Do The Amish Celebrate Halloween?
My hometown held the annual rite of autumn: costumed kids going around from house to house saying "trick or treat!"  It's the one day a year when kids do what you are told not to do the other 364 days: take candy from strangers.  That in itself makes the day feel kind of odd.  Granted, we trick or treated in our neighborhood with Aster, so not everyone was a stranger.  Aster looked cute in her ladybug costume and ever the dutiful Dad, I carried her up to the doors to say the magic words.  She's too young for 99 percent of the treats, but I'm not, so it was a good deal for me!:)  (unless losing weight is my plan in which case, it was an awful evening) Someone was handing out packets of animal crackers at one house, so Aster might get in on those.  I can imagine being a school-teacher today would not be fun with all these sugared up, chocolate-hyped kids.  I'd say communities that hold the event tonight might have made a wise move in that respect.
By the way, in case you are wondering, Halloween is generally not something that the Amish youth would participate in. Â The reasons would have less to do with theology than frivolity. Â Amish kids do participate in some Halloween pranks, teenagers might soap up someone's buggy or windows as a gag. Â And Amish who attend public schools might well pass out and receive some candy. But that's about the extent of it.
Kathy Barnes
Aster looks sooo cute in her costume. Thanks for sharing cuz this gramma loves babies.
God bless you,
Kathy Barnes
Kevin
Thanks, Kathy!:)
Jane
If you want to read more about what many Mennonites believe about Halloween read this Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/notes/steve-stutzman/darkening-the-mind/10203145490818240?pnref=story
Kevin
Thanks, good reading, Jane!
Helen Christensen
Aster is so cute. What a cute ladybug outfit. What did she think of Halloween and going to houses trick or treat?
Kevin
Helen, I think she couldn't quite figure it all out at first, but it didn't take long for her to get in on the fun:)
clk
way too cute!
Kevin
Thanks!:)
Missy
As a whole the Old Order German Baptists don't do Halloween (that I've heard of anyway) but there were a few families (relatives) I know who would trick or treat each others homes.
Kevin
Thanks, Joyce, I was wondering about the Brethren take on Halloween, I'll have to ask Rosanna sometime to write about that!
Paul Fishman
I would agree with the Amish as a whole NOT celebrating Halloween since it is a holiday in celebration of the coming of the Antichrist.