Navigating Halloween

[AgileGreenSeal]

Any Christian parents / grandparents here? How do you navigate Halloween in regards to your children?

Yes, I’m in Ireland and I’m Irish too.
Been around Halloween all my life (60+ years) and been aware of the implications of it for more than 40 years.

Thanks for your comments.

I don’t find anything to do with it “fun”.
I do find the night itself extremely oppressive spiritually.

Thanks for your comment.

You asked the question OP how other Christians are navigating Halloween with their children and you were given answers. Answers which you've chosen to twist to imply that we are all sitting by campfires on the 31st summoning the devil himself. Which isn't true. You state you simply do not take part in Halloween festivities and by that I'm assuming you're also making that decision for your children, despite being entirely wrong about the things children partake in over Halloween. So, you're not navigating anything, you're restricting their choices regarding what 'festivals' they take part in. For all the wrong reasons.

Most of my subsequent posts were in reply to direct questions- so no, I’m just giving my perspective, as are you.

Thanks for your comments.

That is a shame
Maybe just get a costume and try and enter into the spirit of it a bit, you might be surprised

Okay then.
I think you're mistaken about the implications, but I don't think I'm going to change your mind here.

I hope you enjoy the autumn season and whatever you decide to do on the day, that it's a peaceful and happy one for you and your family🍂🍁

@Namerchangee "Handwringing and fun sponge in the same short post! Well done you!

🤦‍♀️

“I hope you enjoy the autumn season and whatever you decide to do on the day, that it's a peaceful and happy one for you and your family🍂🍁”

Thanks, and to you.
Autumn is a lovely time of year. 🍁 🍂

Op I grew up in Ireland and I'm a similar age to you. All those stories of people being terrible damaged by playing with spirits were designed to scare us! Everyone has a story about Ouija boards, I remember the nuns trotting the out every year.

The church wanted to keep people scared and under control.

For a few benighted years I lived in a trendy performance parenthood neighbourhood where this was a thing.

Totally resented this invasion of my privacy. It upset my dogs, and me too.

Most years I went to bed with lights off and ear plugs in. Then I thought enough !!

One year I opened the door and waved a besom broom.

Another year I offered apples and a tiny tooth brush.

They got the message .

it seems its no different when people used to class dungeons and dragons board game as advocating the devil

No?
Don't fancy it?

My dislike for it doesn’t come from stories. It’s from personal knowledge.

Thanks for your comment.

Personal knowledge of someone blaming the occult for mental health problems or telling you stories.

Don't let them control you

Ouija board results are all fake and someone in the group acting x y z etc

Neither of these.

I’m not a practicing Christian but grew up in a C of E household with a mother who still is very much anti Halloween.

My view is that it is whatever you say it is. I don’t know any children who think Halloween is satanic. Most people find it a fun festival and so that is what it is to them.

You can look as deep as you want into things like this or just let them pass by casually and superficially..: no harm done.

Involving oneself in any of these activities, even as ‘just a bit of fun’ is extremely risky in terms of identifying oneself to the spirit world as ‘open’ to interaction.

Its probably best you give anything Halloween related a swerve if you believe this

All Hallows Eve is a holy day in the Christian calender. As a True Christian you should be spending it fasting and in prayer in preparation for the feast the next day. Dont worry about what other people are doing.

@AgileGreenSeal
All Hallows’ Eve, more commonly known today as Halloween, holds deep religious significance within the Christian calendar. It is the vigil for the feast of All Saints’ Day (November 1st), a day in which the Church commemorates all saints, both known and unknown.

For Christians, particularly in traditional practices, All Hallows' Eve serves as a day of reflection, fasting, and prayer, to spiritually prepare for the upcoming holy feast. However, in recent centuries, secular celebrations have largely overshadowed its religious roots.

As a Pagan ( Jewish too) I find this discussion really fascinating. There is no Satan or Devil in Irish paganism. Nor in Greco-Roman, which I practice. It didn't even come from Judaism. The idea of an evil force, the Devil, comes from Zoroastrianism. The Zoroastrian world view is Dualistic, the good god Ahura Mazda fights the evil devil Ahriman until the end of the world
( Mazda eventually triumphs) every good Zoroastrian is supposed to fight Ahriman, who has helpers.
These ideas penetrated via the Jewish Exile.

Anyway, 'demon' comes from Greek 'daemon' which is a spirit, I believe in spirits. But I have zero desire to communicate with bad ones, same with my pagan friends.We want to live good happy lives. I also practice divination, horoscopy, but it's to see trends, and if I knew a fine and trusted medium aka necromancer. I'd love to go and chat with my relatives beyond the veil.
It seems from the OPs heavy hints that she flirted with Satanism at one time. And frankly it's Christians who do it, because they believe in it. All this 'dark' stuff comes from that even the modern horror gore Halloween flicks.

All of this.

You sound like you need to step back from the wayvyou are practising your religion.

Anyway, 'demon' comes from Greek 'daemon' which is a spirit, I believe in spirits. But I have zero desire to communicate with bad ones, same with my pagan friends.

That's where you're mistaken @Sorciere1. As a Christian I believe all spirit communication is actually with demons, even if you think you've got through to great aunt Ethel.
Also, the Old Testament predates the main text from Zoroastrianism by around 900 years.

I'm with you @AgileGreenSeal. Being involved with Halloween, even on a superficial level, is not appropriate for children of God.

It's quite long but you might be interested in watching OP, it gave me some food for thought.

https://www.youtube.com/live/ALY9aLKm9YI?si=eBydjfhbdJPKIlcn