How To Explain?

I love this time of year. Mainly, it's the cooler weather. I think that's why most Texans enjoy fall and spring--they aren't summer. But I get antsy in October. There's this holiday at the end of the month that makes me really uncomfortable. We have decided as a family not to celebrate Halloween. But how to explain that decision to all of our friends and extended family who really enjoy the building momentum of this holiday?

People ask, "What costumes are you getting for the girls?" I'm not. My daughter wants to know what that scary statue is in the store window. I have to censor her usual tv shows because they're doing Halloween specials. I formulate answers to her questions about what she's heard at school, church, or the park. "There is a holiday this month that lots of people celebrate called Halloween. As best we can tell, it's a celebration of scary things and being scared. Daddy and I don't think this is something God wants us to celebrate, because He is not a scary God and we don't need to be scared of Him. So we skip this holiday and wait for Thanksgiving, when we can celebrate all the wonderfully good things God has given us."

God, please help our girls understand. Give us the words to express the conviction you have placed in our hearts. Defend us from the temptation to turn it into something self-righteous. Give us courage to live it out and not compromise to the default of our culture.