I Probably Shouldn’t Admit This…
…But I love Halloween. I know. I’m not supposed to love Halloween. But I do.
- Friends from my neighborhood come to my front door, unannounced, to visit.
- I get the chance to meet neighbors that I haven’t met before.
- I have the opportunity to engage in conversations I would not normally have.
- My kids are darn cute when they dress up in costumes.
- My home feels warm and inviting after being outside for a couple of hours.
- No one is expecting me to do anything "pastoral" on Halloween evening. I can just be normal Tony.
- I have a rich assortment of candy that I can steal from my kids.
- I get to enjoy a fun evening with my family.
I’m probably going to get slammed (…and it won’t surprise me if it’s on someone else’s blog) for admitting this. After all, Halloween is supposed to be the evil holiday. But, until someone comes up with a alternative holiday where I get to connect with my neighbors and enjoy quality family time, I’m going to be a fan of Halloween.
I, too, enjoy Halloween as a Christian. I think that Halloween is what you make it, just as Christmas is what you make it. Many non-Christians take the Christ out of Christmas (to be corny), and it means nothing to them spiritually. However, if we take the evil out Halloween, and just enjoy it as a fun time to eat candy and be scared — no harm. I dated a girl once that never was able to dress up for Halloween, and I think that is just sad.
Just my two cents…
Tony,
I’m right with you man! It kills me that Christians hide and say it’s “the devil’s holiday”. Since when do we give him a day?
I say what better way than to mirror God’s redemptive plan than for us to take back (redeem) Halloween. I agree, i love that this one day a year my neighbors come to my house wanting to relate.
Gotta go pilfer Kit Kat’s from my boy’s bags while they’re asleep :)
i’ve gotta be honest – i’ve never really considered it like you’re putting it. ever since we quit “doing halloween” when i was a kid, i just never made a big deal of it. we just don’t do it – no campaign to tell everyone else they’re rotten for doing it.
but this is a refreshing twist to the whole gig. i kinda like it. it’s weird, because i just read a similar posting from one of the assistant pastors here at Healing Place Church who just started blogging recently. (Mike Haman on Halloween).
I’m not sure where i’m at on the whole thing, but the two of you certainly make a strong case for making the holiday a part of a strategy to touch out neighborhoods.
Any chance for redeeming something sounds strangely like… well, redemption.
And that’s not a bad idea, eh?
Tony Myles put it well . . . we need to “redeem” the holiday. We try to turn it into a block party. Hot chocolate, S’mores, and candy on the front lawn. We try to make our house the one the neighbors want to hang out at once they make their rounds . . . it is fun!
Candybag Cultural Relevance and a Cracked Cell Phone
I’ve been enjoying mini-snickers for breakfast and Reese’s Peanut Butter cups as late night snacks..since Monday night. I’ve been on and off again on the whole Halloween deal…celebrated it as a kid…ditched it during a fundamental phase…attended a…
Tony,
I agree. Our race car ministry (Turn or Burn) had a hayride and bonfire right in the middle of one of our housing projects Halloween night. The children said they had never been on a hayride before. Even better, 10 children were connected to Jesus. That was way worth 100 lbs of candy and some inflatable games. It truly put the Hallow in halloween.
Jamie
Tony,
You are right on man!. Listen, here is my take on it.
The one thing Satan hates is to be made fun of and not respected. He has already lost the battle and knows it so any lack of respect will tick him off. What better way to make fun of the devil than halloween.
Secondly, I have never meet anyone who adopted a Satanic or non-christian lifestyle based on the fact they see a bunch of little kids dressed up as spiderman once a year.
Get Real.
Thirdly, Halloweens great becuase look at all the free candy you get to eat when the kids go to bed.
Tony- THANK YOU so much for this post! I totally agree with you, and I am so thankful for people who aren’t afraid to talk about it. Good stuff.
Tony, so why don’t you post some pictures of your kids? :)
tony;
i appreciate your transparency – so i thought i’d ring the bell. our new friends from next door and the two houses across the street (who we met while sharing food during the after-effects of hurr. katrina) put up a tent in the yard and cooked hotdogs and had juice/coffee. the kids didn’t really go for the coffee.
there were over 200 hot dogs given out ‘just because’ and numerous relationships fostered – ‘oh, yeah, i see you at the health club – or school – or grocery store – or coffee shop’. . . maybe it really is about the heart of the activity.
Tony,
I hear you man. I have told my church that I use Halloween to meet my neighbors. I’m tired of hearing Christians who are afraid of it and turn out all their lights or go somewhere so as not to have to pass out candy. I say, if you are a Christian, turn all your lights on. Our light needs to shine the brightest on the darkest night of the year.
I use the opportunity to give kids a ton of candy and cool tracts to read and do games on. This year I passed out the PDL book by Rick Warren to the parents that came to the door. They were shocked. Let’s make the use of every opportunity to share the love of Christ.
Thanks for raising the bar on Halloween (great idea Scott).
We’ve always done the small group house party while a few of the adults walk with the kids. Next year we will move the party out front with a couple of grills and “bam” meet some big kids!
Tony -you’re a genius!
‘normal Tony’. Now that is Halloween scary.
With all this reaction, I can’t wait to tell you how much I enjoy Groundhog Day. In fact, one might say that’s a foreshadowing of things to come.
tony
I think the majority of Christians enjoy Holloween (the event of spending time with your kids/friends/neighbors and seeing your kids enjoy the times of being a kid).
I guess I view it kind of like this: I also believe we should be sitting in the “smoking section” sometimes when we go out. I believe we should not try and surround ourselves with just “Christian brothers and sisiters” all the time and just attend “Christian events.” Therefore, in that context, I don’t think getting out, walking around your neighborhood, saying hello to neighbors and letting your kids have some controled fun is all that bad!
Thanks for the post.
Gosh! isn’t anyone gonna tell Tony he’s goin to hell? dang. If tony doesn’t get flamed he’s not gonna feel controversial. So I’ll make one up.
“Tony,
You sucks. You are wrong for thinking progressively and having a different opinion than me. RAWR.
-Angry Reader guy”
Whats the deal with flamers not having good grammar? I don’t get it.
:-D