Halloween is a day to celebrate dark things and is very popular. But what if you’re a family that doesn’t celebrate Halloween? Are you looking for alternatives for celebrating Halloween this year? Here are some great ideas for family fun this Halloween.
The Celts of Ireland and other parts of Europe celebrated the festival of Samhain, the origin of Halloween. This festival marked the end of the harvest season and the start of winter, which was often associated with death and darkness. They thought that on the night of October 31st, the boundary between the living and the dead blurred, permitting spirits to wander the earth. In response, people lit bonfires and dressed in costumes to ward off the roaming spirits.
To Christianize this pagan holiday, the church established the first of November as All Saints' Day or All Hallows Day. On this day, Christians honor the saints and martyrs of the Christian faith. The day before All Saints' Day, All Hallows Eve eventually morphed into Halloween.
The transformation shows how Christianity sought to replace pagan customs with religious significance.
One great alternative to celebrating Halloween is going to a harvest festival. Many churches have these in the fall, including special worship services, baptisms, family activities, and food trucks, among other things.
This is also a great way to visit different churches in a more relaxed atmosphere. Check out the church fall festivals in your area and attend a few to get a feel for each church. If you think it would be a good fit, if you don’t have a church home, or if you have a church home, getting involved with a fall festival is just as much fun as attending.
Engaging in community service as a family is a great way to grow closer while helping others. Some great ways to do this include;
Game nights are always fun with the family. Playing games together encourages communication, patience, and even some friendly competition. You can also play many games, from board games to card games to video games. Here are some ideas for all ages.
Bible-themed costume parties are a great alternative to celebrating Halloween. Add some games, contemporary or worship music, and fantastic food, and start the party. The Bible has unique characters, but here are some ideas.
Take a nature walk in your neighborhood, a nearby park, or on a hiking trail in your area. Notice everything as you walk, like the leaves on the ground, creatures that come into your path, the sound of a light breeze, and the crackling of leaves. Thank God for creating these things for you to enjoy.
Pumpkin carving is a Halloween tradition, but Christians don’t have to be left out. Instead of carving faces like a Jack-o'-lantern, carve Christian symbols into your pumpkin and add an LED candle. Then set it out on your porch to show the light to the world.
Little ones can decorate their pumpkins with paint for a safer option.
You could even have a family contest with several categories for people to vote on.
Spend Halloween evening baking and doing some fall-themed crafting. The cooler temperatures are perfect for baking warm goodies for friends and family.
At this time of year, pumpkin spice is the only flavor available, but there are plenty of other flavors of fall treats like apple, caramel, cinnamon, etc. Here are desserts featuring an array of fall flavors.
Share some of your goodies with your friends and neighbors when you're done baking.
Share some of your favorite Bible stories and parables and explain why you like them so much. You can even take it a little deeper and talk about the characters, what you learned personally from the story, and how you can apply what you’ve learned in your life. Gather some simple props and act out your favorite stories together.
Spend the evening with other families that you know. You could have a fun night in or go out and do something fun. Here are some ideas.
These are great ways to spend time with other families you know and have fun together.
There are many alternative ways to spend Halloween than getting caught up in the darkness. Start planning today to have a happy, peaceful, and faith-filled Halloween this year.
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