New children’s book seeks to teach kids Halloween’s real meaning — and it's not 'glorifying darkness'
Halloween is only days away, and parents and children are flooding stores in search of the best costumes and the scariest monster, vampire and ghoul decorations.But the author of new...
By Fox News · Fox News
Halloween is only days away, and parents and children are flooding stores in search of the best costumes and the scariest monster, vampire and ghoul decorations. But the author of new children's book "All Hallows' Eve" is calling on families to search for something else: the true spiritual meaning of Halloween. "By writing this story, I wanted to try to do my little part to reclaim Halloween for what it truly is: a deeply spiritual holiday centered on prayer, penance, remembrance of the dead," said Anthony DeStefano, an author known for his Christian -themed books for adults and children. "I wanted to give children and their parents an engaging way to celebrate Halloween in line with their faith without losing the fun, the mystery, and even the scary excitement that kids naturally love about that season." GOP LAWMAKER PUSHES BILL TO PUNISH CITIES THAT DITCHED COLUMBUS DAY AFTER TRUMP PROCLAMATION DeStefano said he wants his faith-based book to put "the ‘hallow’ back in Halloween" as celebrations and spending hit record highs . In 2025, Americans are expected to spend a record $13.1 billion on celebrating Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation. DeStefano says his message is especially relevant today, pointing to the death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and the shooting at a school Mass at Minneapolis' Annunciation Catholic Church, as reminders of the reality of evil and risks that can come with openly expressing one’s faith. "I do not think these are isolated events," he said. "I think they're symptoms of a deeper hostility toward faith that's been very apparent in the way Hollywood, the legacy media, the academic world, and the left have been mocking religion for decades." "Halloween isn't about glorifying darkness," DeStefano said. "It's about shining a light on the reality of death, the fact that eternal life has triumphed, and that's what makes it so powerful if we understand it correctly." DeStefano warned that modern culture has dist…