“Mom – I wanna celebrate Halloween!”, he says with a pouty face.
“Why?”
“Because it’s fun.”
Sigh.
As a born-again believer, explaining to your children why we don’t celebrate Halloween is an ongoing battle. It’s admittedly becoming more challenging year after year, especially when they seem intrigued by the “fun” that their schoolmates have.
This year, I’ve decided that we’d take a different approach. While we are firm in our beliefs and won’t celebrate that particular holiday – why can’t we have fun, too?
So I came up with a list of seasonal yet family-friendly activities that we’ll try over the next several weeks.
Visit Your Local Orchard
Averie is obsessed with pumpkins! After a few weeks of her asking to go to “the pumpkin patch”, we made a trip to a local orchard on a sunny Sunday afternoon, where the kids enjoyed playing in haystacks, going on a hayride, and seeing farm animals (feeding the horse was their favorite!). We even bought hot chocolate, fresh produce, and seasonal treats like apple cider cake. It didn’t have the same celebratory feel as a full-out harvest festival (thanks to ‘Rona), but it was still a really special experience for the kids – and it felt great to support local/minority-owned businesses!
Make a Thankful Pumpkin
Who says pumpkins are just for Halloween? This simple mess-free activity is a great way for the family to come together and express gratitude. All you need is a large pumpkin and a permanent marker. Each day, ask each child what they’re thankful for, and write it neatly (or not neatly) on the pumpkin. You can begin the daily ritual weeks before Thanksgiving, and reflect upon it before Thanksgiving dinner.
Get Into the Spirit of Giving
Whether you’re collecting canned goods for holiday meal baskets, giving away gently-used toys, or donating clothes that the kids can no longer fit – there are always people in need! Check with your church and local nonprofits to see how your family can give or volunteer during this season. I’ve found that this is also a great way to open my kids’ eyes to the world around us, and it further reinforces the gratefulness expressed on our Thankful Pumpkin. 🙂
Spread the Gospel
Who says witnessing is old school? As a child, I recall sharing tracts with trick-or-treaters. If you have safety concerns, tape some treats to some Christian bookmarks and place them in a cute decorated basket outside of your door. (Actually, this is a great idea to do year round). Remember, 2 Timothy 4:2 says: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
The kids don’t have to be down in the dumps just because your family doesn’t celebrate Halloween. Pick just one of these activities and see how you like it.
Dionne,
This is a beYOUtiful perspective. Keep up your trailblazin’ work!
These alternatives are awesome! Thank you for sharing.
I LOVE this! I wasn’t raised celebrating Halloween and my husband and I won’t be doing so with our children. I never felt I was missing anything, but every child is different. I wonder how our little will feel when they come along. It’s so important to give them the tools and confidence to stand in their faith and understand the Word when they are young. Keep up the good work!