The Best Halloween Alternative You've Never Heard Of

My biggest helper. He wears an eye patch two hours a day to strengthen his left eye.

Each year as Halloween approaches I find myself struggling with what to do. My husband has similar concerns, so we've been trying to figure this out together for several years now. I'm a person of deep convictions, but for the longest time I've been wrestling with this and going back and forth. Actually, ever since our oldest was a baby because that's when everyone started asking, "Awww! And what are you going to be for Halloween?" 

I didn't want to deny my kid a fun, innocent American tradition (if it truly was innocent).
On the other hand, I didn't want to participate in something that was taking on a guise of innocence (if it truly wasn't). In either case we didn't want to make a decision based in fear or legalism.

There are many Christians who hold strong, differing views and beliefs on this subject, and the purpose of this post is not to persuade, but to share something I'm super excited about. I'm not condemning or belittling anyone's faith walk. This post is written with people like us in mind - people who haven't had a clear conscience about any of the current alternatives to Halloween, who've been praying and seeking out a proactive path. If that's you, keep reading!

Here are just a few of the most popular alternatives to Halloween that we know of, and why they aren't a good fit for our family:

Trunk or Treat
Practically speaking, I don't see anything substantially different between this and other trick-or-treat activities. 

Harvest parties, bounce houses, and hayrides
These are fun and innocent, and we've done a couple of them already this fall. Super fun! There's nothing wrong with these, but I've been looking for something less passive and more active. I don't want to simply distract my kids from Halloween - I want them to experience a deeper relationship with God. 

Hiding in the house with the lights off
I want to demonstrate love, boldness, and humble reverence toward the Father. Hiding isn't really necessary for people opting out of a holiday in a free country. 

If you're curious why I even wanted a Halloween alternative in the first place, here's the briefest way I can describe it: There are people who do terrible things to children, pregnant women, and animals on Halloween - people who take this season (and this holiday) very, very seriously. I'm not so concerned about the history (which I've read) of Halloween and its pagan and/or Christian roots. I'm concerned with what's going on right now. Some of the works of the occult that are currently taking place on Halloween are so grotesque, so evil, so demonic and vile that I can't bear to write them. As a Christian, I know that the enemy is alive and working, and that this season brings rejoicing in death and darkness. I want to rejoice in the Creator of life and light, and I want to be proactive about it. 

My youngest was just as eager to help as his big brother!

You can do your own online searches to find out as much as you want of the horrible things that go on during Halloween. YouTube has a list of videos by former witches and satanists who've turned to Christ, who have opened up and shared some of the things that they used to be a part of, and things they witnessed and heard of.

Some question what any of that has to do with cute little kids trick-or-treating. Again, I'm not using this post as a platform for persuading anyone to change their views. This is for Christians who don't want a passive alternative to Halloween.

Anyway. I don't want to distract my kids from evil - I want them to bring it to Jesus in prayer and be a light in the darkness. I don't want to see how close I can get to the flames without getting burned - I want to be as close to Jesus as possible. That's what we want for our kids as well, and I want them to have a tangible, fun way to do it.

FINALLY! 

I finally figured out a great way for our family to do it! A couple of days ago I just happened to read a comment from a lady I don't know, who said that she celebrates the Feast of Tabernacles in place of Halloween. I was immediately intrigued and asked her what exactly that looked like for her family. She said they put a tent up in their back yard, eat their meals there, and paint rocks. I was seeing stars! 

You've never seen anyone Google so fast and Pinterest so furiously. Haha!
I'm still learning, but I wanted to share just a couple of things I learned about it. If it sounds like what you've been missing, I'd just like to be the first to give you a virtual high-five and say, YESSSSS, me too!!!

As a Christian I wasn't sure if I was allowed to participate in the Feast of Tabernacles. We've never celebrated a Jewish holiday before, so my question was....can we do that?
So far all that I've read online has encouraged Christians to explore this and other Jewish celebrations because of the unity (through Jesus) that has brought us together.

Here's a brief description of the Feast of Tabernacles and how we can experience a deeper connection to God through it. 

This is the best thing I've read so far, explaining the significance of the Feast of Tabernacles and how it relates to us today. 

How do we do it? What does it look like for us? Well, it probably looks a bit different than how they do things in Jerusalem, and it will probably change a bit each year as we learn more about it, but here's how it's starting: 

Our little "booth" in the backyard :)

My hope is to invite neighbors to come have a simple cookout with us on several nights of the feast, once we get our bearings.

I cleared a path with the rake and my oldest lined it with sticks to mark the way. He was SO excited to be working on this project! He wanted to do everything, but with a little coaxing was willing to let me and little brother get involved. We worked as long as the boys were willing, but once we started getting tired, frustrated, and grumpy we called it a day.

Peaceful.

A very tactile experience

One thing that really hit me out of nowhere was the beauty and power of this very tangible, tactile experience. I'm always trying to find ways for the kids to learn and grow through hands-on activities, but I can't remember the last time that I came up with one of those learning activities for myself. Probably never. But there's something about the pull of the rake as I was clearing leaves and pine cones to make a campsite, the whoosh and crinkling of the tarp as it flew up and then crumpled on the dirt, the feel of the tent fabric slipping through my hands, the breeze and sunlight, the laughter and giggles of my boys as they worked joyfully, the crunch of gravel in the fire pit, and the way my hands had to figure out just the right way to move so I could open the tent door smoothly. All of these senses worked the mystery of God's charity into my heart in a way I don't think I've encountered until now.

As we worked, I told my oldest a little bit about the history of what we were doing, and how it can help us celebrate God's provision and know him better. It was a pretty short conversation because I could tell that he totally got it. He was feeling the tents of the Israelites in the wilderness between his own fingers. He was holding the firewood that warmed them at night. He was seeing light by the same sun, walking the same earth, and breathing the same air as generations past. It was his, and it was mine. Beauty.

Another connection I made as we worked is the similarity between some modern educational philosophy and the Lord's feasts. Bear with me, here :) 

In some early childhood education methods, there is emphasis on providing children with a beautiful learning space, spread out for them in advance - a feast for the senses! The learning spaces are full of natural light, free of clutter, and well-organized. Children are encouraged to experience learning through play in a hands-on environment. 

God spreads a table before us as well...a table that stretches from the beginning of the year to the end of it, spread with one feast after another, a tactile learning experience that invites all of the senses! Breathe in the aromas, taste the banquet foods, See the lights and colors and depth of contrast, listen as the Word rises from the pages of the Bible, the laughter of children and stories of family and friends, and feel the softness of the tent cloth, the strength of the tent poles, the crunch of dry leaves underfoot....so nice! God is a loving Father who spreads out a banquet of beauty, art, and creativity and invites us, his children, to sit at the table and take it all in. And really, to take in the beauty and creativity of God's love and faithfulness. He is the master Teacher, and he knows that many of us learn best (and retain what we've learned) through tactile, hands-on experiences. 

I don't know about you, but that's got me excited about the Feast of Tabernacles!

Rocking on the front porch, waiting for dad to get home so they could show him our surprise in the back yard.

So here's the plan: starting today (October 25) and ending on Halloween night (7 days), we will eat most of our meals in our tent, read some recommended Bible passages, pray, sing, and do some fun activities (I haven't figured out what exactly, but that's what Pinterest is for!). Hopefully we'll be able to have some friends over for a campfire and s'mores, and maybe see some stars in the night sky. 

I really wish I could convey just how deeply joyful and at rest I feel now that I've found a way to grow in Christ through this season. No hiding, no distracting, no ignoring....just meeting the night with the power of the Son. It's something that we can invite friends, coworkers, and neighbors to, and gauging by how excited the boys were when I told them we were getting the tent out, I think it's safe to say we've got ourselves a new family tradition over here! 

Working with what we've got: dry brush

One of the things we'll include in our Feast of Tabernacles is a campfire. The boys helped make fire starter bundles from a stack of dead weeds, grasses, and brush that we had near the driveway. 

Kinda pretty!

CUTE!

Bonding over flammable materials

Okay, I got a little carried away.

A bouquet made of dead brush isn't everyone's cup of tea.
I think it's lovely in it's own way :)

All seven fire starters lined up in a row and ready for service!