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By: Niki Winston
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PHASE 1: Shift the Family Paradigm
Just like so many parents, when I look at my children I want so much for them to be happy. It’s inherent, it’s a God-given desire, and it’s healthy. That feeling of desiring happiness for my babies, however, is trumped for my burning desire to raise them to be godly men and women for the Lord. Halloween, and many other traditions of our western culture can get tricky. That’s why we should treat them with sensitivity and care. If you’ve read the article posted on our ministry’s website about the origins of Halloween (if you haven’t you SHOULD. Really… go now. It’s much more important than what I have to say), you probably immediately wanted to take a strong stance against Halloween. As a matter of fact, I remember when our boys were 8 & 9 years old and we gave them the article to read for themselves. It was the first year I personally had been enlightened about the holiday’s origin, and honestly, I was concerned about the reaction my own boys would have after finding out that we were no longer going to observe Halloween. I only hoped that they would understand so this would feel more like a ‘family stand’, rather than some kind of ‘surprise discipline’. After finishing reading the article, my second son (8 years old at the time), blown away by what he had just ingested, looked up from his paper, and slowly and dramatically said, “Why… would ANYONE…celebrate… Halloween?” My husband and I breathed a huge sigh of relief as a new season seemed to sweep the atmosphere. We no longer participated in Halloween, and it was an enthusiastic decision for the whole family! Now don’t misunderstand: if our children hadn’t come to the right conclusion themselves, we would’ve done it for them, but it would’ve been more difficult, and a bit bitter. We are so thankful to God that he had prepared their hearts to receive the revelation that Halloween is literally and boldly celebrating “…all that is cold, dark and dead”, on “…the eve of the new year for witchcraft.” (see article The History & Origin of Halloween)
PHASE 2: Do Something Different
So now what? Do we stay inside our house, turn off all the lights, and hide from the trick-or-treaters, hoping not to get egged? Do we leave treats outside in a bowl to appease the tricksters, while refusing to encourage and affirm their own celebrating? What do we do?...
Just like so many parents, when I look at my children I want so much for them to be happy. It’s inherent, it’s a God-given desire, and it’s healthy. That feeling of desiring happiness for my babies, however, is trumped for my burning desire to raise them to be godly men and women for the Lord. Halloween, and many other traditions of our western culture can get tricky. That’s why we should treat them with sensitivity and care. If you’ve read the article posted on our ministry’s website about the origins of Halloween (if you haven’t you SHOULD. Really… go now. It’s much more important than what I have to say), you probably immediately wanted to take a strong stance against Halloween. As a matter of fact, I remember when our boys were 8 & 9 years old and we gave them the article to read for themselves. It was the first year I personally had been enlightened about the holiday’s origin, and honestly, I was concerned about the reaction my own boys would have after finding out that we were no longer going to observe Halloween. I only hoped that they would understand so this would feel more like a ‘family stand’, rather than some kind of ‘surprise discipline’. After finishing reading the article, my second son (8 years old at the time), blown away by what he had just ingested, looked up from his paper, and slowly and dramatically said, “Why… would ANYONE…celebrate… Halloween?” My husband and I breathed a huge sigh of relief as a new season seemed to sweep the atmosphere. We no longer participated in Halloween, and it was an enthusiastic decision for the whole family! Now don’t misunderstand: if our children hadn’t come to the right conclusion themselves, we would’ve done it for them, but it would’ve been more difficult, and a bit bitter. We are so thankful to God that he had prepared their hearts to receive the revelation that Halloween is literally and boldly celebrating “…all that is cold, dark and dead”, on “…the eve of the new year for witchcraft.” (see article The History & Origin of Halloween)
PHASE 2: Do Something Different
So now what? Do we stay inside our house, turn off all the lights, and hide from the trick-or-treaters, hoping not to get egged? Do we leave treats outside in a bowl to appease the tricksters, while refusing to encourage and affirm their own celebrating? What do we do?...
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