God still loves me even though I participated in Halloween

“I can’t participate in Halloween because my parents won’t let me”: A very common statement heard coming from 19 year-olds this October when asked what their Halloween plans were.

When asked why,  their answer was the same “I’m a Christian.” But, I’m Christian too, and I was always allowed to participate in halloween festivities.

As a church-going Christian, my parents always allowed me to participate in Halloween by letting me dress up in a costume (for seven straight years I was the Little Mermaid), go trick-or-treating with my friends, and normally ending the night with a Halloween cake-walk at my church.

My mother always told me that in such a controversial world it was up to me to decide what connotation I wanted to give Halloween – I could make it “Satan’s Holiday,” or I could make it a fun time to gather with friends and watch the occasional Addams Family movie.

My mom always found it important for me to distinguish the difference between “participating,” and “celebrating.” Although these words fall under similar categories, they mean two totally different aspects regarding holidays.

Just because you participate in halloween doesn’t mean you have to celebrate it just as non-christians participate in the holiday of Christmas (which Christians heavily celebrate). Participating in Halloween doesn’t require you to worship Satan, or chant spells in a graveyard, or even dress as a witch – participating simply means buying a cute costume and over-eating candy, which I do year round.

With a world constantly changing our morals, beliefs, and values it is important to be reminded that God does not  want us to look upon dark things and “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11).

I love God and believe every inch of the Bible, but to me Halloween is only as dark as you choose to make it. This past Halloween night I actually hung out with my Christian scholarship group and we all dressed in costumes, ate candy corn, and had a great time.

We chose to spend Halloween in the comfort of friends and discussing the wonderful things God had provided us with  at Clemson. I also applaud churches for throwing Halloween carnivals and hosting  trunk-or-treats because in my opinion, it is their attempt to change the demonic connotation of Halloween and make it a fun, friendly holiday. By us Christians participating in Halloween, we are defying the devils wishes by proving that even God can make darkest of holidays a light for his glory.

So yes, I am a Christian who participates in Halloween, and I know God still loves me just as much as he did on October 30th. Parents, teach your children about halloween and realities that the Devil can use it for his scheming pleasures, just as he can do with anything in this world, but also remind them that Halloween can be harmless too.

So let them be a princess, Batman, or a fireman, let them go trick-or-treating, and let them know you would never put them in any circumstance that would harm their relationship with Jesus.