Hallowe'en (all Hallows' Eve)

October 31st has become a significant family celebration. The scary costumes and trick-or-treat are here to stay, but churches can still contact families to offer something supportive for their journey of faith. It’s an opportunity to talk about good and evil and the Christian hope of light in a dark world. Here are some ways to offer a positive message at Hallowe’en.

All Saints’ Day on November 1st has become less relevant in our contemporary culture, but with commercial influence, Hallowe’en (All Hallows’ Eve) on October 31st is now a massive event for children and families.

Should the church have a voice at this time of year, and if so, how can it involve your contacts made through Life Events?

•  Better than Hallowe’en by Nick Harding, available on Church House Publishing, offers the Bishop of Bolton’s view on the occasion, with Biblical references that will help form a Christian response.
• You can read the first section of this book for free as a download on the Church House Publishing website, but activities and resources for children aged 5-11 are only available in the purchased book.
• Consider holding a family or children’s activity day on or close to Hallowe’en. Activities might still include traditional activities like pumpkin carving, but perhaps have a ‘happy face’ design competition instead of scary pumpkin faces. Scripture Union offers an excellent resource page on their website for hosting a light party.
• The Going for Growth FaceBook page recently posted a fun activity to make little pumpkin piñatas – follow this link to see it.
• No-tricks-just-treats is a caring reversal of the trick-or-treat tradition, which delivers unconditional treats to neighbours instead of asking for them. If children in your church, or families with recently baptized children, would like to take part, suggest doing it in the daytime rather than at night, and leave a slip of paper with the treat to explain it is from the local church for a ‘Holy Hallowe’en’. You might include details of your All Saints’ service if you’re holding one.

These are low effort ways to share something positive over Hallowe’en.

• Share this article on social media, which offers ways of marking Hallowe’en at home with some faith-based activities

You can add the same article to your parish magazine by downloading and editing it