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Today is a day with many associations.

Jack-o’-lanterns. Costumes and candy. Maybe even the occult. And because of this, for many Christians, it’s also a day that comes with questions — specifically, whether or not Halloween is something to celebrate or simply avoid.

Some opt for the latter, their consciences telling them that going along with Halloween would be glorifying — or at least making light of — forces of evil in the world. But for at least a few St. Joseph churches, celebrating the holiday isn’t anything to be scared of.

“In general, we don’t get too hung up on Halloween,” says the Rev. Chase Peeples, pastor of First Christian Church. “We don’t buy into it being evil. To us, as it’s come to be today, it’s just a cultural holiday that’s fun.”

In this spirit, First Christian will host Fall Fun at First, a free Halloween carnival that will begin at 5 p.m. today and will include hot dogs, a moon bounce, costumes and games and prizes for kids. It’s especially intended for families who might not feel comfortable trick-or-treating in their neighborhoods, the Rev. Peeples says, and in past years has drawn more than 300 people.

McCarthy Baptist Church also will be hosting a free event — one it calls its Pumpkin Patch Party and that in the past has drawn more than 500 — from 6 to 8 p.m. today. The party will include food, games, a maze, a photo booth, trunk-or-treating, live music, horse rides and hay rides, says Dana Robb, McCarthy’s director of children’s ministries.

“We think of it as an outreach to the community,” she adds. “We’re offering a safe environment where parents can bring their kids at no cost.”

It’s also an opportunity to use the holiday evangelistically, which McCarthy will do through tracts that use carving a pumpkin as an illustration of God’s plan for salvation and also serve as an invitation to McCarthy’s worship services and fellowship groups.

Similarly, Central Christian Church will give children backpacks containing information about its children’s ministry at a harvest party it will host from 5:30 to 8 p.m. today. The event also will include food, candy, hay rides, inflatable obstacle courses and games where children can earn tickets for prizes, says Jessica Williams, the church’s children’s pastor.

“I think it gives a different alternative to what Halloween is all about,” she adds.

Historically, Halloween can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival Samhain, which translates to “summer’s end.” Celtic mythology taught that at this time of year, the division between this world and a supernatural one becomes thin, allowing spirits of the dead to wander on the earth as they wish and sometimes interact violently with people. Celtic priests offered sacrifices to their gods to ensure the sun would return after winter ended and scare away evil spirits.

However, the term Halloween comes from All Hallow’s Eve, a holiday the early Church created in an attempt to replace pagan festivities with Christian ones. It is tied to All Saint’s Day, which is celebrated Nov. 1 in honor of Christian saints — and is another holiday First Christian Church plans to celebrate.

After all, like Halloween, it’s an important date on the calendar.

“We make note of people in the congregation who have died in the past year, as well as people throughout history,” the Rev. Peeples says. “We remember them with a moment of silence — people who have made an impact through their faith.”

Lifestyles reporter Erin Wisdom can be reached at ewisdom@npgco.com.