Redeeming Halloween
Recently I had to plan a lesson on the history of Halloween and why we as a school we do not celebrate. I researched a lot of sites and tried to figure out how to explain this to kindergarteners. There were some children’s picture books that would be good for next year since it would arrive after Halloween since we are in Japan. (If interested, parents you could download in your kindle It’s Not About You, Mr. Pumpkin: A Love Letter About the True Meaning of Halloween by Soraya Diase Coffelt)
For our school, it is simple, we only celebrate Christian holidays, and Halloween, though originally was connected to All Saints Day, has evolved in many directions. Of course, it has its roots in Samhain, similar to our Japanese Obon holiday. Ghosts, monsters, witches, zombies, etc. can be scary for some of our younger children.
I know we are not of this world but we are still in this world. So I was blessed when I began listening and reading about parents who instead of trying to “protect” their children from Halloween, tried to equip them to see how Jesus fits into this. Instead of hiding so they don’t give out candy, they choose to shatter the darkness with the light of Jesus. They lit up their homes with Christmas Lights, put up banners and posters saying: “Jesus is the Light of the World” or “The only ghost here is the Holy Ghost!” I started reading their posters and thought, it’s a teaching opportunity.
We need to teach our children that “demons tremble at the name of Jesus!” Teach our children that they don’t have to fear because “magic, curses, spells have no power over the name of Jesus.” Teach our children that vampires are fake, but the blood of Jesus is more powerful than anything they can imagine.
It is a teaching opportunity for us as Christians to teach not only the demon aspect of this holiday, but how Jesus conquers all and they have nothing to fear. We can teach them their identity in Christ. That they have nothing to fear because God promised,
Matthew 28:20 And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
