Turning Halloween into Holyween

When my children were growing up, I found myself in a dilemma when it came to Halloween. Dress only in funny costumes? Decorate with only fall décor? ie: leaves, pumpkins (no jack-o-lanterns)  Or just ignore the entire event?  I vacillated each year for many years.  It was not until hearing a sermon one Sunday from the book of Ezekial that I had a, well I guess you could call it a revelation. The verse was Ezekial 37:4 “O dry bones, hear ye the word of the Lord”.  It immediately gave me a picture of a bunch of skeletons dancing around. I thought, “That’s it! I’ll turn Halloween into Holyween.”

I went home and got to work on finding scripture that could be used as messages to all the little trick-or-treaters to read as they came to my door on Halloween night.  We usually get about 300 children/families.  I didn’t know how the messages would be received, but to my delight, I had so many people stop and say how much they appreciated the unique way we had chosen to share Christ by turning something traditionally associated with evil into a “new thing.”

Each year I try to find a new verse to paint on large drop cloths and stretch across my front porch.  “Let your light so shine” has a smiling jack-o-lantern. “God created every living creature…” has a cat, bat and spider. “Whooooever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” has an owl. All of these characters are typically associated with Halloween. I didn’t change the characters, but did change their characteristics. Rather than being associated with scary, fear inducing and evil feelings, they are proclaiming the Word of God!

I didn’t stop at just passively hanging banners. I wanted something tangible with which each child could take home.  Along with each piece of candy,  a “pumpkin/jack-o-lantern” analogy printed on brightly colored paper comparing our sin to the “yucky” stuff inside a pumpkin was given.  I also had “dancing” skeletons attached by wire to my rocking chair.  Each time someone came up for candy I would rock causing the skeletons to dance to the music of Mary Mary “Take The Shackles Off My Feet” which I had playing through my CD player.  Almost all the senses were touched when the children stepped onto my front porch.

I am so thankful for the gifts God has allowed me to share. Something as simple as handing out candy one day a year can be done in such creative ways and spread the love of our Savior at the same time. While I’m happy that churches have great Halloween alternatives, let’s don’t forget to light up each house with God’s love as well. I have done this for the last 5 years and I have to say that Halloween or “Holyween” is now one of my favorite days of the year.

Pumpkin Story:
What’s it like to be a Christian? It’s like being a pumpkin.  God picks you up from the patch, brings you in and washes all the dirt off of you.  He removes the seeds of doubt, hate and greed.  Then He gives you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for the entire world to see.  Matthew 5:16 & II Corinthians 4:6

—Lisa Simmons

Lisa is the wife of over 31 years to her husband Ron and mother of 3-Justin 29, Daniel 26 and Allie Beth 19.  With a degree in Elementary Education she has taught school, home schooled and worked with teens with learning disabilities.  Her passion is marriage and family.  You can contact Lisa at lisa942@gmail.com or on Facebook – Lisa Dickson Simmons.