Shine Bright!
Love it or hate it, Halloween is firmly established in our calendar with shops and the media fully embracing it and where spending was estimated to total £687 million this year!
As Christian parents should we try to discourage our children from celebrating Halloween and from “Trick or Treating” in the community? Well, interestingly part of Halloween’s history has a Christian basis.
The origins of Halloween lie buried deep in time and draw on several sources. The Celtic feast of Samhain celebrated the end of harvest when the boundary between this world and the world of the dead was thought to dissolve and the dead returned to earth and created havoc by playing tricks on people and damaging crops. The Romans added two feasts of their own, Feralia, which commemorated the dead, and a feast in celebration of Pomona the goddess of fruit and trees.
With this historical backdrop, the early Christian church introduced the Feast of All Saints on November 1st to move interest away from the emphasis on pagan festivals and the celebration of the dead. This is where the term Halloween originates since the 1st of November was originally the Feast of All Hallows and the 31st of October All Hallows Eve, later contracted to Halloween.
So, there is a historical Christian basis for a celebration on Halloween, but does that fit with the secular and commercial view of it that most people now recognise today? The Trick or Treating and costume wearing for smaller children can be viewed as harmless fun, and indeed an activity to be enjoyed by classmates and neighbours, but there is a darker side to it too, with it not being enjoyed by many, who find the evening makes them nervous to be in their own homes.
This raises the question of what the Christian response should be, and provides a fantastic opportunity to re-structure the narrative around Halloween, by running events such as Light Parties at this time. Scripture Union has identified that a staggering 95 percent of under-18s don't go to church, but many of them are open to faith! Holding Light Parties in church is a great way to reach local children and families, show the light of Jesus at work in the world, build community, and offer an alternative.
We ran three Light parties in Bracknell, West Wight and Windsor this year! There were over 100 children and their families enjoying a bouncy castle, face painting, hot dogs, glow sticks and fun in the church, together with a message and worship (and someone being pied, of course!). Families not previously part of the church have subsequently come to Sunday services, which is fantastic!
Light Parties are just one of our opportunities to reach out to those in our community and share the love of God. With 95% of under-18s not in church, the task of reaching them is huge. But so too is the opportunity! By running outreach events like Light Parties, it is our prayer that through the conversations, welcoming atmosphere and fun, children and families will be encouraged to engage with the church and see that it is relevant and welcoming, and ultimately want to respond to the Gospel message!