Jonathan's Happy Halloween Message

Kanata, Ontario, 2024

I think Halloween is great! I love the decorations, the costumes, the candy, the parties, and, most of all, I am grateful for the joy it brings to children.

Most people feel the same, yet every year, I hear more claims that Halloween is an “evil” holiday, along with appeals from certain churches and political groups urging their communities to shun it.

Fraudulent clergy and scheming politicians argue that Halloween is unsafe for children, that the candy is dangerous, that it’s not a Christian celebration, and that anyone who participates is somehow corrupted by the devil.

But the candy is always safe, with rumors debunked year after year, and many Christian denominations celebrate or acknowledge Halloween in some form.

This divisive rhetoric isn’t new. Just as an abusive partner may isolate their victim from friends and family, extremist groups and cults attempt to separate their followers from the larger community.

These same conservative churches and political groups also disparage Christmas. When billions worldwide celebrate this nominally Christian holiday with a focus on charity and community, they lead their flocks away, claiming Christmas has become “too secular.”

I’ve witnessed these tactics since childhood. Growing up in a conservative religious home, I wasn’t allowed to dress as a ghost, monster, or anything perceived as “occult,” yet my family still celebrated Halloween. It’s a holiday with old church roots; the name itself, "Halloween," comes from *All Hallows' Eve*, referring to saints and angels, whose halos are depicted in religious art.

Indeed, one year my sister and I dressed as angels, another year I went as a train, and each year we joined in on some kind of celebration. I am glad we were not denied Halloween.

The children who are denied access to costumes, candy, and community today are often those who later feel burdened by alienation and persecution complexes.

Please allow your children to enjoy Halloween, and don’t be swayed by divisive rhetoric from those who seek to alienate their followers.

Jonathan Gibson Davis

St. John's Kanata North