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Destiny Image Publishers — 1560438231 — Mommy, Why Don’t We Celebrate Halloween?
Children ask the toughest questions! As a parent, you want to give them the best answers. This amazing children’s book will help dedicated parents answer tough questions simply, biblically, and lovingly. Christ-centered and sensitively written, this book will help satisfy the curiosity of even the most inquisitive children.

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‘October 31st again and all the kids are trick-or-treating,’ said Jerry as he looked out the window in front of his house. ‘Mom, why can’t we go trick-or-treating like all the other kids? Are you afraid we’ll eat too much candy and our teeth will rot?’

‘Well, Jerry,’ said Mom, ‘I certainly don’t want your teeth to rot, but no, that isn’t the reason you can’t go trick-or-treating. As Christians, Daddy and I don’t let you take part in Halloween because we know Jesus doesn’t want us to do such things.’

‘But why, Mommy?’ Sarah exclaimed. ‘What’s wrong with Halloween?’

‘Think for a moment, children, about other holidays we celebrate. Take Christmas, for example. How does Christmas make you feel?’ asked Mom.

Happy!’ exclaimed Sarah.

Excited,’ added Jerry.

‘That’s right,’ said Mom. ‘Christmas is a time of happiness and excitement as we celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus. Do you remember what the angel told the shepherds the night He was born?’

‘Yes,’ said Sarah. ‘The angel told the shepherds good news of peace and great joy.’

‘That’s right,’ said Mom. ‘Halloween has none of these. Halloween is filled with fear, meanness, and sadness.’

‘I don’t understand, Mom,’ said Jerry. ‘How is dressing up in funny costumes and going door-to-door to get candy scary or sad?’

‘The devil is very good at making things look wonderful on the outside that are wrong on the inside. Halloween is one of those things,’ Mom said.

‘Many Christians haven’t been taught the true meaning behind Halloween. They can’t see the truth behind the costumes, parades, and candy of Halloween,’ continued Mom. ‘Only when we know the truth about something can we know whether it is good or bad for us. That’s why the Bible says we are free when we know the truth.’ (See John 8:32.)

‘So, what’s the truth about Halloween, Mom?’ Sarah asked. ‘Why shouldn’t Christians take part in its fun?’

‘Let me see if I can explain it a bit better,’ Mom said. ‘First, let’s think about Christmas again. When the three wise men came to visit Baby Jesus, what did they bring Him?’

‘Presents!’ Sarah said.

‘Yes, presents,’ Mom agreed. ‘When they gave Jesus the presents, the wise men knelt before Jesus to show that they honored Him.’

‘What does it mean to honor someone?’ Jerry asked.

‘To honor someone means that you show great respect for that person. You show that you understand his importance and great worth,’ Mom replied.

‘But we don’t kneel before anyone at Halloween,’ Sarah protested.

‘You see, Sarah,’ Mom said, ‘there are many ways to show honor. One way is to set aside a special day, a holiday, to remember some important person or event.’

‘Yes!’ Jerry agreed. ‘Thanksgiving reminds us of the big dinner the Pilgrims shared with the Indians to thank God for His help in the New World.’

‘Exactly,’ Mom responded. ‘What event do we celebrate at Easter?’

‘That’s when the angel rolled away the stone,’ Sarah answered. ‘Jesus wasn’t dead anymore!’

‘That’s right,’ Mom replied. ‘At Easter we remember God’s love when He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. We also honor God for His great power that brought Jesus from death to life.’

‘So what do we honor at Halloween?’ Jerry asked.

‘A long time ago,’ Mom answered, ‘many people did not believe in God or honor His Son, Jesus. Instead they honored statues made of wood or stone. They also worshiped things in nature like the sun and the stars.’

‘Do you mean they bowed down to them like the wise men knelt before Baby Jesus?’ Sarah asked.

‘Yes, Sarah,’ Mom said. ‘They sang praises to their statues just like we sing praises to Jesus. They believed that the sun and stars had great power.’

God must not have liked that! He wants us to worship only Him,’ Jerry said.

‘You are right, Jerry,’ Mom replied. ‘God’s first laws for His people teach us not to worship any other gods or to bow down to their statues.’ (See Exodus 20:3-5.)

‘But, Mommy, we don’t worship any statues or other gods at Halloween,’ Sarah said.

‘In many parts of the world,’ Mom answered, ‘Halloween is a religious holiday - a holiday when people worship satan and honor evil. In fact, it is the biggest holiday on satan’s calendar, kind of like Christmas and Easter on our calendar.’

‘But why?’ Jerry asked. ‘Where’s the evil in Halloween?’

‘Long ago the people who worshiped statues and nature also believed that the spirits of the dead could control the living,’ Mom said. ‘They thought that the souls of wicked people who had died returned on Halloween to harm or scare the living.’

‘That sounds dumb,’ said Jerry.

‘These people didn’t think so,’ Mom replied. ‘So they tried to keep the evil spirits happy by setting out sweets and other types of treats. They wanted the evil spirits to stay away and not trick them.’

‘Oh, I see,’ said Sarah, ‘and that’s also where the trick-or-treat part of Halloween comes from.’

‘That’s right,’ said Mom. ‘A group of farmers in Ireland, called Celts, asked everyone in the village to bring food to a town party. Then they gave the food to the evil spirits by burning it in a big bonfire. They even burned animals to feed the spirits.

‘Many villagers wore costumes to the bonfire,’ Mom continued. ‘They were made of animal skins and bones. Some farmers also wore animal heads. This is how the tradition of dressing up got started.’

‘What about the pumkins, Mom? How did they become part of Halloween?’ Jerry asked.

‘The pumpkin part of Halloween started from the story of a man named Jack,’ Mom said. ‘People believed that after he died he walked around the earth carrying a lantern.’

‘So folks would hollow out pumpkins or turnips and put candles in them. Then they set the pumpkins and turnips outside their front gates to scare away the evil spirits who might think Jack was there. That’s why they are called Jack-o-lanterns,’ Mom continued.

‘That makes sense,’ Sarah replied.

‘Do you see,’ Mom asked, ‘how Halloween centers around evil, scary things? In fact, many costumes picture witches, ghosts, goblins, and other evil creatures that are enemies of God.’

‘Jesus does not want us to have anything to do with evil,’ Mom added. ‘If we are Jesus’ friends, how can we have fun when we look and act like His enemies? Joy comes from being like Jesus.’

‘If Halloween is so evil, why do so many Christian schools and churches still go trick-or-treating, march in parades, and have Halloween parties?’ Jerry asked.

‘Hundreds of years ago,’ Mom began, ‘the rulers of Rome passed a law that everyone had to accept Christianity, the new state religion. Most people became Christians because they had to, not because they wanted to. Instead of giving up their wicked beliefs and the worship of other gods, they added these things to Christianity. Halloween is one example of this.

‘When the rulers of Rome tried to stop Halloween parties, the people became angry. They saw nothing wrong with mixing their false beliefs with the worship of Jesus.

‘So the Roman rulers moved a Christian holiday, All Saints Day, to November 1st and gave October 31st the name Halloween, which means Holy Evening. Then they told the people to pray for the dead on Halloween, instead of praying to other gods.’

‘So Halloween became a religious holiday because the Roman leaders changed its name?’ Jerry asked.

‘Not really,’ Mom replied. ‘Halloween was always a religious holiday, but it wasn’t a Christian holiday. It still isn’t.

‘Changing the name of something doesn’t change what it is,’ Mom added. ‘If I call you Sarah instead of Jerry, that doesn’t make you Sarah. It only changes what I call you. So the name, Halloween, doesn’t change what is really happening on October 31st. It’s just playing `Let’s Make a Deal’ with the devil.’

‘I wouldn’t want to do that,’ Jerry said.

‘Me neither,’ Sarah added.

‘So is Halloween still a holy evening?’ Jerry asked.

‘Not for Christians,’ Mom answered. ‘The activities of Halloween lead us to believe that satan and his followers have power over our lives. This is not true. The Bible tells us that Jesus is greater and more powerful than any evil spirit. Nothing can harm us when we are under His protection.’

‘Mommy, do you really believe all these things?’ Sarah asked.

‘Yes, I do, Sarah,’ Mom replied. ‘Some people think I’m making a big deal over nothing, but God has placed Daddy and me over you to protect you and to teach you about Jesus. We are not willing to give satan the tiniest crack to enter your lives and hurt you. It’s the joy, peace, and good news of Jesus that we want to plant in your hearts and minds. We cannot allow you to do something we know dishonors Him. That’s why we don’t permit Halloween in our home.

‘The Bible teaches us to do and say everything in the name of Jesus,’ Mom added. ‘We certainly can’t take part in Halloween in His name. Yet there are many things we can enjoy because Jesus is a Friend who shares love and joy. He wants us to have fun doing good things that bring us laughter, friendship, and peace.’

‘I think I understand a little better now, Mom,’ Jerry said. ‘You want us to honor and obey Jesus, not satan.’

‘That’s right, Jerry,’ Mom answered. ‘As Christians, we shouldn’t allow anything that even looks like evil to be part of our lives.’

‘It’s not easy to honor Jesus when we can’t share in the fun other kids have,’ Sarah said.

‘Remember, children,’ Mom warned, ‘what you choose to do for fun must never harm your relationship with Jesus. You cannot grow in your friendship with Him if you do things that dishonor Him.

‘Instead of following the example of your friends as they dress up and go trick-or-treating, you need to think of other fun things to do on Halloween night,’ Mom suggested. ‘Maybe you two would like to fold socks and do the dishes tonight.’

‘Come on, Mom! Since when are chores fun?!’ asked Jerry.

Mom chuckled and put her arms around Sarah and Jerry. ‘Think of all the work the children in the Bible did!’

‘Yeah!’ Sarah agreed as she grinned. ‘Just think, Jerry, you can do chores for seven years plus another seven years for the privilege of marrying your true love, like Jacob worked for Rachel.’

‘Oh yeah?’ Jerry objected. ‘That certainly doesn’t sound like fun to me.’

‘Seriously, children,’ Mom said, ‘your dad and I have planned a special family time for this evening. We thought we’d all go out for pizza and a movie.’

‘That’s a great idea, Mom!’ Sarah agreed.

Jerry gave his mom a big hug and said, ‘I love you, Mom. The next time someone asks me why we don’t celebrate Halloween, I’ll know just what to say.’