Halloween Is Not Evil
I like Halloween. My family has a history of liking Halloween and a tradition of celebrating it in grand style. However, the Christian world, including the Christian LDS world, seems to have an uneasy relationship with it. If you Google the words ‘Christian’ and ‘Halloween’, most of what will come up are websites talking about how Halloween is not just innocent fun, it’s got pagan roots, it’s promoting witchcraft and satanism (and often erroneously portraying the last two as synonymous). I recently had a conversation with a great LDS man who didn’t like Halloween (or Harry Potter, for that matter), because of its associations with evil and witchcraft, which he saw as a false priesthood. Too bad for me, because as a child, my favorite Halloween persona was a witch. (Usually it was a Wicked Witch of the West variety, complete with a green food-coloring-something my mama smeared on my face and hands, but the year we read about Narnia, I was the White Witch. First grade. Still remember.) Now my favorite costume choice is a gypsy, complete with pseudo fortunes and crystal ball ‘reading.’
While I appreciate the good intentions behind these positions, I must disagree. For starters, Halloween itself is not evil. It’s just a holiday. And while it may have pagan roots, so does Christmas, Easter, and lots of other holidays, but those two were some of the most pagan and now they are undeniably the most Christian. Sometimes too Christian for non-Christians (though often too commercial for Christians, but that’s another post). Now, some people may do evil things for Halloween, but those kinds of people will do evil things when it’s not Halloween. Halloween is what you make of it, and most people I know just want to have a little fun. It’s also a great creative opportunity for both kids and adults, it’s a great way to get to know the neighbors, and it can have all kinds of opportunities for good. Case in point, we had a Halloween party last night for our Sunday School class of 14 & 15 year olds where the focus activity of the evening was baking cookies, putting together treat plates, making cards, and doorbell-ditching the plates and cards (and origami bats) on the doorsteps of the inactive members of our class, as well as a few others. A service ‘treat’ if you will, to celebrate the season of tricks and treats.
Well, some may object (and do) that if it’s all just innocent fun, why the collective fascination with hauntings and witches and death and gore? Well, I’m not a fan of gore (haven’t got the stomach for it), but I do agree that Death needs a holiday. It’s kinda like the old medieval carnivals for fool’s days, where the town fool was made king for a day and social orders were generally mocked and turned upside down–it was an outlet for the unprivileged masses to lay a (transitory) claim to privilege. In the same way, I think having a fun holiday that deals with death and evil is a healthy way for us to be able to come to terms with them. Death is already so masked in our society, it makes it more difficult for us to deal with it: our beloved departed are laid out in such a way that they appear to be sleeping; we don’t see the casket get lowered or covered; we don’t usually prepare the body for burial, we relegate that duty to the ‘professionals’, who make it nice and clean and sterile and almost as if the dead were still living. So we fear death because it is unknown. (Note: I realize that we LDS don’t fear it as much as some segments of our society, but I’m talking our society as a whole). At least Halloween gives us one season a year to face that Great Unknown, acknowledge the possibility of the supernatural, and consider on some level our relationship with death and our own mortality. And I submit that it allows us to confront evil as well, in a lighthearted and safe way. By turning it on its head, by acknowledging it, by ‘pretending’ it, ‘it’ becomes less threatening. It may also become less alluring; because we’ve had our substitute outlet for it, we have no need for the real thing.
Just some thoughts. Meanwhile, every October I’ll continue to put out my Nimbus 2004, make cauldrons of root beer, go to haunted forests for the thrill of saccharin terror, and watch scary (non-gory) movies. I even have plans to start a tradition of celebrating the Day of the Dead and All Souls’ /Saints’ Day. After all, it’s all in good fun.
I agree (altho I can’t watch scary movies, w/my anxiety disorders lol! Same reason I can’t do haunted houses (I tried a few, and the results weren’t pretty . . .lol!).
I agree, I agree, I agree. I almost mentioned that a General Authority, a couple years ago now, I remember spoke and mentioned how some people are going overboard with self-righteousnous, overpridefulness in their “righteousness”, and refusing to let their kids do Halloween.
He said something like, C’mon, let kids be kids. It’s a fun holiday for them, there is no need to get rid of Halloween. He even mentioned how his grandkids were going out that very Halloween, and one or two of their various costumes.
That pretty much settled any concerns I may have ever even VAGUELY had about Halloween, even w/my anxiety disorders. One LESS thing for me to worry about, and I worry about plenty . . . lol!
I agree also that death is too hush hush in our society. While there is a certain decorum and respect and propriety that needs to be maintained, especially around mourning family, friends, funerals, interments, etc., Halloween is a time where it’s ok to throw off those restraints (in general, not in regards to specific people who have died/are being mourned, etc.).
Comment by Sarebear — October 30, 2005 @ 2:26 am
Halloween presents a lot of learning opportunities, and an increased appreciation/acknowledgement of our own mortality is one I had not thought of, but a good one. When I have kids who are old enough to understand what I’m on about, I’ll use it as an opportunity to discuss death in the broader scope of things . . .
Anyway, my own memories of Halloween are good. I was scared of what hoodlums might be up to, but as Artemis points out, they’d be up to no good without Halloween.
My parents used the holiday to reinforce lessons of gratitude–that we were to say thank you even to the neighbors who gave crappy treats. They reminded us that the people handing out treats were doing it out of the pure goodness of their hearts, and that we ought to be generous as well. My parents allowed us to manage our own sugar haul, and without saying a word they let us learn about temperance and over indulgence by experience. They also encouraged us to choose costumes representing professions we’d like to have as adults (when I was 10 I dressed up as a lawyer) or to dress up as historical figures that we had learned about in school.
Sure, people can choose a grim, almost satanic path when celebrating Halloween, but it certainly isn’t a given or a must.
Comment by Mary Ann — October 30, 2005 @ 5:12 am
perhaps what people need to do is think as much about the day after, and use it as a day to remeber those who have died. Incidentally died and death are good words, as someone who was widowed young I always taught my children to use those words rather than euphemisms. A someone said therea re only 2 thiings that we can guarantee will happen to all of us, we were all born and we all die, and as has already been said we need to learn to live with that.
Comment by christine — October 30, 2005 @ 6:40 am
Great post, thank you. Halloween is important for kids.
Comment by Julie in Austin — October 30, 2005 @ 10:09 am
Iagree, in fact I wrote a post about Halloween too.
I think it’s a chance to step outside yourself for one day a year. For example, my daughter is a cowgirl this year and we got on the internet and did research on famous historical cowgirls and she chose which one she was going to be for Halloween. It was fun.
Comment by kristen j — October 30, 2005 @ 2:47 pm
Woo Hooo! Haloween is my favorite.
I agree that death needs a holiday. We are more seperated from death and dying now then human culture ever has been, and much less comfortable with it I think.
Comment by fMhLisa — October 30, 2005 @ 3:21 pm
Death does need a holiday.
RT and I are talking about starting a family tradition of observance–perhaps with a special family home evening, perhaps with a little memorial on the appropriate Sunday–of the anniversaries of both Mountain Meadows and Haun’s Mill, as a way of keeping in mind both the reasons that we needed Christ to atone for us (i.e.–why we’re all so excited about the upcoming Christmas holiday) and the fact of our own mortality. It would out pretty well, since Haun’s Mill happened on October 30, 1838–in September, we could talk about our own capacity for evil, in context of Mountain Meadows; the day before Halloween, we could talk about other people’s capacity for evil, and how that affects us; and then, after a day on which we (in some sense) mourn our dead, we can have Halloween–a big party which makes light of death. All this in preparation for a celebration of the Atonement and the Resurrection.
Comment by Serenity Valley — October 30, 2005 @ 5:17 pm
My problem with Halloween is that it has gotten too big for its britches. My little kids are doing ghost and pumpkin math for a month; the entire day at school is spent in parties and costume parade; little kids are wearing costumes that are expensive, gross, and morbid; and my middle school kids want to trick-or-treat. Aren’t they too old?
Thanksgiving is barely mentioned for overvaluing Europeans, and Christmas is too controversial: only Halloween is safe, so the community goes all out. I just wish the one big public holiday was something else.
Johnna, the Halloween Scrooge.
Not putting up my orange, purple, and green twinkley lights.
Comment by Johnna Cornett — October 31, 2005 @ 1:15 am
I love Halloween. I live in Cali, we don’t have seasons-the only way to identify Autumn is with this holiday!
Basically Halloween has the power you give it. In our house, it’s just an excuse to dress up your poor children in ridiculous outfits and photograph them for later blackmail material. And of course for candy. It’s simply about enjoying dressing up, making neighorhoods feel a little more neighborly, and hanging up a witch or two.
I’m part Latina and Day of the Dead was a holiday I was exposed to somewhat, so I think in other cultures, death isn’t so taboo. We just have issues in our culture regarding darker elements-sometimes it’s best to acknowledge instead of deny it. When you deny it, you tend to give it more power unintentionally.
Comment by Karina — October 31, 2005 @ 1:49 am
Another comment I wanted to add is that wasn’t the date of Christmas traditionally a pagan holiday…gasp! Quick people, we must discontinue the observance of Christmas…as much as love the Savior, it would heathen to honor him on a pagan holiday!!
Comment by Josh Kim — October 31, 2005 @ 11:04 am
Oh come on, we all know Halloween was made up to give women a free day to dress up slutty and not feel guilty about it. At least that is what seems to be the case where I am from….:)
That is according to Jim…..
Comment by anonymous — October 31, 2005 @ 11:37 am
and “Mean Girls” and Tina Fey…………
Comment by Karina — October 31, 2005 @ 12:06 pm
I’m standing with Johna, except I’m the Halloween Grinch. I try to hide it for my kids’ sake, but I hate it. It’s a heck of a lot of work with no real meaning.
And those who thing it’s good because death needs a holiday … death at Halloween is scary, creepy, not the way death really is in a gospel perspective. Having learned about skeletons and Frankenstein and the Grim Reaper is not going to help my kids at all when, someday, they face the loss of someone they love.
Still going to trunk or treat tonight, just glad the stake hasn’t banned it because of FHE … then I’d have to traipse around the neighborhood and that is REALLY a pain!
Comment by Ana — October 31, 2005 @ 12:55 pm
Our company went all out today; invited all the employees’ kids into the office at 3 to trick or treat in the cube farm, gave away big prizes to the best/scariest/most original costumes, etc. The CEO came as Willy Wonka and his office looked like a candy store. Too much fun.
Comment by Rich — October 31, 2005 @ 7:57 pm
I just love the goodwill cavorting about as (teeny) complete strangers, looking unbelievably adorable even when they’re trying to be scary, show up at my door and grin. Then I get to praise them excessively without looking like a psychopath, and give them candy. Fun, fun, fun. Plus I recieved a “creativity” prize at the ward shindig even though my “hippie” outfit consisted of my regular clothes :).
Comment by janet — October 31, 2005 @ 11:02 pm
I know this is a little late, but the stories about poisoned candy are largely fake. So there is really no need to look through all that candy. However, it is still a good enough reason to get the good stuff for yourself!
Comment by Jessica — October 31, 2005 @ 11:35 pm
95% of parents admit to taking candy out of their kids Halloween stashes when the kids are asleep.
5% are clearly lying…..
Halloween rocks. No LDS reason in the world to feel uneasy about it. We had trunk or treat at our ward house last night. There must have breen 500-600 people there. Members and non-members.
Lots of loot. I am sick to my stomach this AM. The bishop was a cowboy. He looked good in spurs.
Comment by Leonard — November 1, 2005 @ 11:35 am
I had a blast last night taking my girls around the neighborhood. It was a warmer Halloween and the kids didn’t need to cover up their costumes with coats this year!
My husband wanted to accompany us for part of the festivities (he usually stays home and passes out candy), so we left a bowl of candy on the porch with a sign telling trick or treaters to help themselves to ONE and even before we got out of the driveway some hooligans dumped the whole bowl in their pillowcases and were off. I coudn’t have cared less. In fact, I laughed my head off.
I just walked the kids to school and now I’m off to raid their treats. I’m dying for an Almond Joy.
Comment by Wendy — November 1, 2005 @ 11:43 am
We had our trunk-or-treat on Saturday and did the door-to-door last night–I’m with Leonard–candy overload!!! (I steal candy out of my kids bags too…)
It was fun, and as DH and I were taking the kiddies around, my thoughts drifted to FMH and our Halloween discussion. I decided that part of the joy of Halloween was for the older folks who don’t have children anymore. I admit, there are some Halloween Scrouges out there, but most of our older neighbors were so excited to see the kids in their costumes and wanted to just have fun. One lady asked me where all the trick-or-treaters were because she hadn’t seen many yet; it was obvious she was really excited and wanted to see all the kids dressed up in their cute costumes.
Comment by princessleah_mom — November 1, 2005 @ 11:43 am
princessleah_mom–our older neighbors like to see the kids too. One even had a disposable camera and took a pic of my girls. She was beaming over the 50s style costume my 9 year old was wearing.
An older gentleman was watching out the window and would hobble over to the door when he saw kids coming up the walk. You could tell it took a lot of effort on his part. He got a lot of exercise last night. He was having a great time though and even gave me a single serve popcorn packet.
My kids were so polite! I’ve never heard so may “please”s and “thank-you”s out of them.
Comment by Wendy — November 1, 2005 @ 11:49 am
Okay, Wendy…you’re a bad example!!! I read your post, and had raid my kids bags again. LOL
Comment by princessleah_mom — November 1, 2005 @ 11:49 am
What’s that in my mouth, you ask?
Yum.
I agree, the older folks is one of the best parts of halloween. I can’t wait to be one myself!
Comment by fMhLisa — November 1, 2005 @ 2:38 pm
As activity chairman for my ward I am puzzled how you could have trunk or treat on monday night. We are instructed to not have ANY activities past 6 pm on monday night. We had ours on saturday. But I know of several wards who had theirs last night. Did the prophet give his ok for that one? (sorry being a little snarky, but serious as well)
I LOVE Halloween! I was stopped in the store by another lady in the ward who way-layed me for 1/2 hour about the evils of halloween. It was all I could do to smile and say ” I think halloween is OK” about every 7 minutes of her rant.
Also, I dont get many oppotunities to dress provocatively… so I am one of those who takes advantage of it on halloween. Isn’t the whole point to dress up as something you are not? Besides it gets my hubby all fired up ( I can’t decide if thats a good thing or not).
Comment by Kristi — November 1, 2005 @ 4:25 pm
You call it a ward FHE activity……
Comment by Leonard — November 1, 2005 @ 4:27 pm
My Mormon friend and I took our little toddlers out trick or treating. My little boy was a cowboy, her little girl was a chicken. And we made one older couple’s night when they saw our kids costumes and the husband proclaimed—”Now this is what Halloween should be about-not all these junior high girls around here dressing up like hookers!”:) And for frosting on top, they gave us movie sized Junior Mints….
Comment by karina — November 1, 2005 @ 5:38 pm
Cute, cute, cute Karina!
My 11-year-old went as an Army dude. My 6-year-old son was Harry Potter with “painted on” glasses (he thought was so cool!) An elderly lady commented on what “nice” glasses he had, so he proceeded to explain to her how they weren’t real. She was sweet and said, winking to me “I never would have guessed”.
My 5-year-old daughter was a princess (what else would she be? This was the child who told people her name was Princess). My 3-year-old twin son was a Dalmatian, and his twin sister was a Medieval Princess. What was really funny was the 5-year-old couldn’t say “medieval” so she told the babysitter her little sister was an “evil princess”. I laughed pretty hard.
Oh, and I did dress up…I was Maid Mariann (sp?). And my husband was a LOSER…he didn’t dress up so a woman in the ward loving called him a loser, LOL, so we decided that next year we would just stick a huge “L” on his head and he’d be good!
Comment by princessleah_mom — November 1, 2005 @ 5:57 pm
There is no such thing as a ward family home evening. The context is within the title: it is to be had at home. With your family.
Comment by Kristi — November 1, 2005 @ 6:24 pm
My son was a pirate. When people would answer the door he said, “Arr, Give me some treasure, matey!” Obviously we coached him, but he loved talkin’ Pirate.
Comment by Erin — November 1, 2005 @ 6:27 pm
Anyone who has a key to the building knows you cant even get in after 6:00 pm on monday….
Comment by Kristi — November 1, 2005 @ 6:28 pm
My little one was a duck and when he walked his tail wiggled back and forth.
Comment by Kristi — November 1, 2005 @ 6:30 pm
Sign me up with the Halloween grinches. I hate everything about it (with the possible exception of the Simpsons Halloween specials).
I agree that it is not a good way to celebrate death. Other countries have holidays for it (some are even on Halloween) that handle it much better. Smearing green paint on my kids faces will not teach them about death. It just gets everybody messy.
That said, we do celebrate it, because my kids love it, but we keep it low key, and I really do wish the whole thing would go away.
Comment by The Wiz — November 2, 2005 @ 6:45 pm
It may not necessarily be about death, I agree. Halloween can be seen as a time to “unmask” so to speak.
But Jungian types talk about the notion that so often in “civilized,” everday life, we tend repress the shadow side of ourselves. The side that represents our more negative and mysterious and unrecognizable and unconscious selves. The side for children that is often labeled by adults as “bad.” So, kids often learn to disassociate from this shadow side.
Now Halloween is a great time, because kids can kinda revel in all those sides that are instructed to rpress in everyday life. It’s a safe day to let loose and acknowledge that shadow side. All the ghouls and ghosts and witches-yes, even the young girls dressed up like hookers!-are like external projections of those shadows within us.
I don’t know if I fully believe that argument, but it does make sense to me on some level why the love of Halloween doesn’t end with childhood, and why parents seem to enjoy it just as much as their children.
Comment by karina — November 2, 2005 @ 8:56 pm
Speaking of the dead. . . At my grandmother’s viewing an elderly woman hovered over her for awhile and then said, “She looks so good!” I didn’t laugh out loud and I didn’t say, “Well, she’s not good, she’s dead.” Then a couple of other older women were shooing a fly away from her so vigorously that her stiff body was rocking back and forth in the coffin. I couldn’t contain myself that time.
Comment by Sally — November 7, 2005 @ 2:38 pm
Halloween is a wonderful holiday. I consider myself Christian, and while I admit some of the traditional roots of Halloween have faded with modern times, a lot of it is still there. These fundamentalists do not know what they are talking about at all. Sure the holiday has pagan roots. BUT DOESN’T CHRISTMAS AS WELL???? TELL THEM TO LOOK IT UP!!!!!! HIS birthday was not necessarily on December 25. A pagan holiday was on that day, and to show that they had become “CHRISTIAN” people started celebrating his birthday on that day…..
Comment by Nicholas — October 31, 2006 @ 9:04 pm
THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH, i get jumped everyday for being a pagan, i am really scared to go outside alone now, a group of people jumped me with bats they broke my arm leg and a rib
so i thank you so much for writing this i hope people will understand that we are not evil
Comment by Kories Dizeal — February 22, 2008 @ 5:54 pm
I was wondering, I’m part of a journalism class for Portland High and I’m doing an article on finding out why Halloween has become a holiday that is more of a joke and more of a funny holiday than April fools day. My job is to find out why Halloween has changed. I think all of your veiws could help me. I love Halloween, but media has made it look like if you dress up evil or if you even celebrate than your satanic. Would anyone be ok giving me a hand or opinion?
thanks
Comment by emily Ackerson — September 15, 2008 @ 8:29 am
I’m really glad I read your article- my pastor’s wife recently told us that we were to have nothing to do with Halloween…and I got kinda sad because this year, Halloween falls on a Friday. It’s the perfect day to hang out with my friends and watch horror movies. However…I have youth fellowship on Fridays. So yeah, conflict. I don’t think celebrating Halloween is evil unless you’re doing it for evil intent. People celebrate Christmas even though they don’t believe in Jesus. Does that make them a Christian ? People celebrate Halloween even though they don’t condone Satanism/paganism or whatever you think Halloween is celebrated for. Does that make them evil ? Nahhhhh =O
Comment by Tomie — October 4, 2008 @ 12:17 pm
Halloween … or All Hallow’s Eve is simply the day before All Saints Day (Nov 1) and All Soul’s Day (Nov 2). All Saint’s Day is a holy day of obligation (get your butt to mass no matter what day of the week).
yeah - nothing evil happening there.
This is the former Catholic coming out in me
woot woot .. go Saturday … go General Conference. make it a great one and pass the snack plate!
Comment by Mary Magdalene — October 4, 2008 @ 1:30 pm
When I was very young I worked in a nursing home. I hated Thanksgiving and Christmas because the elderly residents would be aware of the lonliness and loss of family. Halloween however was a blast. We’d line the old folks up in their wheel chairs in the lobby, plop bowls of candy in thier laps and streams of dressed up little kids would filter through and trick or treat. It was such a joyful experience for them, one of the few times a year many of them were able to connect with children and the outside world and experience a moment of happiness…if you have kids, take them to your local nursing home for a quick trick or treat…
Comment by Beekeeper — October 4, 2008 @ 3:40 pm
However, what is up with the woman’s costumes now days??!!! everything from Alice in Wonderland to a Police officer is tarted up with tiny skirts, garter straps and low cut boob-blouses. Even strawberry shortcake has gone totally porno. I’d wear that crap for sex, but for trick or treating, parties or other halloween festivities, hell no!
Comment by Beekeeper — October 4, 2008 @ 3:43 pm
Seriously. If they stop celebrating Halloween, then they should stop celebrating Christmas– originally Pagan– as well. Most traditional holidays have Pagan roots and there’s no way to change that…even symbols such as the Christmas tree are Pagan!
Not to mention, not every person of any religion is evil– just like Christians, there are mostly good Pagans and simply a few bad apples. Not all Christians are evil, very few are, and very few Pagans are!
People need to let their kids have fun and let loose themselves and have fun too. I *love* Halloween…this year I’m one of my characters and the costume has taken many hours to complete (and isn’t even finished yet!) So many layers and pieces to be colored, sewn, and hunted down in the shed lol. [There are pics at my website.] Me and my love are going to a huge party with a lot of our friends just to hang out in costume and have a spooky night. So much fun!
Comment by mathaowny — October 17, 2008 @ 9:39 pm
ok, i am worried that is a sin even though i myself don’t think it is a sin to celebrate halloween. i just love dressing up in scary stuff and walking around getting candy. i don’t worship the devil and i’m christian so i would never try to make god mad. i don’t think it is evil but i’m not sure.
Comment by Erica — October 31, 2008 @ 11:31 am
You should definitely do more research on this wicked holiday. It does originate w/Satan no matter how you’d like to sugar coat it.
By celebrating Halloween you would be directly going against Jesus’ council when he said “touching the unclean thing” and yes that would include ALL pagan holidays. These all originated with Satan. They are certainly not innocent by any means.
“All in good fun.” You are sadly mistaken.
Comment by angel — July 2, 2009 @ 2:27 am
Lighten up, Angel. Halloween is the one day of the year when you can wear naughty clothing IN PUBLIC and not be considered immodest, sinful or indecent. It’s a wonderful thing.
In fact, you’ve inspired me. I think I’ll go with this costume this year. Thanks for posting!
Comment by Bridget Jack Meyers — July 2, 2009 @ 2:41 am
My biggest problem with halloween is sugar. I can’t eat it and some of my children are hypoglycemic as well. My second biggest problem is that I am a snivelling wimp when it comes to horror movies. I still haven’t watched all of the Wizard of Oz because of those monkeys.
I like dressing up. I like other people getting dressed up. I like trick or treating nursing homes and visiting with my neighbors.
I DO NOT LIKE a certain uncle who thinks that halloween gives him the right to scare the living daylights out of my children. Go ahead and scare the older ones I guess, but leave the under 5s alone! To be fair he does something similarly stupid on other days, so I can’t blame halloween.
Comment by britt — July 2, 2009 @ 7:42 am
#43- Pagan holidays. Hmmm. Oh, you mean like Easter and Christmas?
Comment by Moniker Challenged — July 2, 2009 @ 9:20 am
Whoops, hadn’t read the OP…or other threads. The big 2 were covered already. In any case, I’m loathe to cut any of our holidays out. Seriously, this nation is under-holiday’d as it is. A few of my company’s clients are in Israel, and those folks are never at work. (obviously I exaggerate a bit). Let’s get to lobbying our states for more!
Comment by Moniker Challenged — July 2, 2009 @ 9:27 am
Halloween does NOT give LDS people the right to dress slutty. I HATE going to church sponsored halloween parties/dances/etc to find my peers , guys or girls, dressed so inappropriately. Its embarrassing and tasteless. There are plenty of modest costumes. Modest is hottest,even on Halloween
Comment by stacie — October 23, 2009 @ 1:37 pm