Trick or treat
Grace Stanhope,
29th Oct 2020
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Life
Blog
Culture
People's opinions
It’s reached that time of year again; pumpkin patch photos are the new Instagram aesthetic, we’re surrounded by more chocolate and sweets than usual, and when you walk down the aisle at the supermarket it feels as if you’re being stared down by a dozen scary masks.
It’s October, and at the end of this month, it’s Halloween.
Whilst I don’t know how Halloween is going to look this year with the current situation we live in, it still remains a spooky holiday.
As a Christian, Halloween is a holiday that I skip and choose not to celebrate.
My reason for not celebrating, or participating in any events surrounding Halloween, is not because I don’t see the appeal of having a bit of fun, getting some sweets, and enjoying wearing fancy dress.
It’s something I don’t want to involve myself in.
Whilst Halloween may seem like a bit of fun and not much harm, the origins of it are very dark. It may be disguised as “innocent fun", but because of the wicked nature, it’s something I don’t want to involve myself in.
As a Christian, I believe that we are called to love one another and be a sense of light in the world. This means choosing to walk away from the darkness, no matter how innocent or appealing it may seem.
For myself at Halloween, this means saying no to Halloween party invites, which should be an easier one this year, no dressing up in scary costumes, no trick or treating, and scrolling past the horror movie catalogue on Netflix.
It’s so easy to feel left out from celebrating Halloween if all your friends and those around you are getting involved, even if you don’t particularly want to join them. So how can we spend Halloween this year?
I’ve come up with some ways that you can still have fun this October 31st.
NETFLIX PARTY
Organise a movie night with friends!
Whilst the rest of the world may be watching horror movies, don’t feel you have to watch one of those too.
We’re in a crazy stage at the moment, some parts of the country can still meet in groups of six, whilst others cannot mix households. So whether you can have a friend over to watch a movie or organise a movie evening on Zoom, have fun spending some time together.
If you don’t fancy watching a movie, why not organise a quiz night?
BAKE
I don’t know about you, but watching the Great British Bake Off recently has really made me want to bake more.
Why not bake some sweet treats on October 31st? You can give them to your family and friends, and they don’t have to have a spooky twist.
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
On a day of darkness and tricking one another, why not use it as an opportunity to spread the love? There’s plenty of ways you can use kindness and spread the love.
PUMPKIN CARVING
Instead of carving a scary face into a pumpkin, why not opt for something a bit more encouraging?
You could carve a cartoon character, a message of encouragement, or even a Bible verse you might like. Get creative with it and spread a bit of light.
Whatever you choose to do this October 31st, don’t feel you have to join in with everyone else. You can use this day to spread love and kindness to those around you, and be a light amidst darkness!
