For a child who had a major sweet tooth, Halloween just seemed too good to be true. Not only did I get to dress up and pretend I was someone else for the night, but I was rewarded for my trip around the neighborhood with scrumptious treats. Back when I was a kid they didn’t have a two hour window for trick or treating. You kept going until you got too tired… or until the houses in your neighborhood turned out lights and called it a night.
I can remember coming home late on Halloween night, absolutely exhausted from running house to house. Once home, me and my friends would dump out candy our and begin the process of sorting. The plunder was separated into the following piles – candy bars, suckers, sweet tarts, Tootsie Rolls, gum, pennies and of course miscellaneous. It was a night filled with fun and innocence…or so we thought. The only negative thing I remember taking place was when our parents had to check our candy because of a scare involving tainted treats.
To a child, Halloween is innocent fun, but we would be very wise to remember that Halloween has some definite links to occult practices and Satan worship. I didn’t learn about the pagan origins of Halloween until I was an adult.
“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6)
I’m not going to enter a debate about whether Christians should trick or treat; but I do think it’s important for Christians to be educated and informed so they can decide what is best for their family.
Today, many churches and organizations offer safe alternatives to trick or treating on the streets. Outreaches such as Trunk or Treat or Harvest Festivals are safe environments for children to participate in dressing up and collecting candy – without the fear of falling prey to evil/pagan practices.
“…put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:12)
Whether your family chooses to trick or treat through the neighborhood or the local church parking lot, remember… Halloween has demonic origins, and evil really does lurk on this night; do everything you can to keep you and your family safe.
“Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22)
“…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
