The whole Halloween thing is weird. I loved Halloween when I was a kiddo. I loved dressing up in a costume, and I loved eating candy. And yes, I still love both of those things.
Everybody I knew went trick or treating. We received admonitions to check our candy and make sure it was safe, but other than that Halloween really wasn’t a big deal.
Nowadays it seems like everyone is lining up on one side of the holiday or the other. Or another. I’m pretty sure it’s a polygon.
I have a Facebook friend who wrote that she can’t understand why other people don’t understand that she finds nothing to celebrate in Halloween. And then there was the article I saw that claimed demons climb into bags of Halloween candy at the grocery store.
Nancy loves Halloween because the next day means the start of the liturgical Christmas season. Some of my friends wish everybody a happy Reformation Day (that cracks me up — I love that!).
Another Facebook acquaintance said that if someone dresses up for Halloween at their place of work, that says a lot about them. I inferred a negative opinion from that, which irked me slightly. Probably because I would TOTALLY dress up if I had a workplace that encouraged it. In fact, some days I feel like dressing up as an elf princess just for fun. (Haven’t found the courage or the dress for that yet.)
Paul isn’t a big fan of Halloween. He questions a holiday that has kids go door-to-door asking for candy from strangers. I definitely see his point there, both with strangers and with candy.
I don’t like the macabre aspects of Halloween that some people celebrate. Definitely could do without haunted houses and ghoulish masks. Definitely would prefer to never see the cartoon version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ever again.
But I do love candy. And I do love costumes.
Perhaps we could create a new holiday that has nothing to do with Samhain or All Saints’ Day or witches or ghosties. Just a lovely day dedicated to the wearing of costumes and consumption of sugar. Who’s with me?
I’ll take any excuse for costumes and candy. I’m ready to do it today. But, for the record, Halloween isn’t the beginning of the liturgical season – that doesn’t come until later – but it IS the beginning of the Christmas music season, which is the hap-happiest season of all! 🙂
Me!
I’m in. I nominate a dreary January or February day.
Kaye
You’re right, Mom, That’s what Carnival is about! – if you ignore the whole “indulging for a months so you can then give up everything up for another 40 days” part. I really think it’s better thought of as the “yay! Jesus was born! Let’s dress up and have fun in the dreary winter to make the it better!”
Oh, I hear you. I’ve been wondering if I ignored something screaming at me from my conscience when I dressed the kids up as Little Red Riding Hood and a turtle for H’ween. And I don’t think I did. I do have an acquantance who dressed her 6 year old as a vampire, complete with cape, fangs, white deathly face and mouth dripping blood. Wherever the line is, she crossed it. But I have a hard time getting on board with the moral condemnation of the fun, childish spirit of the holiday.
I would piggyback on Paul’s point and state emphatically that I have a huge problem with 15 year olds dressed up, trick-or-treating door to door. That’s wierd.
Misspelled “acquaintance”. There.
Oh, right, Advent being the start of Christmas…..Thanks, Nance. 🙂
Glad you guys are ready for the new holiday!
I love Halloween, I am raising my children to be Christians and we’ll celebrate Halloween as long as they want to. I think we read too much into it- Why not let it be the child-like SPOOKY holiday that it was when we were kids?
Eeeeek! Suburban Turmoil commented on one of my posts! [fan girl freak out]