WRITER.

I saw this post by United Hive on Facebook claiming that celebrating Halloween was like a one-night stand with devil. I am here to say that this is patently false. Regardless of the origins of the holiday, for most people it is now just all about the free candy and the opportunity to wear a costume and be someone (or something) else for a day. No, your little kid dressed up as Spider-Man and munching on candy bars is not engaging in some elaborate dance with the devil. Not every activity has a moral value. Sometimes it is just harmless fun. I’ve never heard anyone say it is a sin to let your kid believe in Santa, even if that falls under the jurisdiction of “Thou shalt not lie.” Perhaps there is such a thing as over-generalization of what is considered biblical truth – a sort of moralistic cherry picking that results in Halloween being dubbed satanic while other holidays are left untarnished.

Even when I dated a pagan, she celebrated Samhain on October 31st and November 1st by lighting a candle in remembrance of a loved one. It was a spiritual day for her, a festival that marked the end of the harvest season, and had nothing to do with the Christian devil.

Halloween was never one of my favorite holidays, even as a child. Dressing up was usually half hearted and I was confused by why the usual litany of “don’t take candy from strangers” was suspended for one day. The main part of Halloween that I like nowadays is roasted pumpkin seeds and how my little sisters pick out my favorite candies from their stashes and offer them to me.

But the fact that I don’t care much for the holiday doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate how much fun celebrating Halloween is for others. This year I will be handing out candy, not dressed up most likely, but eager to add more joy to the celebration nonetheless. I hope all of you reading this have a happy and safe Halloween! And for those who don’t celebrate, that’s ok. It’s not like participation is mandatory – just please don’t look down on or judge others for partaking.

I’d love to hear what you are dressing up as in the comments. Or share your thoughts respectfully, if you would like.