I’ll never forget the question that taught me it’s okay to ask questions, particularly ones about our Catholic faith. As a preteen at one of my very first Edge Nights, I found myself sitting on a Cheetos-stained couch from Goodwill next to someone I’m sure I’d never met before. My small group leader broke the ice, not with a quiz question about the Bible like I expected, but with a curious thought:

“I wonder what kind of car Jesus would drive if His earthly ministry were taking place these days. I’d say a Jeep. What do you think?”

I didn’t have an answer then, and honestly, all these years later, I still don’t know what kind of vehicle I’d argue Jesus would rely on today to preach and heal as far and wide as He could. (I could easily get behind the Jeep idea, though.) The more important thing is that the question “Mama” Annie put forth taught me it’s alright to wonder and imagine in the first place. Until that Edge Night, I thought if the Church or her leaders didn’t have an exact answer to a question about Jesus, then asking it was… well, out of the question. But this is so not the case! 

So here’s the question I’d love to pose: would Jesus dress up for Halloween? Now, before you answer, take a minute and imagine Jesus dressing up in costume and trick-or-treating alongside you. Can you picture it? Even though you won’t find the word “Halloween” anywhere in the Bible or Catechism, it’s still fair to wonder about it, especially since there are so many cultural trends associated with the holiday that are (or seem) “to go against” our faith. The “trick” to asking a question like “Would Jesus celebrate Halloween?” is accepting in advance that the answer may not always be a “treat” (what we want to hear), or that there may not be a clear answer at all. So let’s just start with what we do know:

Jesus loves a good party. (John 2:1-12) If He had declined His invitation to the wedding at Cana, the world would’ve missed out on the perfect backdrop for His first public miracle. Among many other things, of course, this Gospel scene teaches us that Jesus doesn’t consider Himself too busy for or “above” making an appearance at celebratory gatherings — especially if it provides opportunities to glorify God. A wedding may be a bigger deal than a spooky-themed party, sure; but any festive occasion has the potential to honor the Father (who gifts them to us) if we participate in them for the right reasons and with other well-intentioned friends.

Jesus honors the Father in everything He does. (John 14:10) We can follow up the question, “Would Jesus celebrate Halloween?” with the question, “Would participating in Halloween honor or dishonor the Father?” Now, obviously, there are activities associated with October 31st that are contrary to the intended purpose of “All Hallows’ Eve” (the vigil of All Saints’ Day), which is to pray for the dead and remember the saints who have gone before us. Some activities are wholesome while others, as we know, are pretty rotten. To best honor God around this time of year, it’s obvious that Jesus would (and we should) avoid ANY works that are contrary to His will (seriously terrifying others, dressing inappropriately, dismissing or justifying evil, etc.) while also reserving time for good works (interceding for those who need prayer, celebrating with friends, dressing both creatively and respectfully, attending All Saints’ Day Mass, etc.).

Jesus is not deterred by evil. (Matthew 4:1-11) The enemy will attack anything holy that he can. The holiday (“holy day”) of Halloween has been assailed by the glorification of evil in the same way that the season of Advent has been assailed by busyness and checklists. Jesus always keeps His peace, though. In the wilderness, He had the strength to see things as they truly were instead of abandoning them for the illusions Satan made them out to be. He preserved the good despite the bad crying for attention. In the same way, Satan’s attempts to turn our heads from what we should truly be focusing on during holidays should not deter us from celebrating them altogether.

Many people in your life may be under the impression that Catholics are “not allowed” to participate in holidays, traditions, and festivities that are not apparently religious. Yet there is plenty of good to celebrate and fun to be had during the Halloween season, which is Catholic at its roots. Would Jesus celebrate Halloween? Perhaps. At the very least, He’ll be with you when you do.

Whether you go all out at this time of year, or October 31st is just another day on the calendar for you, the world is going to keep celebrating Halloween regardless. That means it’s an opportunity for you to share the hope of Christ’s victory over death to anyone who stops by your house or drops into your feed. It’s an opportunity to uplift others through affirmation and prayer instead of casting judgment on their costumes or choices. And it’s an opportunity to show others that Catholics love a good party, too.

For questions you can ask yourself to make sure you’re enjoying Halloween in the right ways, check out this blog. Then in an upcoming blog, we’ll consider whether Jesus would celebrate Christmas.

Kidding. The answer’s somewhat obvious. So that just leaves the question of Jesus’ would-be mode of transportation these days…