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Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday — to generously use the term, “holiday.”
As a Christian, I always feel a little guilty celebrating Halloween traditions. (I actually even try to avoid using the word “celebrate.” I merely participate. LOL)
But when I was a kid, my Christian parents allowed us to participate – we decorated, carved pumpkins, went trick or treating and had firework displays in our backyard. My mom hand-made our costumes – and even though she said she always felt a bit guilty about it – she even made a witch costume that made its way through the hand-me-down trail of us three girls.
A number of families in our Christian private school didn’t celebrate Halloween. Confused by what harm there could possibly be in playing dress up and getting free candy, I felt terrible for my friends who were denied Halloween.
Now, as a parent myself, although I struggle with the decision, we do play along with the Halloween traditions. For the sake of letting our kids have some innocent fun, we trick or treat, participate in school costume parties, and hand out candy.
Perhaps we shouldn’t. Of course, I cringe at the thought of any dark roots to the festivities.
But it is a great excuse to dress up our little ones in cozy, fuzzy costumes and then gush over how unbearably cute they are.
Cuteness like this is ALL GOOD!
P.S. Olivia and Sophia’s costumes are from Old Navy and Julia’s is borrowed from a friend. But from the looks of it, I think it might be from Old Navy too. They always have such cozy costumes for the tiny ones.
P.P.S. The great thing about the girls being so young, I can keep using Olivia’s costume as a warm outdoor outfit straight through till February without her complaining, “But Moooom – it isn’t Halloween.” She doesn’t know any different. And I can’t get enough. I mean come on! She has wings and little, purple antennae. How can I ever get enough?
Cascia says
They look adorable! I love the lavender color in the costumes. Looks like you had a good time.
Jenny from Mommin' It Up! says
Wow, those are some beautiful girls and gorgeous photos too! Are you still using your Sony Alpha SLR? Mine has served us well this year!
Jamie says
OMG! Those costumes are adorable!!!
Jen says
As a Christian, I remember the joy of dressing up as a child and the fun of trick-or-treating, so I decided to pass the joy on to my children. We focus on pumpkin picking, creative costumes, gathering with cousins, and yummy candy. I stay away from the gore and have never thought of Halloween as celebrating something evil. I think for those of us who are Christians and choose to participate it has become more of our own holiday to celbrate fall and have fun. Deep down in our hearts, we don’t believe in whatever started any of the customs that may be negative. As a child, I never once thought of Halloween as being a celebration of something bad. If you don’t put that meaning to it, than does it exist??
Blessings,
Jen
God’s Shining Stars
Creative and Curious Kids!
willowsprite says
I think that Halloween used to be a bit more innocent when we were kids. Now when I drive around it’s all about death and gore, bodies hanging from trees, skulls on sticks…the bloodier, the better. Same with movies today, they’re just sick!
Amanda says
That is SO adorable!!!!
Gattina says
For me it was the first time I “celebrated” Halloween life ! I even had 8 little witches, devils and pumpkins ringing at my door ! that had never happened in 33 years ! Apparently it starts in Brussels now !
kayla says
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susieshomemade says
The girls look great!
Jerri Ann says
At first I wasn’t too keen on ‘celebrating’ either, but I’ve coerced my boys into being Mickey Mouse, every year. My oldest is 5.5 and he even asked to be Mickey Mouse this year and the “3.95 year old who is not potty trained”, he was good for whatever his older brother was good for…
http://www.momecentric.com/?p=1668
RachelMM says
Halloween is tough. My daughter came home from school and told me that a little girl in her class told her that Halloween was Satan’s birthday. I cringe at that. Satan doesn’t get a birthday–all he is is a fallen angel, nothing to get excited over.
Growing up my father was convinced the day was evil until I was born on Halloween. From that day forward, he knew that this day is Holy and sacred. How can one day (that the Lord created) be an evil day? Is your middle finger evil because of what some people do with it?
Janice says
Musings – GREAT points! I like how you distinguish the cultural vs the religious.
Musings of a Housewife says
I like the term PARTICIPATE. 🙂 I feel like there are cultural holidays and religious holidays. I participate in the customs of Halloween in a cultural sense – the costumes, the candy, etc. In no way do I celebrate anything dark or Satanic.
Similarly with Christmas, we participate in Santa because that’s part of our cultural heritage as Americans. And we celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmastime (and throughout the year) because we believe He is our Savior! 🙂
But I digress. 😉
Your little ones are precious. Enjoy showing them off tonight!!!
Ashley says
Our Alivia’s costume this year is from Old Navy too. The butterfly was gone so we got the white kitty. It is so soft and cozy.
I understand the people who choose not to participate, but it just wouldn’t be right for me to deny my kids the fun I had as a child. Our church has a big community outreach where everyone dresses up and I think as Christians it’s ok to play along with these types of traditions. We trick or treat as well and it’s one of my favorite days of the year.
I think too much is made of things like Halloween and Harry Potter. As long as we are teaching our children that it is all pretend then there are no worries 🙂
Tiff says
I too,grew up “participating” in halloween traditions. We never dressed up as a witches or goblins. I don’t let me kids either. I don’t want to deny them a fun time but I also want to teach my children about why we don’t dress up as witches. Granted they aren’t old enough to understand yet. But I definitely be telling them the reason. Olivia and Sophia are such cuties! I love their costumes!
Jackie says
Absolutely adorable. Thanks for sharing this!
Doll Clothes Gal says
Great pics – have a fun and spooky evening tonight. My daughter is dressed as Hermione from Harry Potter and has dressed her American Girl Doll just the same.
Cara says
Those are just the CUTEST ever!!! I LOVE the look on her face in the first picture, and the one of them hugging is just priceless!
Bobbie says
OMG…those are too cute!
jenn3 says
I wasn’t allowed to dress up for Halloween (in fact I’ve never had a costume), and I struggled with this conflict after my daughter was born. I don’t like the dark side of Halloween, but I also don’t think Christians should hide in their homes, scared of it either. So I decided there is nothing wrong with letting my two year old dress up (she’s a kitten this year – Old Navy) and get some candy. Mostly we’ll be visiting friends and relatives, but there will be lots of cute pictures. Dressing up is fun.
Alicia says
Old Navy does have cute costumes, and the kids look so adorable in them!
You really expressed my internal conflict as well! Do I want to encourage any of the “darkness” of this holiday…not at all. But dressing up is so fun-I wish costume wearing was connected to another holiday. This morning on my blog I termed a “watered-down” name for Halloween: Merry Masquerade!
HeresTheDiehl says
You should check out the “Redeeming Halloween” book by Focus on the Family.
Renee says
OH they are so adorable!!! I feel the same about today! I hate the evil from it but nothing wrong about dressing up and letting imagination go wild!
Wait a minute that happen pretty much every day here LOL Our daughter will get in our dirty clothes basket and maker herself a new costumes every day! LOL
Hope you and the girls will be having a clean fun day today!!!
Lexa says
I didn’t grow up in a Christian home, but I had some Christian friends who didn’t get to participate in Halloween. Now that I’m a believer, and I have kids, I wasn’t sure what to do. This book really helped us teach our 3-year-old what we believe about Halloween:
Halloween: Is it for Real?
GreenJello says
I wasn’t aware that there were “evil roots” to Halloween. Maybe in some people’s minds, but one should research the origins of Halloween before deciding it’s possibly “evil”.
Shasta says
They look adorable in their costumes! They do look warm and cozy!
I kind of feel the same way as you about the whole Halloween thing. I only let my boys dress in fun costumes, nothing scary. We go trick or treating to family and then trunk or treating at our church. I really don’t feel like it’s wrong when we’re doing it all in fun. I guess it just depends on how you go about it.
Sittercity.com says
This is adorable! I had no idea Old Navy sold Halloween costumes.
casual friday everyday says
Janice,
I know how you feel. My parents actually didn’t let us trick or treat. We’d do the church thing. And it didn’t so much bother me because we were homeschooled and not around everyone else celebrating. Had I been around everyone else doing it I probably would have felt like I was missing out.
We’ve been allowing our little ones to dress up and do the candy thing. It might change when they get older. I suppose if we feel conflicted like this then we know what we should likely do about it but it’s so hard to “deny” them this fun. My oldest LOVES dressing up and candy LOL
Ahhh the conflictions that can come along with parenting.
Nell :–)