Philo Trust

Handling Halloween Wisely

Christians are almost united in their dismay at Halloween becoming a major cultural festival but they struggle to know what to do about it. On many other social issues – caring for the environment, stopping people trafficking, giving aid to less developed countries and so on – we find that even if our neighbours don't understand where we are coming from, they will often agree with us. But when we raise objections about Halloween we are met with utter incomprehension. Surely Halloween is harmless fun for children – dressing up, collecting sweets and meeting the neighbours? How can anyone object to that? And don't we need a celebration that crosses cultural, racial and religious boundaries? In the face of such arguments, how are we to persuade our friends and neighbours that they should not celebrate Halloween?

Read more