hildren – and some parents, too – are eagerly anticipating donning costumes and asking for a ‘treat’ from neighbors as the price for not having a ‘trick’ played on them. Meanwhile, decorations designed to terrify – from skulls and witches to life-sized graveyards and giant insects – have turned homes across America into virtual haunted houses. Amazingly, Americans will spend more than $6.9 billion this year on the holiday.
Many of the common activities and themes associated with Halloween provide opportunities for harmless fun and togetherness. At this time of year, churches often capitalize on the spiritual openness of people and on the enthusiasm that Halloween generates to host activities at their facilities.
But parents need to know that beneath the costumes and make believe are spiritual realities that should be taken seriously. In recent years, these spiritual forces seem to be spreading out into the culture at large, fueling the popularity of everything from teen vampire romance novels to dark TV shows such as American Horror Story, Sleepy Hollow to the plethora of gruesome titles found on Netflix or Redbox.
Most scholars agree Halloween has its origins dating over 2,000 years ago in the Celtic festival of Samhain. Samhain was the Celts’ celebration of their New Year (Oct. 31/Nov. 1) when they wore animal heads, performed animal sacrifices, danced around bonfires, and had their druids (magicians/sorcerers) predict the future.
They also believed that on Oct. 31, ghosts of the dead would come back to earth and communicate with the living through these rituals.
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III, in an effort to supplant the pagan festival, moved All Saints Day – the Catholic Church’s celebration of Christian saints who had died and achieved beatific vision – to Nov. 1. Over time, the two celebrations merged to become what we now know as Halloween.
Halloween has been known in North America since colonial days. But it wasn’t until Irish immigrants brought their Halloween customs to America in the 1840s that the festival grew in popularity. Since then, it has been woven into the fabric of American culture. By the 1950s, Halloween was mostly considered a children’s holiday celebrated with costumes and candy.
“As popular and pervasive as Halloween has become, there is still a sizeable minority that avoids at least some elements,” said Scott McConnell, vice president of LifeWay Research. “Not surprisingly, nonreligious Americans are most likely to say Halloween is all in good fun (75 percent) and least likely to avoid Halloween completely (11 percent), according to the survey. Christians aren’t far off from the rest of Americans when it comes to Halloween. A slight majority (54 percent) says Halloween is all in good fun, while 18 percent try to avoid the pagan elements, and 23 percent avoid it completely.”
However, every year health professionals staffing emergency rooms and poison centers from around the country deal with Halloween-related injuries. Parents can do a lot to prevent their children from getting hurt by sticking to some tips provided by the American Association of Poison Control Centers.
Inspect all candy. Look for any signs of tampering such as tears, pinholes, or discoloration before allowing children to eat it. Check candy for choking hazards. Children under age 4 should not eat anything that is smaller than one inch around, such as hard candy, gummy candy, popcorn, and gum balls. Avoid homemade treats from strangers. Watch for treats that may contain marijuana or other drugs.
Test face makeup. Apply a small amount on the arm first to check for allergic reaction. Remind kids not to chew or break glow sticks. A liquid inside glow-in-the-dark products can cause skin irritation. Swallowing it can cause nausea and burning. Eyes are especially sensitive to glow stick liquid. Never put these products in the microwave.
We all need to be seeking God and asking questions about what is best for our families concerning Halloween. If you do decide to celebrate, a great option is to take your kids to one of the many local church sponsored events that allow people to have fun in a safe environment and to also share the love of Christ.