Why Halloween is more Christian than Christmas

I have a theory that in the US, culturally speaking, Halloween is more Christian than Christmas…

Secular Christmas in the US is all about the naughty/nice thing. It’s self-absorbed and turned inward (aka ‘sinful’). Kids lie to themselves and others to get on that ‘nice’ list.

On Halloween, we don’t do a morality check at the door. We don’t stoop to little Timmy and ask in our smug grown-up voices, “Sooooo… Have you been a good little boy?”

Ugh.
Gag me with a Blow Pop…

Halloween brings out the best in us. It models what a Christian community should look like. We’re turned outward in joy towards our neighbors. Homes are decorated in a spirit of mischievous conviviality. Excitement fills the air. The least of these, the children, are the focal point of the night. And not just yours or mine… All children!

Christmas is based on exclusive gift giving. On Halloween, gifts are given freely and joyously from stranger to stranger with no prompting other than the obligatory, “Trick or treat!”

On Halloween, we mock death by dressing up as the undead. As my dear friend, theologian Joel Cruz quipped, “In the light of Christ’s resurrection, mocking death is a natural and holy response.” It’s a beautiful thing those little…