Halloween.... how to deal with others when you don't celebrate it (same as)

[OnederWoman]

Hi all...

We made the decision years ago not to celebrate Halloween.

I don't really wish to debate why we don't, etc.

I just would like to know what others do who don't do Halloween.

Do you do Halloween alternatives? Until this year we went to our church's 'Hallelujah Night'... our son could dress up (in non-scary/non-satanic) costumes and have a good time where he got to play games, get candy and hear about Jesus (it is open to neighborhood kids as well as church kids). But... we moved last December. The church we are going to is only a few months old (a newly planted church in a fast growing area) and isn't having anything like that this year. So... we may not dress up at all... which is fine with us... but our son is a bit disappointed. He is just 5 and doesn't understand why we don't do Halloween and other kids do (yes, we've explained... but he's 5).

My parents have a big problem with this (and that we don't do Santa, the tooth fairy or the Easter Bunny.... just we don't pretend fantasy characters are real... our son does know about them, we just don't lie to him). They feel we are robbing him of the joys of childhood.... that doing these things didn't harm my husband or myself... so why would we think they'd be bad for our son? We still try to make holidays fun and special... we just want the focus more on Jesus and not make-believe characters and material things. They are afraid that our son will resent us for keeping him from these things.

I got an email from one of the Elders wives from our home church a few months ago about families that are like ours. One example they gave about how they make things special for their kids so they don't feel like they're missing out is.... making the kids birthdays be a bigger deal than Christmas, etc. We plan to this year start giving less gifts at Christmas time and more at birthday. Birthdays will be costume parties (for as long as our children want to dress up) and we'll do special things, like have a clown or whatever.

Anyway... just wondering what other families do and how you deal with any extended family that may not agree with you.

Thanks.

[KristiXP]

My parents have a big problem with this (and that we don't do Santa, the tooth fairy or the Easter Bunny.... just we don't pretend fantasy characters are real... our son does know about them, we just don't lie to him). They feel we are robbing him of the joys of childhood.... that doing these things didn't harm my husband or myself... so why would we think they'd be bad for our son? We still try to make holidays fun and special... we just want the focus more on Jesus and not make-believe characters and material things. They are afraid that our son will resent us for keeping him from these things.
First of all, I think by not involving your child with Santa, the Easter Bunny, and Halloween is the best thing you can do for him. He will grow up with a good sense of reality and hopefully a strong young man of Faith.

Are there any families from Church that you are familiar with? Maybe you could invite them to your house for a Hallelujah Night and have the kids dress up in costumes, and maybe make up a game for them to earn candy? Like a game about Jesus? Or you could just hand out some candy and have an evening teaching the children about Jesus, or letting them watch Veggitales.

If not, a nice evening together with your son, a bunch of candy and some good Christian movies would be a joy. :hug:

[ZiSunka]

A lot of churches have a harvest festival on the same night. Look around for one of those. Those parties are more fun anyway, because there's a lot more going on than just begging for candy.

[sracer]

We don't "celebrate" Halloween either... we take our kids to our Church's "Harvest Party"...they have a great time there. "Begging for candy"?! :D (That cracked me up!)

At the risk of straying off-topic, a quick comment about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.

I don't see a problem with children believing in Santa Claus as long as the concept of Santa is put in perspective....

My kids "believed" in Santa when they were young... but they knew that Santa was only a man (only in one place at one time), who gave presents to kids because he loved to celebrate the birth of Jesus. They knew full well what Christmas was all about... the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior. They never mistakenly thought that we worshipped Santa or that we prayed to the Christmas tree.

But we taught our kids about Jesus... and with that knowledge they are able to put the concept of Santa Claus in perspective... now that they are teenagers, they are well grounded in their Christian faith and look back at their infant/toddler belief in Santa with fond memories.

[OnederWoman]

Are there any families from Church that you are familiar with? Maybe you could invite them to your house for a Hallelujah Night and have the kids dress up in costumes, and maybe make up a game for them to earn candy? Like a game about Jesus? Or you could just hand out some candy and have an evening teaching the children about Jesus, or letting them watch Veggitales.

If not, a nice evening together with your son, a bunch of candy and some good Christian movies would be a joy. :hug:
We will really miss our Hallelujah night this year. We had thought of having a mini version at our home and inviting the kids from church over... but, we are in the process of buying a house... we are packing and will be moving across town in a couple weeks... so hosting a party this year would be a bit much. Maybey next year we'll figure out how to have one.

What do you think about Jack-o-lanterns? I've read their pagan origins, and my hubby would prefer we not carve pumpkins. But, this year my Mom did that with my son and hubby was a bit irritated. She claims she didn't think it would be a big deal because she had seen a book I got our son called 'the Pumpkin Patch Parable' which is about a farmer growing things and GOd getting the glory for the harvest... at the end the farmer carves a pumpkin with a smile. I just told her she should have asked us first to make sure.

[OnederWoman]

[QUOTE=sracer]
I don't see a problem with children believing in Santa Claus as long as the concept of Santa is put in perspective....

My kids "believed" in Santa when they were young... but they knew that Santa was only a man (only in one place at one time), who gave presents to kids because he loved to celebrate the birth of Jesus. They knew full well what Christmas was all about... the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior. They never mistakenly thought that we worshipped Santa or that we prayed to the Christmas tree. QUOTE]

My parents wish we'd do this... it's just that it doesn't match our personal convictions.

He knows about Santa... we even took him to see the Santa Clause 2 last year. We just won't lie to him. (not saying you lied to your kids, just saying it's our personal conviciton).

This year we are deleting the tree... hubby has been after me for years to get rid of it. He has a conviction about the pagan origins of tree decorating for Yule.

[Isaiah 53]

We don't celebrate Halloween either. Last year we went to our Church's fall festival. The kids dress up as biblical characters and play games.

This year we may not even do that. We are planning to buy our kids some candy and let them watch movies. The day after we will probably buy a buch of "sale" costumes and let them play dress up. (two girls!!)

They know there is no Santa or Easter Bunny. These are secular means of doing away with the meaning of the Holiday. I usually dress up as Santa (they know its me); pass out gifts; take off the beard and read them the Christmas Story from Luke.


PEACE IN CHRIST!!!

[allieisme]

We have the same thing at our church "hallelujah night" It should be alot of fun, its at a park this year, and with food and candy and games for the kids, I cant wait!
As far as the Santa Claus issue.. I dont like to bring Santa Claus into the picture because basically your teaching your children to idolize or worship Santa Claus in my opinion

[Blackhawk]

I personally do not hae a problem with kids believing in Santa Claus, the easter Bunny, or celebrating halloween. (even with the scary costumes) I do accept anyone elses views but I just do not see the real problem with it. I celebrated both and have not had any problems with reality. I see that it can go too far and I am fine with others not believing the same things that I do.

[1John5:3]

Will the saints celebrate Halloween after Jesus' advent and the resurrection of the dead?

[Blackhawk]

Will the saints celebrate Halloween after Jesus' advent and the resurrection of the dead?
We won't do many things after that occurs.

[Lotar]

When I have kids some day, they'll believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and go out a trick or treat on Halloween. I don't see any problem with it. One of my fondest memories as a child was dressing up and going around trick or treating on Halloween.

I always entertian the thought of going to my churches "hallelluia night" dressed up as Sisera with a tent peg in my head. Hey, he's a bible charater. :D

[Lanakila]

We don't do Halloween, Santa or the Easter Bunny either. My kids still ask why and they are teens. They have Hallo'scare at Busch Gardens, and we aren't letting them go. Mostly because of cost, and that it's pretty chilly to ride rides in Oct, but it's the Halloween thing again. I have no problem with other people doing it, but we just never did. Our church has Hallelujah night usually, but this year its a Saturday Fall Festival because Halloween in on a Friday. But it only goes through the 5th grade, and 3 of my 4 kids are older than that. The 3 year old doesn't know what she is missing yet, and we are so busy, she will miss it this year.

[Blackhawk]

When I have kids some day, they'll believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and go out a trick or treat on Halloween. I don't see any problem with it. One of my fondest memories as a child was dressing up and going around trick or treating on Halloween.

I always entertian the thought of going to my churches "hallelluia night" dressed up as Sisera with a tent peg in my head. Hey, he's a bible charater. :D
You could go as Eglon King of Moab also. it would not be as grotesque since the dagger would be lost in the fat of your costume. :D