Christian parents may have a tricky (pun-intended) decision to make around this time of year: should they allow their children to participate in trick-or-treating? Is trick-or-treating a harmless, fun autumn activity, or is participating in it opening a door for other more evil practices associated with Halloween? Like most parenting decisions, we need to use discernment when considering the options.
I grew up trick-or-treating. In fact, some of my fondest childhood memories involve dressing up as Little Red Riding Hood, a cowgirl, or as Princess Jasmine (that one Halloween when it was actually warm enough in the Upper Midwest!). I remember fun times collecting and sorting candy with my siblings, playing with neighborhood kids in leaf piles, and trick-or-treating at that one house that played the spooky Halloween music.
As my parents became more serious about their faith and how it impacted daily life, however, they began to question Halloween. By the time I was in my teens (and too old for trick-or-treating anyway), they no longer took my younger siblings trick-or-treating out of concern with the holiday’s darker associations.
If you are a parent (or grandparent), perhaps this sounds like a familiar dilemma. We don’t want to deny our children a fun time with their peers, but we also don’t want to compromise our faith. What should we do? Let’s explore the options.
Option #1: Allow our Children to Trick-or-Treat
Despite the pagan practices associated with Halloween (more on that below), some parents believe that allowing their children to trick-or-treat is a matter of Christian liberty.
In Romans 14, Paul discusses this idea of Christian liberty when he talks about some Christians who ate meat that had been offered to idols and other Christians who believed this was a sin, or some Christians who “consider one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike” (vs. 5). “Each of them,” writes Paul, “should be fully convinced in their own mind.”
So, we could reason that if we don’t believe trick-or-treating is a sin, then this is a matter of Christian freedom, and we need not feel guilty about allowing our children to participate in a fun fall activity. After all, Paul also writes, “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand” (vs. 4).
Whether we choose to allow our children to trick-or-treat or not, the Bible is clear that we shouldn’t judge those who do.
Another point pro-trick-or-treaters may make is that refusing to participate in trick-or-treating could actually harm our Christian witness since we could become known as the neighbors who refuse to be involved in the community and spread joy to kids by handing out candy.
In many neighborhoods, Halloween has become a social event that brings together kids, their parents, and all the members of the community for an afternoon or evening of treats and fun. Many neighborhoods even host parties, and often this event can be an opportunity to meet and develop relationships with neighbors. In this way, trick-or-treating could even be an opportunity to share the Gospel with those in your local community. After all, there aren’t many other occasions during the year when strangers so happily interact with one another.
Option #2: Don’t Allow our Children to Trick-or-Treat
The reasons for not allowing our children to trick-or-treat are understandable. Some parents are concerned about the pagan associations of the holiday and that allowing our children to participate in it can harm our witness for Christ.
In making this decision, it’s helpful to know a bit about the history of Halloween.
The Halloween holiday we know today is an amalgamation of ancient pagan practices, Christian tradition, and modern cultural adaptations. Halloween was influenced by the pagan celebration of Samhain, an ancient holiday when Celtic people marked the halfway point between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice and celebrated with bonfires, dressing in costumes to “trick” evil spirits, and leaving offerings (or treats) for ghosts, fairies, and other spiritual beings.
In the Crosswalk article “What is the History of Halloween?” Joel Ryan notes, “On October 31, the Celts believed that the spirit world would become visible to humans, and the ghosts of the dead would return to earth to cause trouble, damage crops, and otherwise play tricks on the living.”
These are the kind of pagan origins and practices that are concerning for many Christians when we consider whether or not to allow our children to participate in Halloween activities such as trick-or-treating.
Christians of centuries past also likely wrestled with whether or not to boycott the ancient festivals and practices associated with what would become Halloween. Ultimately, the ancient Christian Church leaders decided to repurpose the holiday and give it a Christian association.
Ryan further notes, “By the ninth century, Christianity had taken over Celtic lands, but rather than abolish the Celtic traditions of October 31 outright, the church shifted the focus of October 31 from a celebration of pagan deities, roaming spirits, and the dead to a more Christian emphasis on the soul, the supernatural, and the saints.”
To this day, Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and Christians of more liturgical persuasions celebrate All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2.
In addition to this Christian aspect of Halloween, October 31 was the day Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, which marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation—a day that is very much at the heart of modern Christianity.
Option #3: Repurpose Trick-or-Treating/Halloween
Many parents likely fall in the camp of wanting their children to be able to participate in the fun parts of Halloween, but still having reservations about the darker side of the holiday. The good news is that there are so many alternatives.
Many churches or other organizations host trunk-or-treat events, which can be great opportunities for the kids to have fun collecting candy in a safe environment. Searching “trunk-or-treat in my area” is sure to turn up several options for most of us.
Other possibilities include attending a church harvest party, allowing your kids to pick out their favorite candy at the candy store, making and decorating fall cookies, or hosting a (not too spooky) movie night. Check out this Crosswalk article for numerous other ideas.
If you and your family really want to lean into the Christian associations of this time of year, you could even turn Halloween into a celebration of Reformation Day since the two holidays take place on the same day. Lisa Loraine Baker provides several options for how to mark this day that holds such significance for those of Christian faith.
Jesus is Lord. Yes, Even of Halloween
Whichever option you choose this Halloween—to allow your children to trick-or-treat or not, or to celebrate some other way—you can rest in the confidence that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7).
As with any controversial practice throughout church history, there will be Christians who fall on the more lenient side and Christians who are more cautious, and those who fall somewhere in the middle. Listen to the Holy Spirit’s guiding, and know that he may convict some not to allow their children to participate in trick-or-treating, while others may not share that conviction.
Just as Jesus said that he was more concerned with people loving him with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, rather than adhering to every law about keeping the Sabbath Day, so he is more concerned with Christians today demonstrating true joy, love, and care for others rather than condemning a day such as Halloween.
Whatever you choose to do with your children this Halloween, may you embrace the beauty of autumn, the cozy food associated with this season, and the opportunities for family fun it offers.
Further Reading
25 Alternatives to Celebrating Halloween
What is the History of Halloween?
7 Wholesome Ways to Celebrate Halloween While Maintaining Christian Values
6 Different Christian Perspectives on Celebrating Halloween
4 Ways to Find Balance between Cultural Engagement and Christianity This Halloween
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Veronica Olson Neffinger is the SEO Content Editor for Salem Web Network. When she is not writing or editing articles, you can find her listening to baseball games, enjoying the outdoors, reading, or baking. She lives in Richmond, VA with her husband and two young sons.