I’ll be honest. When I was younger, it really frustrated me that I wasn’t allowed to celebrate Halloween. All my friends were out dressed up, having a great time collecting buckets of sweets. I’d ask my dad if I could go too, but his answer was always the same: No. How unfair, I thought! Sure, living in a small rural community meant Halloween probably wouldn’t have been as exciting as the Hollywood movies made it seem - lavish parties and mountains of sugar - but at the time, I wanted in. I didn’t understand what could be so wrong about that.
Children, of course, are naturally curious. They question everything: What is this? Why can’t I do that? How come? That’s how they make sense of the world. And as perceptive as they are, they’re also persistent - and boy was I persistent.
Looking back, I don’t necessarily disagree with my dad’s decision. As a parent, I imagine he felt he was protecting me from something he saw as spiritually dangerous. And, let’s be honest, as I was also the vicar’s grandson, it probably wouldn’t have made things any easier! But as a child, that frustration lingered because I couldn’t quite reconcile why it was so bad.
Halloween: Harmless Fun?
For many children, Halloween seems like harmless fun. It’s about playing pranks, acting silly, eating spaghetti worms, drinking blood orange juice and scattering fake spiders across the lawn. I remember once when on a nighttime stroll with my dad, asking him why our lovely elderly neighbour had a skeleton hanging from her window. His response was typically dismissive, “Oh, it’s all horrible, just don’t look at it.” Without a clear explanation, little me assumed either my neighbour was secretly a witch or that Jesus was a meanie who didn’t want me to eat sweets or be silly.
Without a clear explanation, little me assumed either my neighbour was secretly a witch or that Jesus was a meanie who didn’t want me to eat sweets or be silly.
I’m glad to say I’ve grown up a little since then and have found knowing Jesus to be the single greatest joy of my life, and instead of a meanie with lots of rules, he’s turned out to be pretty freeing. Why? Because I don’t fear the dark anymore. I believe God loves me. Jesus is my friend. And I’ve read what he does for his friends. Read John 11:1-45 and you’ll bear witness to a biblical “zombie”, Lazarus! Jesus conquered death for him, and He promises that for me too. That’s worth celebrating. But here’s the thing: Jesus could only conquer death because it existed; because darkness is real. Unfortunately, you can’t always say “just don’t look at it.” Because someone might be lost in that darkness, and they may need you to shine a light on them.
Encountering the Darkness
In my humble opinion, which I’ll accept is flawed at the best of times: we shouldn’t skirt over Halloween. I’m not suggesting we participate in trick-or-treating, but I do think it’s important to acknowledge the existence of darkness and help children understand it. I know it’s not a conversation we’re eager to have, but it’s important. Life isn’t always bright lights and rainbows, and kids will realise that, if they haven’t done so already.
Life isn’t always bright lights and rainbows, and kids will realise that, if they haven’t done so already.
As Christians, we believe that Jesus triumphed over darkness. He saw it, and He conquered it. He didn’t pretend it wasn’t there. By acknowledging the existence of darkness and offering a message of hope, we can empower children to face life's challenges with courage and faith.
Finding Faith in Halloween
What makes the Christian perspective so powerful, is that Halloween is not the end of the story - there’s a part 2! Some denominations recognise it as All Saints’ Day; where we recognise others who have played a part in God’s great love story, where we celebrate Jesus’ victory over death and the triumph of light over darkness. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Halloween can open the door to meaningful conversations with children about fear, sin, and even death. We shouldn’t pretend scary things don’t happen. It’s not about ignoring the scary parts of life but recognising that there’s hope beyond them.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).
Comments