Halloween: What should we do about it?

There’s no denying that Halloween is spookily popular. Now the third biggest grossing event after Christmas and Easter, it is frighteningly commercialised. Sick of the puns? Sorry, they are pretty Grim!

But on a more serious note, there’s no avoiding it. At this time of year, spiders, zombies and pumpkins are everywhere you look.

So what are we to do about it as Christian parents? Hide away? Go with the flow? Something in the middle? Halloween is undoubtedly the most contentious festival in the calendar and Christians can fall anywhere on the above spectrum.

Today we want to put it to you that you need to make a decision about how you are going to approach Halloween as a family. Because whether you decide to get involved or avoid the festivities, you need to help your child engage with it on some level. If you don’t speak to your children about halloween then they’ll draw their own conclusions – and not necessarily gospel-centred ones!

So to help you make an informed decision, we decided to do a round-up of five helpful resources to help you think through Halloween as a Christian parent.

Krish Kandiah: Why I’ve Changed My Mind about Halloween

This first one is written by Dr. Krish Kandiah, the former president of London School of Theology and current director of Home For Good. His article has got some history about the origins of Halloween and is written from the perspective of a dad trying to figure out how to navigate this tricky (and treat-y! Sorry!) festival.

Jimmy Needham: God, Frankensteins and More

This is a heart-warming article about how to make the most of the missional opportunity of Trick or Treat-ers coming to your house. It’s an amazing testimony to God’s grace.

Scripture Union: Talking with your children about… Halloween 

This article by Scripture Union includes some of the history about Halloween, what the Bible says about Jesus defeating evil, and also some practical ideas for alternative events. You can even order a pack for running a “Light Party” (admittedly a bit late for this year, but you should bear it in mind for next year).

Angie Tolpin: Redeeming Halloween 

This article is written from the most conservative viewpoint out of our selection, as we wanted to show the differing opinions about Halloween. There’s some useful printable resources linked to this post, to help you share the gospel with your kids while carving pumpkins.

Russell Moore: How should Christians handle disagreement about Halloween? 

This final one is a podcast about how handle disagreement with other Christians in how you approach Halloween. It’s helpful to think about how to disagree graciously once you’ve formed your own convictions.

We hope you find these resources fang-tastic and thought-provoking, please share any others that you’ve found in the comments section – we’d love to hear from you.

Happy Halloween!