Written by: Becky Hunter in Becky Hunter's Random Bits of Wisdom on October 29, 2012

It was late October years ago in Indiana. I was on my front porch tying dried flowers to some hay and situating a couple pumpkins and gourds. A conservative lady I was just getting to know detoured from her morning walk, came through our yard, looked at my efforts disapprovingly and said, “A good way to know if someone is the Christian they say they are is to see if they skip celebrating Halloween.”

Seriously? She thought I might not believe in Jesus because I put some fall decorations on my porch in late October? Ugh.

I dreaded Halloween every year when our sons were young. Some of their friends would be able to dress up in scary costumes while other friends weren’t allowed to even attend harvest festivals because an event like that is “really just trying to be an acceptable way to celebrate Halloween.” We had Christian neighbors who decorated their yards with tombstones and their trees with “ghost” sheets. On the 31st they would hide in their bushes then jump out and yell “Boo!” before offering trick or treaters great quantities and qualities of candies. “We want the kids to know they’re special and this is a fun way to do that.” Others, us for example, handed out Scripture verses tied to pencils that were imprinted with the words “Jesus loves you.” (To this day I wonder if our witness was any more successful than our neighbors.) 

I know the history of Halloween. I’ve read all the perspectives, and it will never be a holiday that I like. But the reason I don’t like it isn’t only because some people dress like ghouls and act ridiculous, it’s because it’s a day that actually scares some Christians and that’s really ridiculous.

"Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)