Hallowe'en is harmless ...

ABCNEWS ^ | October 17, 2015 | knarf

[knarf]

I have been antagonistic against Hallowe'en since I was born again in 1981 ...

[stars & stripes forever]

There were baby sacrifices going on during Halloween in our region in the 1980s. Mothers would not notify the hospitals they were pregnant, so the births were not registered. The whole thing was kept hush, hush. Horrible.

(The legal arm of baby sacrifices are still being performed through Planned Parenthood.)

[exDemMom]

That is an interesting question. Come to think of it, I do not recall seeing any holidays discussed in the bible. I am not talking about the major events that are described, but the holidays that commemorate them.

I can’t help but think back to the Jehovah’s Witnesses that I went to school with as a kid, who would not celebrate any holiday, or even birthdays. They would always say that holidays are not in the bible, so they do not celebrate. The one exception was Easter, because that is a time to remember that Jesus died for our sins. Although, technically, their reasons for not celebrating anything should apply to Easter, as well.

Our Easter celebratory rituals, BTW, were mostly adapted from pagan spring fertility rites.

[MD Expat in PA]

We used to "encourage" kids to our door with fruit, a toothbrush and an anti-hallowe'en gospel tract in a lunch bag .....

I imagine that once the word got out in your neighborhood, on what you were giving out, that you weren’t exactly “encouraging” any kids to your door to get their apple, toothbrush and their anti-hallowe'en gospel tract in brown paper lunch bag….

BTW - what is your take on Santa Claus? Do you go to your local mall and hand out gospel tracts to the little kids waiting in line, telling them that Santa = Satan?

What about the “evil” Thanksgiving that has its earliest roots in ancient pagan harvest festivals?

[ilovesarah2012]

We have three dogs. They don’t like strangers coming to the door. We go upstairs and turn out the lights. Very few kids in our neighborhood but we get kids from other areas because our development is one big circle with no thru traffic so it’s safe to walk. I used to love sitting out front and passing out the candy to cute little kids. Now so many “big” kids, teens, are coming around and I just don’t feel comfortable, not to mention the price of candy.

[JoeProBono]

[huldah1776]

Holloween’s true colors have come to light. I hate it.

[maddog55]

I’ve posted this because I think an intelligent conversation may develop from it....

Guess you’re disappointed.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I've posted this because I think an intelligent conversation may develop from it

How to speak Activist

What they say: "We want to start a dialog." (or in this case "have an intelligent conversation")

What it really means: "Shut up and let your betters lecture you."

Yep.

Fits no matter what side of a debate you are on.

Do you think anyone will be allowed to post a counter argument without being called evil?

[Boardwalk]

November 1 is All Saints Day, so just hold out until one second past midnight Oct 31. ASD should get a bigger party!

[catfish1957]

It was big years ago — maybe starting in the ‘60s. Not sure

Pretty sure it was the mid '60's because I remember my dad as a kid kidding me to give up bag of candy for the poor children in Africa. I still hear that hokey commercial...... "TRICK OR TREAT FOR UNICEF".

Needless to say, we didn't see any of that in Texas.

[ConservativeStatement]

Agreed about when I hear Halloween used as a holiday. Another thing that irks me is when people say “Happy Memorial Day.”

[Eccl 10:2]

"That is an interesting question. Come to think of it, I do not recall seeing any holidays discussed in the bible."

I invite you to read Leviticus 23. Here, God instructs us as to the holidays we should celebrate. Also, Exodus 12 describes the Passover, which is what we should be celebrating instead of Easter.

I would also invite you to read about the prophetic nature of Lev 23. This site does a good job, and there are many others: http://waitingforjesus.com/jewishfeastsprophecy.html

"Our Easter celebratory rituals, BTW, were mostly adapted from pagan spring fertility rites."

More like we have allowed pagan rituals which have nothing to do with the Bible to replace our celebration of the Passover, and distract us from God.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Halloween is only grotesque because Christians have surrendered it as a Christian holiday, part of Allhallowtide.

The Allhallowtide triduum encompasses the Western Christian observances of All Hallows’ Eve (Hallowe’en), All Saints’ Day (All Hallows’ or Hallowmass) and All Souls’ Day, which last from October 31 to November 2.

It helps to think of it in the manner of the early Christians, who traditionally believed that the veil between the material world and the afterlife thinned on the evening before All Saints’ Day.

Here, the Christian traditions varied. In some places, in order to prevent recognition by a soul, causing them distress, “people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities.” In medieval Poland, believers were taught to pray out loud as they walk through the forests in order that the souls of the dead might find comfort.

The Christian Church traditionally observed Hallowe’en through a vigil “when worshippers would prepare themselves with prayers and fasting prior to the feast day itself.” This church service is known as the Vigil of All Hallows or the Vigil of All Saints. After the service, “suitable festivities and entertainments” often follow, as well as a visit to the graveyard or cemetery, where flowers and candles are often placed in preparation for All Saints’ Day (All Hallows). This is mostly known to Americans through events like the Mexican “Day of the Dead”, to remember and honor deceased family members in cemeteries.

All Saints’ Day is a holy day to honour all the Christian saints and martyrs, both known and unknown. All Hallows is a universal Christian holy day and feast to honor those who were most righteous as Christians.

The final day of Allsaintstide is known as All Souls’ Day, and is also called the Commemoration of All Faithful Departed. All Souls’ Day focuses on honouring all faithful Christians “who are unknown in the wider fellowship of the church, especially family members and friends.”

Put it all together in a respectful manner, and it is a beautiful Christian holiday season.

However, when ignored, it can and does become hideous and grotesque, far more pagan than Christian. People using the “thinning of the veil” to try and summon forth evil and demonic beings and forces, witchcraft and vice.

Christians need to overcome this not by ignoring it, but by restoring it to its rightful place in their traditions.

[knarf]

I already explained we DID pass out fruit, toothbrushes and a tract .... I never had the thought as a child, and I have attempted to pass the thought on to MY children/grand children ...

You can imagine how well THAT went over.

[Twinkie]

We live out in the boonies, down a long dead-end road,
down a long, spooky driveway. I don’t let husband weedeat
the “weeds” on the sides of the driveway. We’ve never had
a spook on Halloween in the 30 yrs. we’ve been here. We
turn off the lights and pull down the shades on
Halloween. I get a little bit of individually wrapped
candy before Halloween; then we have it left after
Halloween and eat it ourselves. I don’t like all the
stuff surrounding Halloween.

[I want the USA back]

The candy and pumpkins are OK and fun for kids. Some people go too far with the graves and corpses on the front lawn.

It no longer has anything to do with the Christian holy day.

[driftless2]

but it certainly isn't a holiday like Christmas or Easter .

It's what is know as an observance. Like Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and The Big Cheese Day. I might have made the last one up. I live in Wisconsin.

[ifinnegan]

“I have NEVER seen anyone dress like Jesus...”

That would be kind of blasphemous.

[driftless2]

An innocent holiday

It's not a holiday, it's an observance.

[ifinnegan]

“An innocent holiday has been coarsened and, in my opinion, ruined.”

Well said. Cut right to the heart of it.