How & Why to Re-focus Halloween as a "Fall Festival"

GTBE email ^ | 10/07/05 | self

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

Re-focus Halloween!


If your school insists on having some kind of Halloween celebration, recommend that they steer away from the ghoulish and occult and, instead, focus on the event as a fall festival. ...

"When you turn evil into a game, it trivializes it and numbs children to its darkness."
(excerpt from email) GREAT RESOURCE SITE for Teachers, Parents & Students.

[bethelgrad]

If I were still a pastor, I'd insist on changing "Fall Festival" to "Halloween" just to stir up the pot.

[ShadowDancer]

You must be Glenda the Good Witch.

[Corin Stormhands]

We'll take the little one around before we go to the Fall Festival.

[misty4jc]

I can sort of understand what you're saying. We are blessed and I've taught my son that every good thing is from God. To him right now, candy is a VERY good thing. :o) (probably because he doesn't get it as often as he wants)

We're Christians, lovin' the Lord and all that, but we still do the silly halloween stuff. My husband and son have already bought their costumes and we've already done one pumpkin (a cat!) because my son couldn't wait. :o) It's just one day out of the year when my son can dress up and act silly and go beg for candy and get to eat a ton of it! My husband and I have already talked about this, and when my son (and other children we may have) get older and candy doesn't hold the same appeal that it does now, we'll do something else together halloween night. I was thinking of those bowling parties where the bowling balls and pins glow, with the black lights and music and pizza and all that. When he's older we can explain to him the mean-spiritedness (is that even a word lol) that happens on halloween sometimes, and how we can let it be for the little ones to get candy.

This year my son is going to go as a Doctor, my husband is riding an ostrich, and I haven't decided what I'll be yet. :o)

We're not celebrating death, satan, witchcraft or anything like that. The adults here make it so fun for the kids....everyone who's giving out candy does their garage up like a mini haunted house, but nothing scary, just really neat. I think it's a mistake to get bogged down in the details and "religion".

Don't sit in judgment of parents who want to take their kids out. If I'm wrong, then I'll be convicted on it. We've been to fall festivals at churches and it's not so different. The kids still dress up any way they want, they get candy...etc. I always thought the festivals in churches were to keep the kids safe from poisoned candy and "stranger danger" and things like that. We don't have to worry about that here.

We're not participating in evil. Our kids here have to worry about the evil that their parent's are currently overseas fighting. We deal with deployments and TDY and training and etc....let them have their fun, I say. These kids have to grow up fast, they fear seeing a chaplain's car...let them have fun and be little still and silly for a night.

If I'm wrong, then God Himself will give me a "spiritual slap-down". :o)

[Clemenza]

Been uncouth since I popped out of the womb.

"I raised alot of Cain in my younger day. Mama would always pray my crops would fail."

[PeteB570]

About 10% of the kids who come by my house are dressed up in a perfect costume of a teenager.

[rattrap]

Think I'll give out carrots and celery.

Just hope it doesn't rain on the toilet paper then, it makes it a real ***** to get off the trees. It could help with the eggs though.

[MineralMan]

"Your post is indeed a disgrace to this thread and to the credo of FreeRepublic.

The Lord rebuke thee, Ma'am. "

---

Oh, my goodness. Not only a whiny post, but a curse in the name of your deity, as well.

Check with your pastor, if you would. I believe calling on God to concemn someone else is the very definition of taking the Lord's name in vain.

I could be wrong, but do check with your pastor on that.

[Chena]

I just want to know why I should buy candy for other peoples' children.

Maybe because it's fun for the children? I loved to see the kids come to our door in a variety of costumes, especially the little boofers. You, of course do NOT have to buy candy for other people's children. When we went out trick-or-treating when I was a kid, we always knew which homes to steer clear of. They kept their porch lights off. :)

[YankeeGirl]

Are you for real? It's roots are ancient harvest holidays later mixed with Christian holidays. As a matter of fact observant Jews I know don't allow their kids to participate in trick-or-treating and don't give out treats (as a matter of fact it was a bone of contention in one family I know, mom said it was harmless, dad, the rabbi, said no).

How do you think it honors witchcraft?

All Saint's Day (Nov 1) and All Souls Day (Nov 2) are fairly somber holidays, honoring the dead. (However, I think I read that in Mexico, there is a tradition of bringing dead relative's favorite foods to the cemetary and celebrating a family meal there.) The older harvest holidays were more upbeat, and hopeful for a safe winter.

Speaking of darkness, is there a black cloud following you? Have a candy corn and lighten up!

[right]

A lot of these attacks are misrepresenting the post. No one said to end the fun of Halloween. But where is the "fun" in front yards covered with fake bloody bodies with axes in their heads!

[ShadowDancer]

Jeez is taking the Lord's name in vain? Surely you jest. Oooops, I hope I didn't just offend anyone name Shirley.

[Chena]

Think I'll give out carrots and celery.

Oh, you don't want to do that. That's what Vegans eat. ROFL!

[k2blader]

You don't get it, do you. Grouping halloween with Christmas and Easter is like grouping amnesty for illegals with spending cuts and welfare reform.

[MineralMan]

Not really, it isn't. But to call on God to rebuke someone is certainly taking the Lord's name in vain. Not very nice, and cause for repentance, I'd think.

[Overtaxed]

Heh...they can throw the stuff in the compost pile for all I care.

[corlorde]

where is the "fun" in front yards covered with fake bloody bodies with axes in their heads!

So it was YOU I SAW driving by my yard!

:->

[R. Scott]

And insure that Christmas is called a “Winter Festival” – after all, it’s more about spending money and parties than about the Christ.
By the way, I doubt my ancestors – who celebrated Samhain (now Halloween) were Satanists. They had never even heard of Satan.

[MineralMan]

"Heh...they can throw the stuff in the compost pile for all I care."

OK. Well, good luck with all that. You might just want to leave your porch light off and let the kids pass by. Me? I'll be chuckling at all the costumes.

[Overtaxed]

A friend of my sister's puts an empty basket on the front porch with a sign that says "help yourself."