In my home growing up – we celebrated Halloween to the full. I recall a few years my mom covered her face in green paint and wore a black outfit complete with a pointy witch’s hat. We gathered the neighbors and as a group went house to house to enjoy candy. Even living in upstate NY we still had to inspect all candy for rips or tears – breaking candy bars in half to make sure there were no needles hidden in the chocolate.
Today my family celebrates Halloween a bit differently. We celebrate the Fall Harvest. I do not decorate my home with scary witches, ghosts, or the Frankenstein I vividly remember my mom hanging around the house upon or demanding requests. Rather we decorate with pumpkins and scarecrows. We take the time to thank God for the bountiful harvest He continually provides in our lives. (you don’t have to celebrate a time of Thanksgiving only in November).
With all that said and feel good thoughts – my 7yr old still wants to go a bit spooky. So for our homeschool lesson in October we study the body. We find a skeleton to assemble and label the large bones. We discuss muscles and how a skeleton can not walk without muscles!
We review Ancient Egypt and read about the mummification process. And how the Egyptians took so much care of their dead because they had a different view of life after death – one completely void of Jesus. We also read about bat anatomy and habitats.
My son dresses up practically every single day of the year – I do not prevent him from putting on a costume when everyone else is enjoying it as well. We try to attend the local church’s “trunk or treat”, and usually go out for pizza after.
Last year my son begged his father to go trick or treating. They stayed away from the scary decorated homes and enjoyed meeting our neighbors. We were lucky to meet a family new to the neighborhood we would not have met otherwise. We have become wonderful friends!
To be honest, I hated trick or treating when my son was younger. I thought the scary decorations, inappropriate costumes were so unbelievable we would never partake in any of it. Ever. But after reading time and time again how Jesus went out among the people – and was a light in a dark place inspired me to use this opportunity to do something more than just gather candy.
We can reach out to our neighbors and see if they have a need they normally would not have opened their door to any other day of the week. We can pass out tracks or invitations to church! I realized I could not do any of those things hiding in a dark house with all the lights off pretending it wasn’t happening outside.
Regardless of how your family celebrates or does not celebrate Halloween, Fall Harvest – or whatever you call it – be lifting up prays of truth and safety over your children during this time.
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:14-16
Question: How can we celebrate during the fall harvest season?
By September most parents are either carpooling their children to school, sending them off early each morning to the bus stop, or working hard on their new homeschool curriculum. The days of picnic lunches, afternoon naps, cannonball contests, and balloon wars are slowly fading away as the sports practice and other after school activities kick up. Not to mention the church classes, Awana, scouting, etc.
As school rolls around (officially) and I begin to plan our homeschool lessons a few things I’ve noticed about my children and our days together you might also enjoy:
Better yet – 
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