Celebrating Halloween with a Christian Heart

Caroline Godin shares her thoughts on how to participate in Halloween while maintaining a focus on faith, not fright.

Halloween seems to be getting more popular and more creepy every year. If you’re trying to keep the spooky and the kooky out of your pre-All Saints Day celebration, consider a few things. 

How Spooky is Too Spooky? 

Everyone has a different threshold for spooky Halloween decorations, movies, and costumes. Some people love the fun of it, and some want nothing to do with it. 

We should keep in mind Leviticus 19:31: “Do not turn to ghosts or consult spirits, by which you will be defiled. I, the Lord, am your God,” and 1 Corinthians 10:21: “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.” 

We need to keep our priorities straight when choosing what to celebrate and how to do it. We can ask ourselves a few questions: Am I keeping the Lord in mind while doing this? Am I teaching my children to keep Him in mind? Am I sending a Christian message with my words, actions, and displays? 

This doesn’t mean with can’t have any enjoyment, but we might consider in what we participate and how to teach the kiddos. 

Costumes and Décor: Creepy or Cute 

Let’s start with decorations. 

If you’re a Catholic household, you likely have some of these items on your walls and shelves: a cross, a crucifix, saint images, holy water, and other sacramentals. Cute fall decorations like scarecrows and pumpkins are one thing, but zombies and witches really don’t convey a Christian message. 

For my house, we don’t do the whole undead thing. We stick with autumn themes and maybe some silly jack-o-lanterns. Weigh in your mind what message you want to send, even if it’s just for fun. 

For costumes, you might ask your kids who they want to be for Halloween. Heroes — real or fictional — can be great. My boys love Spider-Man, sports players, and Star Wars. My daughter’s been a robot and cowgirl before. 

It’s about aspiring to a certain quality and imitating someone of virtue. Putting the focus on that helps steer them away from the super creepy, less desirable characters. They might think it’s fun to be zombie because their friends are doing it, but you need to use your best mama judgment if this is letting their standards down. The world is jaded by the macabre and it’s led to a loss of virtue. 

Celebration: Fun or Frightful 

On Halloween night, kids are out door to door for candy. They have fun running around with friends and feeling free as they collect their sweet loot. Nothing ruins a fun night in the neighborhood like a little one getting scared out of their wits by some guy in a costume. 

Okay, personal experience there. I didn’t let my dad put me down for the rest of the night. 

That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy Halloween now. On the contrary, our neighborhood is filled with dead ends, so we get folks from all over town trick-or-treating here. Many of us pull our fire pits into our driveways. We sit around talking while the kids come by to pick out candy from the open treasure chest hubby built. We serve chili and hot chocolate, which the parents appreciate while their kids run down the dead end. It’s fun, fellowship, and neighborly. 

Some houses keep it creepy, but Halloween’s more fun when it’s light-hearted for the kids. We practice manners, sharing, helping each other, and safety. It’s important to review safety rules, of course. 

Ultimately, you need to decide for yourself how spooky you want to let your kiddos’ Halloween experience be. You can make it a neighborhood festival, sharing Christian values and enjoying the evening, or you can turn off the porch lights and go out to eat instead. Whatever you choose, remember the next day is All Saints Day, so ask yourself, “Am I raising a saint?” 

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Copyright 2025 Caroline Godin
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