Advertisement
| Costumes and Church: Can They Work Together? |
|
As long as children have been dressing as ghosts and going door to door on Halloween, there have been religious groups protesting it...
While there are concerns about devil worship on Halloween for some people, just because you are religious doesn't mean that you have to give up this holiday altogether. Your personal choice regarding Halloween depends on your upbringing and on your specific beliefs. However, if you are religious, there are still costumes you can choose for Halloween that celebrate things other than death and monsters.
Instead of opting for a scary costume, why not try a funny one? Clowns are a great options, because they can make people smile. Clown costumes are also quite easy to put together-with a colorful wig and jumpsuit, bright face paint, and red nose, you'll be good to go. For families who opt not to participate in Halloween due to religious reasons, your children can still have fun dressing up. Put on a clown costume and head to the local nursing home or children's ward to brighten patients' days. You can also find costumes that are religious orientated. Many Halloween stores sell outfits allowing you and your children to be angels, Biblical characters, and so forth. Want a unique costume with a Christian message? Why not grab a partner and go as a lion and a lamb? You can also be the three wise men if you have a group of three, or Mary and Joseph, if you and your spouse or sibling want and interesting costume. I've seen people dress as Moses and the burning bush, Christmas trees, and Menorahs as well. The sky is the limit. If you opt to not participate in Halloween, you can still have a festival to celebrate the fall. Carve religious symbols into pumpkins and allow the children to wear costumes celebrating the season. Costumes like pumpkins, spiders, farmers, turkeys, and scarecrows are great idea. You can also allow your children to dress up to perform plays during a special event at church. Consider retelling religious stories as children act them out. The key here is that children often simply like to dress up. If you believe that Halloween is morally wrong, you can still allow your children to have fun with costumes around this holiday. The key is to explain the difference between costumes for fun and costumes in defiance to your religion. With a bit of understanding, everyone can have a wonderful fall season, no matter what your beliefs may be. Article Written by: Peggy Schmitt |