Alright, it's that time again and the stores are doing a fabulous job at selling us on the "Coolness" of Halloween. The 
kids are getting ready to dress up in different costumes from Superman to the Doctor Seuss' Cat-in-the-Hat. The spooky movies are out on TV and Hollywood turns out the most horrific tales of the undead, Psycho killers, and basically our worse nightmares. Our churches are putting on alternatives to the traditional Trick-or-treat custom and some of our spiritual leaders are denouncing the day as demonic and a celebration of evil. While on the other hand the "enlightened population is promoting this "holiday" and a celebration.
So where is the truth in all this? Is it demonic? Or just a simple celebration? Should I participate or allow my kids to do so? What?
Well, I've included a few links at the bottom of this blog that details the origin of Halloween. The History channel has an interesting article, free of Halloween promotion while the neopagan has a more positive Halloween spin on things. The Wikipedia site is no doubt interesting but it is in a constant state of flux. I've added the links so you don't have to read me drone on about the history and the specific meanings behind the day.
I would rather settle down on the practical nuts and bolts of this celebration (which is not a holiday) and what it means to me.
Halloween has traditionally been synonymous with death, darkness, fear, pain, and destruction. If you read the history of the celebration, you'll find that it is was developed around the day in which the druidic practitioners’ believed the veil between this world and the spiritual realm was the thinnest. During this time they believed that the dead and other spirits could cross over to our world.
When I was a kid the kids in the neighborhood dressed up as demons, Dracula, zombies, mummies, witches, and ferries. Today we have added princes, princesses, super heroes, Joe the plumber, etc. But the underlying celebration still remains. It is still done in ways to represent groups of spirits knocking on doors as our innocence dresses up and visits house after house after dark.
Halloween, glorifies death, the undead, fear, and those who conjure up and speak to them. Just watch the television, look at the movies coming out, check out the decorations in the schools, stores, and malls.
My house doesn't celebrate death. If we want to dress up in customs then we dress up. We don't need to wait for the 31st of October. If my kids want candy they can ask me for some and I will be more than happy to give it to them without the need to coerce me with "Trick or Treat."
kids are getting ready to dress up in different costumes from Superman to the Doctor Seuss' Cat-in-the-Hat. The spooky movies are out on TV and Hollywood turns out the most horrific tales of the undead, Psycho killers, and basically our worse nightmares. Our churches are putting on alternatives to the traditional Trick-or-treat custom and some of our spiritual leaders are denouncing the day as demonic and a celebration of evil. While on the other hand the "enlightened population is promoting this "holiday" and a celebration.
So where is the truth in all this? Is it demonic? Or just a simple celebration? Should I participate or allow my kids to do so? What?Well, I've included a few links at the bottom of this blog that details the origin of Halloween. The History channel has an interesting article, free of Halloween promotion while the neopagan has a more positive Halloween spin on things. The Wikipedia site is no doubt interesting but it is in a constant state of flux. I've added the links so you don't have to read me drone on about the history and the specific meanings behind the day.
I would rather settle down on the practical nuts and bolts of this celebration (which is not a holiday) and what it means to me.
Halloween has traditionally been synonymous with death, darkness, fear, pain, and destruction. If you read the history of the celebration, you'll find that it is was developed around the day in which the druidic practitioners’ believed the veil between this world and the spiritual realm was the thinnest. During this time they believed that the dead and other spirits could cross over to our world.
When I was a kid the kids in the neighborhood dressed up as demons, Dracula, zombies, mummies, witches, and ferries. Today we have added princes, princesses, super heroes, Joe the plumber, etc. But the underlying celebration still remains. It is still done in ways to represent groups of spirits knocking on doors as our innocence dresses up and visits house after house after dark.Halloween, glorifies death, the undead, fear, and those who conjure up and speak to them. Just watch the television, look at the movies coming out, check out the decorations in the schools, stores, and malls.
My house doesn't celebrate death. If we want to dress up in customs then we dress up. We don't need to wait for the 31st of October. If my kids want candy they can ask me for some and I will be more than happy to give it to them without the need to coerce me with "Trick or Treat."
3 comments:
We'll take our kids out in silly costumes for Halloween because it will give us an opportunity to meet our neighbors and interact with our community. We have a 100% better chance of making an impact in the lives of those around us, if we swallow our pride and be a part of the lives around us.
We don't have to celebrate the macabre, or observe any pagan rituals. We just have to share a fun evening with the families in our neighborhood.
Codepoet,
Enjoy the evening, dress up and exchange candy. The blog points out that the current celebrations aren't like the Christmas tree on the 25th of December.
But if you're doing it to interact with the community, where are better and more effective ways.
It isn't a matter of pride at all but of conviction. Would you celebrate another football team that isn't yours, even if you weren't wearing the teams colors? Would that be considered "Pride" or simply devotion to your team?
Where's the devotion to our beliefs or to our God?
Some vignettes: About 20 years ago some teenagers showed up on our doorstep at 10PM, this was in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Jonathan (now 22) was a baby and they woke him up (still haven't forgiven them) It was a group of older teenagers, the girls dressed very immodestly, they were out trick or treating, the girls told me their "costumes" were supposed to make them look like sluts. Sluts.
Fifteen years ago we spent $40 on Halloween candy then ran out and I had to go to the store to buy more -- about $80 total. A few weeks later we learned that missionary friends of ours (we weren't in the mission field then)had been stranded when their car broke down, they didn't have the money they needed for repairs. Cost of repairs? About $75.
Last year in our conjunto neighbors kids banged incessantly on the door, demanding candy. This in a country where more than half of the children in our city go to bed hungry. When we didn't go to the door and didn't give them candy they returned and threw rocks at our door.
Halloween brings out the worst in all of us especially our children which is not too surprising given its roots.
Post a Comment