Elisha Parr popped into the budget supermarket where she bought the ghost cup for her six-year-old son
Eleanor Ovens and Howard Lloyd Regional content editor
01:39, 22 Oct 2025
The Christian pamphlet hidden inside a Lidl Halloween cup(Image: Kennedy News and Media)
A mum was horrified to discover what she called a Christian pamphlet ‘indoctrinating little children’ that was apparently stuffed inside a Lidl Halloween cup. Elisha Parr popped into the budget supermarket in Downham Market, Norfolk, on Sunday, October 12 where she bought the ghost cup for her six-year-old son Sam Middleton-Parr.
When she got home, the 42-year-old’s partner Christian Middleton unscrewed the lid on the £2.99 cup to give it a wash before handing it over to Sam. Assuming it was the instruction leaflet, he fished it out and washed the cup but then took a closer look and, stunned, handed it over to Elisha.
The mum-of-two read the anonymous pamphlet, apparently from a Christian, titled ‘The sin of idolatry’ that warns ‘little children, keep yourselves from idols.’ Shocked, Elisha discovered the leaflet quoted repeatedly from various books within the Bible including Exodus, Colossians and Corinthians, stressing the importance of ‘fleeing from idols’.
Elisha believes a customer stashed the flyer inside the ghost cup with the aim of ‘pushing their views’ onto small children. The mum has slammed the culprit’s ‘underhand’ tactics of ‘indoctrination’, and quickly told Lidl about her discovery.
The Lidl Halloween cup that contained a Christian pamphlet(Image: Kennedy News and Media)
Elisha, from Thetford, said: “We’d nipped to Lidl to grab some bits and my son Sam saw the cup and was desperate for it. I said, ‘yeah sure, pop it in the basket’. I didn’t think anything of it. We love Halloween and always decorate the house, the kids love it.
“When we got home, my other half Christian went to wash it and thought it was just instructions inside the cup. But when he looked he thought, ‘what is this? It shouldn’t be here’. He brought it to me and I was a bit taken aback.
“I was annoyed. I know some people don’t celebrate Halloween but then to push it upon a small child for me was upsetting. The leaflet is definitely aimed at children. I’m guessing the person was trying to say you shouldn’t be celebrating Halloween.
“I feel like it was a form of indoctrination. I don’t think that’s the way to do things at all. I don’t even think children would understand what is in it.”
The leaflet features a number of Bible extracts warning against the worship of something other than God. It urges readers to ‘flee from idolatry’ and ‘seek the Lord Jesus Christ’. Elisha believes the pamphlet is ‘inappropriate’ for children and wants to make more parents aware of her discovery. Elisha said: “It’s like an instruction manual of what to believe, it’s not appropriate at all. It’s just not what you expect to find.
“I think someone with far too much time on their hands has gone round and put them in there. I saw other children with those cups carrying them around.
“My eldest son read it and was confused and asked a couple of questions. Luckily, my youngest (Sam) didn’t see it. I do believe if anyone has a religion or belief that’s their choice, it shouldn’t be put on somebody, let alone a child.
“To try and push a belief onto someone is not okay in my eyes. The way in which they did it was underhanded, other parents should be aware of this.”
Elisha said she contacted Lidl regarding the leaflet and was offered a £10 voucher. A Lidl spokesman said: “We were sorry to learn of this, as it’s never our intention for a customer to be dissatisfied.
“Immediately after being made aware our regional team checked the remaining items and can confirm all other pamphlets have been removed.”
