How Do You Explain It to Your Kids?

With the fall season in full swing (though it doesn’t feel like it in southern Louisiana) we see pumpkins and flannel popping up everywhere. Another thing that’s hard to miss is the Halloween decorations – from the neighbor’s front yard to displays at the grocery store – it’s hard to ignore the holiday.

Let me say here that there is no judging. I’m not judging you and your beliefs at all. We are all different and all loved. I judge no one for their thoughts, opinions or beliefs. I’m simply sharing my views on the topic. I mean, we’re already judged enough by choosing to homeschool our kids, right?

But do you celebrate Halloween within your family?

I grew up in a Catholic household. I made my First Communion in the same church my dad served as an altar boy in his youth and where my grandmother was a Catholic Daughter. I went to CCD classes every Wednesday for YEARS, where we did activities for every holiday. The problem was, no one ever explained the real meaning behind each one. Yes, we all had bibles and we memorized prayers and songs, but no one in those classes ever pointed out the reason behind holidays or the fact that they weren’t even mentioned in the bible. I was raised on Charlie Brown, Hocus Pocus, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny and it was somehow relayed there was a deeper meaning to all of these holidays. Little did I know…

Fast forward to adulthood, I was almost 30 years old when I really opened my eyes and realized Christmas wasn’t mentioned one time in the bible. Not once! And no one even knows the exact date Jesus was born (I had NO CLUE and thought it must have been in the bible somewhere). Easter wasn’t one of the days God told His people to celebrate. Halloween was on a whole other level of holidays that I had no clue about.

Lies, Conspiracy, and Betrayal

My husband grew up in a mix of Catholic and Baptist churches and he didn’t have a clue about these holidays either. We both came to the earth-shattering news at the same time, and we didn’t know what to do. Suddenly, the world was confusing. Things we had been taught since birth weren’t what they seemed at all. It felt like some huge lie or conspiracy that we had stumbled upon.

That year, with the help (or rabbit hole) of Google, we came across a large group of people who were in the same shoes we found ourselves in. We felt betrayed. We felt we had been doing something bad and didn’t even realize it. And worse – we were teaching our kids to do the same! Something had to change.

It was the day after Easter Sunday when we had a big talk. We decided to not celebrate Halloween or Christmas. Our kids were very young and still believed in Santa. I was raised in a house chock full of Christmas magic, so even though I felt this is what we should be doing, inside I was devastated.

Research, Research, and More Research

We didn’t go into this decision lightly. I researched everything I could get my hands on. I read the bible, books on the history of the bible, books on religious holidays, books on pagan holidays (just to get a take on both sides), and I talked to a professor of theology to get her take on things. I also talked to a former Wiccan-turned-Christian (that one REALLY opened my eyes).

At the start of my research, I was convinced we had been doing it all wrong and must not celebrate these man-made holidays. There were so many bible verses (quoting bible verses out of context and using them for an argument is a huge pet peeve of mine ever since studying the history of the bible) that clearly pointed out as His followers, we should not partake in these holidays.

But then I dug in even further. This turned out to be a journey in my faith and beliefs and it has changed me in many, many ways.

Are You Celebrating the Pagan or Wiccan Way?

I looked at all of the reasons these groups used as to why we cannot celebrate Christmas. A big one is the fact that there is no proof Jesus was born on December 25. That particular date is a mashup of Catholic priests trying to convert more pagans into the Christian faith by allowing them to have their winter solstice party/Saturnalia celebration, but now in the name of Jesus. That’s basically true (in a very small nutshell) and how we got the date, but that was a very long time ago. Not once in all of my life have I ever celebrated a god of winter or ever thought of a pagan celebration on December 25. So does that mean since I’ve always looked at that date as a special day, I was subconsciously doing it for Saturnalia? No. I don’t believe that.

Then there are the Christmas trees, which many point out were originally used by pagans as a sort of idol. Yes, they did idolize trees in some cultures, but God made those trees. Can I not have a tree because at one time it was included in a pagan tradition? If that’s not okay, then neither is using a modern-day calendar, clocks, church steeples, church choirs, Valentine’s Day, wearing a wedding ring on your ring finger, holding your hand over your mouth when you yawn, having birthday parties and get this Louisiana – Mardi Gras. Yes, it originated in a pagan celebration. So did a ton of other things we do on a daily basis.

God gave us every day. I personally believe what matters most is what we believe today. What these holidays and celebrations mean to us today. Ask anyone what Christmas is about and you’ll get the Christian answer of celebrating the birth of Jesus. Same for Easter. I’ve never set aside a day to honor an ancient god or had a party to praise the sun. I look to God as my savior and through Jesus I am saved. Nothing more and nothing less. Amen.

Halloween or Samhain

With all of this said, we choose to not celebrate Halloween. For one thing, it has nothing to do with a Christian celebration, even in modern times. Yes, All Saints Day is the following day, but Halloween, also known as All Hallow’s Eve or Samhain, clearly originated for and still today celebrates ghosts and ghouls. In modern Wiccan religion, Samhain is one of two holy days of their year. This is one I’m going to stay away from.

Even today, in our modern culture, Halloween is focused to celebrate witches, spirits, mischief, dark magic and evil. All you have to do is check out the scary costumes, skeletons, movies, monsters, haunted houses, etc. to know what this holiday is about. Sure, there are the cute kid costumes and candy being handed out, but if you look at the big picture, this isn’t a Christian holiday in any way – it’s the opposite.

What We Celebrate in the Fall

We attend local fall festivals and corn mazes. I myself grow a huge pumpkin patch every year and love decorating our home for the fall season. We don’t carve scary faces into the pumpkins, dress up in costume to go Trick or Treating, and we don’t hand out candy (kind of hard when you live on a very rural farm!). It’s just a regular day for us. In fact, a few days before October 31 is when I start watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel, checking out Christmas books from the library and listening to my Christmas music playlist. I don’t give Halloween a second thought. We don’t hide out and avoid it, but we don’t embrace it or give the day any significance either.

We have talked with our kids about the origins of Halloween and Samhain and why we don’t participate. We are open with them and answer questions as best we can. The kids don’t feel they are missing out on anything. Believe me, they would speak up if they did!

There are fall feasts celebrated in the bible, and in fact, God commanded His people to observe several feasts and celebrations in the fall. These are the celebrations we focus on this time of year. We teach and talk about the seven feasts of the Lord with our kids. They learn about the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) just like they do any other holiday.

I know this can be a touchy subject for a lot of people, but I’m curious as to what your family does when it comes to the holidays.