Sunday afternoon we went trick-or-treating. Yes you heard that right…we went trick-or-treating on the 26th! Apparently, where we now live they have scheduled trick-or-treating times for each city, village, or town.
This schedule might be the norm where you live, but for both me and my husband we always went trick-or-treating on the 31st — no matter if it was a school night or not. When I found out about this Saturday afternoon, I had to make a mad dash to make sure costumes and candy were ready for the festivities!
Walking around our neighborhood with our kids last night got us thinking about ways we should have a more intentional Halloween…not just focusing on costumes and candy—but more on impacting the community.
As long as you didn’t have a “scheduled trick-or-treat” time in your neighborhood, maybe you could try out some of these this Halloween. I think we’ll try at least a couple of them next year in order to have a more gospel centered, intentional halloween!
5 ways to make this Halloween an intentional Halloween:
Host a Pre-Walk Dinner/Snack
Invite your neighbors over for some pizza, hot dogs, crackers and cheese or sandwiches prior to going trick or treating. This will let you have some time to chat (before chasing down the kids on the street) and also create a sense of community.
Another idea would be to do it after all the trick-or-treating. The kids can sort and trade candy together and burn off some of the sugar high. 🙂
Get a Candy Helper
Do you know of someone single or without kids (or someone who just might be lonely) that might want some company on Halloween night? Ask if they want to join you in handing out candy. You can share in the joy of watching the kids in the their costumes and converse in between the knocks at the door.
Gather a Group
This year, we went door-to-door with our next door neighbors and their kids. This was a great opportunity for me to talk with the mom and get to know her better. On a day-to-day basis we don’t ever get that much “concentrated” time to talk….it was great!
Don’t Be In A Rush
How many times a year do you get the opportunity to show up at a neighbor’s door uninvited and get to talk with them? Maybe you don’t know the names of people a few doors down. Don’t be afraid to ask the kids to wait a few minutes so you can talk with a neighbor. You might find someone you have lots of common with that you didn’t even know lived so close!
Don’t Be a Grinch
Don’t be the house that leaves their lights off. Don’t be the house that just leaves a bowl on the front door with a sign that says “Take ONE” when you are sitting in your LazyBoy watching TV on the other side of the door. Greet your guests.
Be generous with your candy, not stingy. And make your guests feel welcome on your door step. Ask the adults where they live in your neighborhood, how long they’ve been there, or even just their names.
Taking the time to be hospitable even on your doorstep can make you stand out as a neighbor worth knowing and a neighbor that cares about those around them.
There are TONS of other ways to make an impact on your community by having an intentional Halloween. What ideas do you have? What have you done in the past to have an intentional Halloween? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
