re: Last minute Halloween thread

prisonchaplain · #1 (**permalink**) 10-30-2009, 06:00 PM

When I was a kid only the Jehovah's Witneeses avoided Halloween. Now all my conservative evangelical friends are agin' it. Me too. Utlimately, it does seem to center on death, often encouraging curiosity about ghosts, communicating with the dead, etc. So, rather than get ugly and tell people their pagans for doing it, we developed our alternatives. Harvest Festivals, Hallelujah Nights, and giving out treats with little Bible verses included.

No condemnation for those who fully participate...but even if we think it's all secular, don't we kinda suggest that the Devil is a joke, when he's not? Enquiring minds want to know.

Generally_Me · #2 (**permalink**) 10-30-2009, 06:29 PM

Here PC, I read this earlier today and thought of it when I read your post.

The Danger of Celebrating Halloween: Spiritual Life in God

prisonchaplain · #3 (**permalink**) 10-30-2009, 06:58 PM

G_M...I just scanned through...seems our friends at the 700 Club put forth a pretty sensationalistic version of it. My thing is not so much the pagan origins, but that unlike Christmas and New Years, people do not think of Jesus or even past saints on this day. It's all about death, horror, and, for most in this country, thinking of demons, Satan and death as a big joke. That train of thought may be as delusional spiritually, as really trafficking in such things.

Maureen · #4 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 02:09 AM

I'm not sure it's all about death. This year some popular ideas for halloween costumes or characters/couples is Jon and Kate (from Jon and Kate plus 8) and Kanye West and Taylor Swift.

M.

pam · #5 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 03:23 AM

Actually one of my son's friends said they are going to dress up as Kanye West and hide in the bushes. Just as a kid says Trick or Treat he's going to jump out and take the candy while saying..."Christmas is better."

talisyn · #6 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 08:57 AM

I don't see how my daughter dressing up as a kitten is a bad thing...Face it, Halloween like so many other things in this world has gone way beyond it's humble nature-pagan ways into capitalism.

From the Wiki (I can't stay away from it

)
Samhain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quote:

A harvest festival with ancient roots in Celtic paganism, it was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and continued to be celebrated in late medieval times.
Samhain marked the end of the harvest, the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half". Many scholars believe that it was the beginning of the Celtic year.[2][3][4] It has some elements of a festival of the dead. The Gaels believed that the border between this world and the otherworld became thin on Samhain.

Bini · #7 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 11:18 AM

To be honest, I'm not very familiar with the traditional pagan Halloween, it's always just been harmless fun when celebrated with family and friends. So I couldn't tell ya what the original meaning of Halloween is or was. All I know, is that I spend waaay too much money on costumes every year and always buy waaay too much candy than trick-or-treaters show up.

candyprpl · #8 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 11:27 AM

I see your point PC. I thought I better post since I changed my avatar for the day, ha!

I have feelings for both sides of the issue. As a kid every year I went as a witch. Not because I thought about what a witch was about but because I like the store bought costume. I liked the hat and the dress,ha. When my kids were little we (meaning each child and I) would think of what they wanted to be and I would then design and make the costume. My son was the most creative. He never came up with anything goulish -- always something very unique. My favorite costume for my daughter was when she was three when the smurfs were popular I made a white dress and smurf hat and used blue eye shadow to put on her face. She looked adorable!!

I've noticed that since being a member of the LDS church and going to the 'trunk or treat' activities in the church parking lot that the kids seem to just have cute costumes -- some of the young men will have dracula teeth or something like that, just to get some candy. I don't know, confused, seems harmless to me, but I do get your point PC.

Gwen · #9 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 11:39 AM

maybe i'm missing something here but why does death have to be about satan? death is a part of life, part of the plan god created.... not sure i agree with making it something that is dark/evil.

as for halloween i think a lot of ppl do make it about monsters and dark/evil things. i don't like that. as a family i keep it less focused on that. the kids dress up in reasonable costumes, my 5 yr old is being a rodeo clown this yr, nothing evil/dark. we don't go to the houses that focus on those things.

one thing that i have noticed this yr that has bothered me. even though i keep halloween "good fun" for our family i can't stop what the world is doing (which would be the same if we canceled all together). the world i think is getting more dark in their vision of it. my kids seem to be responding negativly to the images they keep seeing. having trouble sleeping, asking questions about it, it's clear they are uncomfortable.... my 8 yr old has started pausing shows so he can fast forward the commercials so they don't scare everyone. not sure how to handle this one yet.

ADoyle90815 · #10 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 12:02 PM

Halloween is just harmless fun for me, and as long as parents are directly involved by walking with their kids to doors or to cars in a church parking lot, it can be safe. There are plenty of costumes available that are not scary at all, so people can chose not to to wear something considered evil.

Personally, I think the "sexy" costume trend is even worse than scary costumes, especially for girls and women so I refuse to wear anything like that.