Why Don't Many Hobby Lobby Stores Carry Halloween Decorations?

Craft stores like Michael's and Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts usually have stylish and spooky Halloween decor on their shelves every fall. However, Hobby Lobby seems to be the exception as they don't appear to sell such items at many of their locations. So if you walked into a Hobby Lobby to prepare for the fall season, you'd probably only see shelves stocked with autumn-themed products — like pumpkins, hay bales, colorful leaves, and dried corn — as opposed to ghosts and goblins. 

For context, Hobby Lobby is a religious store known for being closed on Sundays. And while owners David and Barbara Green don't exclusively sell Christian-specific items, they believe their merchandise shouldn't conflict with their religious beliefs. They describe this as "honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles" (via Hobby Lobby). That very well could be why the outlet chooses not to sell spooky spiders, skulls, witches, and other Halloween decor at many of their stores.

Even though Hobby Lobby is not a strictly Christian store, many outlets do not sell Halloween items because of the holiday's origins. Time explains that Halloween themes include symbols like death and demons, which by some can be viewed as going against Christian beliefs. And even though today the occasion is mainly celebrated by children dressing up and trick-or-treating, Halloween's history still contains dark symbolism that might not sit will with everyone. The occasion was born out of All Hallows Eve, after all, and before that the Pagan holiday Samhain, according to History.

That's not to say that you won't stumble across some kind of Halloween decorations at your local Hobby Lobby, such as orange and black scrapbook paper or stencils that promote both Halloween and Christian themes. But there's also a good chance you won't see anything spooky on the shelves at all.