the Good
In addition to passing out tracts, dressing in costumes that honor God, participating in a trunk-or-treat at church, and incorporating a prayer walk, Christians can biblically celebrate Halloween by celebrating things that are good.
Sometimes we can be so focused on things we need to avoid that we forget the things we can celebrate. The season of autumn gives us many good and beautiful things that we can enjoy and be thankful for.
God is the source of all that is good in the world (James 1:17). Hence, we can celebrate blessings like delicious treats, time spent with family, changing leaves, pumpkins, and fun games.
We can enjoy these gifts knowing they come from our loving Father’s hand. He is the greatest giver of “treats” without any “tricks.”
We do not have to partake in activities that depict the occult or demonic when celebrating Halloween. Instead, we can use the day to honor and glorify God, thanking Him for the gifts of family, friends, and time spent together. These blessings are worth celebrating.
Why Does This Matter?
Every believer can decide whether to celebrate Halloween. There is no biblical command that tells us to observe the day or to abstain from it.
Thus, we do not have any examples from Scripture that tell us how to celebrate October 31, but we do have guiding biblical principles to help us glorify God in our celebration.
We can participate in Halloween in God-honoring ways while avoiding activities that promote the occult.
A few ways that Christians can biblically celebrate Halloween include passing out tracts with candy, choosing costumes that exemplify goodness and truth, participating in a trunk-or-treat event at church, doing a prayer walk, and thanking God for His loving gifts.
In every part of life, whether in the decision to celebrate holidays or participate in activities, our focus should be to glorify God.
For further reading:
Does Halloween Really Celebrate Evil and Darkness?
Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
Why Are More People Celebrating Samhain?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/fotostorm
Sophia Bricker is a writer. Her mission is to help others grow in their relationship with Jesus through thoughtful articles, devotionals, and stories. She completed a BA and MA in Christian ministry, which included extensive study of the Bible and theology, and an MFA in creative writing. You can follow her blog about her story, faith, and creativity at The Cross, a Pen, and a Page.