بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم
Halloween is haram? What To Tell Your Kids About Halloween & Free Printable
Halloween is a celebration rooted in paganism. Unfortunately, many Muslims make the mistake of thinking “it’s no big deal,” or “it’s not that deep.” Well, it is and it’s about time we come to terms with it. If we as parents can understand this wrong, then we can finally help our children be strong believers who can be proud of their Muslim identity. That said, with kids being kids, and living in America where you cannot escape the enthralling spookiness of Halloween, it is up to us, as parents, to have an open dialogue with them.
Approach the conversation with understanding. Here are some suggestions on what you can say:
Acknowledging Their Feelings:
- Show Interest in What They Have to Say:
- “I’d love to know what you’re feeling and what you think about Halloween.” Let your child tell you what they have observed. Many times they will surprise you and let you know that they understand Halloween is “evil.”
- Feeling Left Out:
- “I understand that your class is having a Halloween party and you feel left out, and that’s perfectly okay. It’s normal to feel sad when someone else looks like they’re having fun. But we should also feel sad that they haven’t been blessed with Islam like we have. Let’s make dua for them!”
Remind them about Islam’s core beliefs and Eid:
- Islam’s Core Beliefs:
- “Alhamdulillah, we are so happy to be Muslim. We worship and obey Allah, and we want to go to Jannah! What are some ways we can go to Jannah? Listening to Allah and our Prophet SAW is one way, and we know that our Prophet SAW never celebrated something like Halloween. In fact, our Prophet SAW taught us surahs and duas of protection from scary, spooky, devilish things. Halloween started a long time ago from people who didn’t worship Allah. Read more about The Roots of Halloween.
- Two Eids:
- “Everyone has different traditions and beliefs. Alhamdulillah, we have two major celebrations, Eid-al Fitr and Eid al-Adha! Just like how Non-Muslims don’t celebrate Eid, we don’t celebrate their holidays.”
Offer Alternatives:
- Family Night:
- Play a game, read a book or do an activity together! Make it beneficial and educational by choosing something Islamic. Your child will appreciate the quality time. Yusuf and Yusra’s Spooky Dilemma is a book you can read together and discuss these related topics.
- Community:
- Alhamdulillah, we have been blessed with a vibrant Muslim community. Many masajid are offering alternative programs and fun youth nights on Oct. 31st. Find out from your local imam, or take the initiative to start such a program if there isn’t one in your community. The idea is to offer the Muslim community’s children, especially public school going children, a space to gather and spend the night in halal fun and games as well as strengthening their relationship with Allah.
By approaching the topic with kindness, openness, and understanding, you can strengthen your relationship with your child and their religion. At the end of the day, kids are kids. It’s natural for them to feel a myriad of emotions, we have to remind them it’s how you act on these emotions that define who we are.
May Allah SWT guide us and our children on the straight path.
Here is a free PDF Halloween Presentation for kids that you can use. Perfect for parents and teachers!
