Some Christians get really up tight about Halloween. I don’t understand this.
This morning, I discovered that San Antonio spends the most money on Halloween in America (tied with Austin and Charlotte, NC).
Probably that’s because the day of the dead is very big around here.
My family loves Halloween. Not harvest. Not some Christianized version of trick or treat. We love Halloween itself. My kids love to dress up. They love wonderful spooky stories with ghosts and skeletons and zombies and scarecrows.
My four-year-old son just discovered the Goosebumps videos. Should I feel bad that he and my daughter love them? I don’t. They are Grimm’s fairy tales for the 21st century. Do they have monsters? Sure. Just like Rapunzel has the monstrous witch. Just like Hansel and Gretel has the monstrous step-mother and the monstrous witch. Just like the Ginger Bread Man runs runs as fast as he can but always gets eaten by the monstrous fox.
My son loves the movies because they make him feel brave. (He doesn’t get nightmares, but we are careful to watch for that sort of thing.)
Why do my kids love these movies? Why does my son check out Halloween books every time we go to the library? Why does he ask me to tell the story of the zombie, the skeleton, and the scarecrow who live in the church graveyard?
All stories of death and pain–even the ones that end badly–contain the hope of redemption. They are tales of warning about how the world could be. Sometimes they are tales that reassure us we are not alone in our fears and sufferings.
Don’t get me wrong. Halloween. Scary movies. Zombies and gore and vampires in the night are not for everyone. For some, people fear leads to more fear.
For others, books and stories of fear help us purge the darkness that is inside us. Or else, they just give us permission to tell stories with the most wonderful monsters and the most imaginative, magical conflicts.
Over the past year, we have probably read every Halloween book in existence. Here are some of our all time favorites in no particular order.
- The Grandmas Trick-or-Treat is perfect for my generation with our competitive grandparent “problem.” Kids who spend lots of time with both sets of grandmothers will love this.
- How Spider Saved Halloween was my favorite as a kid. My kids like it too.
- The Hallo-wiener this book is just hilarious. A wiener dog’s mother gives him a lame costume, but he still manages to save the day from the bully trick-or-treaters.
- One Halloween Night is one that my kids adore. My son has checked this book out from the library time after time after time. It is wonderfully magical, with a good moral against bullies and tricksters.
- Six Creepy Sheep is one of the funnest rhyming books. (Funnest?)
- Skeleton Hiccups is about as hilarious as it sounds.
- The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything is practically a classic. Like many of these other books, it teaches kids to be brave. But it also gives them permission to allow themselves to get a little spooked sometimes!
- Bats at the Beach isn’t really a Halloween book per se, but the illustrations are so wonderful. And if you’re nervous about Halloween, books about bats and spiders and other creepy crawlies can be a good way to sidestep the issue.
- Bats! Creatures of the Night is the best bat book I’ve read. Believe me, I’ve read a lot of them. This one is not too long, and it has both good illustrations and fascinating details.
- The Witch’s Child is probably my favorite Halloween fairy tale. An evil witch. A lifeless scarecrow doll. A field full of children who have been turned into thorn bushes. And a little girl who discovers the life-giving power of love. OK, that makes it sound cheesy, but it’s cool.
Z is for Zombie and The House of Boo both get honorable mentions as two of my favorite children’s Halloween books. The kids like these as well, but they will be on the edge of too scary for some.
Happy Halloween!
{ 41 comments }
!!!!!!!!!!
: )
[I'm sure I speak for others here too.]
In other words, does this mean you're back?
I guess so. I had some issues to sort through, and now it's time to move on.
I doubt I'll post here more than once a week or so.
Marcus
I'm a big fan of Halloween. Our neighbor's house would make you happy–everything from goblins to demons to vampires hanging around that place. I'll have to take a picture for you.
Please do! I'll try to remember to post pictures of our little carnival. But
I'll be pretty busy with the dunking booth.
Ever since I have gotten involved in the church, I have been told that Holloween is bad. So we've always done the “Halloween Alternative” nights. Now my son is five, and I am actually taking him trick-or-treating for the first time.
I have just keep getting back to the fact that Jesus prayed not that we be removed from the world but protected from the evil one. I am begining to feel like separating myself from such a cultural event diminishes my opportunity to speak into the lives of my non-Christian friends and neighbors. I'm not talking about having a séance to invite demons or lost spirits into my house… I'm only talking about taking my kid around to meet and interact with some of our neighbors…
I absolutely HATE things like Harvest parties, or Trunk or Treating. If Christians have such a hard time with Halloween why flirt with the line? I love Halloween. I love Halloween for it's theatrical costume moments. It's when everyone has permission to dress up and be someone else for a night. Not just the weird theatre people.
This year our church is sponsoring Halloween block parties in different
neighborhoods. Our house is one of them–which means I'm about to get in the
dunking booth. (We have other carnival games and a bunch of games, cotton
candy, etc.) I'm totally pumped!
Our church is doing something similar to that this year. We are just having my nephews over to walk the neighborhood with my son. I know others from our church are doing bounce-houses, and similar stuff to what you are doing. That's cool… I'm just happy to meet some neighbors this year… I cannot believe that I've spent so many years avoiding my neighbors…
Probably that’s because the day of the dead is very big around here.
Three hours in a dunking booth. Fun.
Bahrain News, that's what I figured too. Day of the Dead skeletons are so
fun. I don't know a whole lot about that tradition though, sadly.
Happy Halloween everyone! I'm turning in.
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
PS – Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
First, I'm glad you're back (hopefully!). I've missed ya!
Secondly, I too love Halloween. My mom and I were just talking the other day about how much she loved Halloween as a child. We discussed how sad we are that it has become what it has (from the Christian angle you discuss to the sheer safety issues that come up as well), because it's such a beautiful opportunity for children to use their imaginations and creativity.
I'm not against the whole church event. Our church put on a Trunk or Treat in the parking lot, invited hundreds of people in the surrounding apartments, and handed out a ton of candy, hot dogs, and popcorn. Everyone had a wonderful time, and as a church we were able to get to know our neighbors (sort of like Dan points out).
We also went trick or treating a little with my daughter. Like Heather, we have a neighbor who goes over the top in their yard – complete with gallows, blacked in front porch with 7-8 black lights and a guy sitting with a toy chain saw chasing kids off the porch after they get their candy. Loads of fun.
PS – Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
PS – Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
PS – Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
PS – Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
PS – Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
PS – Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
PS – Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
PS – Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
PS – Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
PS – Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
PS – Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
PS – Thanks for the book recommendations, too!
Biggest problem with Hallowe'en? A lot of kids without an older chaperone or guide, dressed in dark clothing, out after dark on badly lit subdivision roads is an invitation for someone to get hurt. Otherwise? I've seen some of the “hardcore” videos; it helps to know the history, but if we're going to go that route, you might as well ditch Christmas as a holiday (didn't occur in December, and was a means of expropriating a pagan celebration).
Even once a week – good to see you back!
This is great collection of books mate. thanks
We had a small faction of anti-Halloween folks at our church back in the mid 90s. None are still with us, and I try not to be too overly thankful about that. But in a conversation with some church leaders, one of the men – a man named Jerry – became passionate and animated. He pounded his fist on the table and said, “By Jove, we won't have any pagan celebrations and worship at our church.”
And for once I not only thought of the best response, but was able to give it on the spot. I said, “Now see this is a good example of what I've been saying. Jerry just swore by the name Jove, a Roman god. But we all know that Jerry doesn't worship false gods. It was just an common expression and its original meaning isn't important in this context. That's what I think is going on with the kids and Halloween. They just like to dress up and get candy. They're not paying homage to Satan or pagan gods.”
I wish I could say that my “brilliant” response won the day. I'm not even sure that Jerry knew what I was talking about. They remained solidly against Halloween while most of us were for it. That year we had a “Hallelujah” party at the church where the kids dressed up, played games, and got candy. (No use offending people for silly reasons. The kids didn't care what we called the party.) A few years later, after Jerry and friends had left for other reasons, we had a Halloween part where the kids dressed up, played games, and got candy.
We had a small faction of anti-Halloween folks at our church back in the mid 90s. None are still with us, and I try not to be too overly thankful about that. But in a conversation with some church leaders, one of the men – a man named Jerry – became passionate and animated. He pounded his fist on the table and said, “By Jove, we won't have any pagan celebrations and worship at our church.”
And for once I not only thought of the best response, but was able to give it on the spot. I said, “Now see this is a good example of what I've been saying. Jerry just swore by the name Jove, a Roman god. But we all know that Jerry doesn't worship false gods. It was just an common expression and its original meaning isn't important in this context. That's what I think is going on with the kids and Halloween. They just like to dress up and get candy. They're not paying homage to Satan or pagan gods.”
I wish I could say that my “brilliant” response won the day. I'm not even sure that Jerry knew what I was talking about. They remained solidly against Halloween while most of us were for it. That year we had a “Hallelujah” party at the church where the kids dressed up, played games, and got candy. (No use offending people for silly reasons. The kids didn't care what we called the party.) A few years later, after Jerry and friends had left for other reasons, we had a Halloween part where the kids dressed up, played games, and got candy.
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