Posted on 10/14/2010 8:20:33 AM PDT by marshmallow
I try to stop my kid from putting on scary masks and costumes but he seems to like doing this.
As for dressing up like saints, I have noticed that some Catholics seem to have a fascination with stories of the various tortures undergone by some of the saints, so maybe this is not a good idea either.
The Catholic Church had the quite genius (IMHO) practice of making it easier for the pagans to convert by coopting or allowing parts of their rituals and putting Christian events around the same dates. This is how you get the Halloween dress-up, Easter Bunny, yule logs, Christmas trees, etc. for rituals and Halloween, Christmas and Easter for dates.
Outstanding post.
I must add: thanks for your service both in the military and in LE.
I agree with this, frankly.
;>)
I loved Halloween just like you! I was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, a kitty cat, a hobo (complete with an empty bottle in a brown bag), and more. I let my kids pick out costumes and we have a family night going to our neighbors and friends, drinking warm cider, eating tons of candy.... A FAMILY NIGHT! A holiday is what you make out of it. Personally, I’ve seen more “evil” from some of the people who sit in the front pews than a little kid dressed up like a witch. Just a thought.
You get it, mom. ;>)
That’s great for your family. It is also fine for other families to opt out. We have no desire to do any of those things.
I have no desire to hold you to my standards or life experiences.... nor would I allow you to hold me to yours.
Have a Happy Halloween..... I certainly will.
“nor would I allow you to hold me to yours.”
I never tried to do that. I was responding to your post that said we should just let kids be kids and let them dress up at Halloween.
I have no problem with a costume that makes somebody look like a witch or skeleton or something.
I read something once that costume events where people do an exaggerated thing that is opposite of their every day behavior actually serves to reinforce what is normal, surprisingly. Like a “powderpuff football game” that highschools used to have, where the boys dressed like cheerleaders and the cheerleaders played football, actually served to reinforce that, in normal life, the boys were not girly and the girls were not butch. To break the rules in a big way, you are acknowledging that the rules exist, and that they are the cultural norm.
So, my kids will be scary on Halloween if they want, but will be saintly on 11/1, for their religious ed. class. (Anybody got a St. Thomas More costume they aren’t using?)
**But I can red the news.**
Well, let’s hope that the news shows red maps after the midterms, OK?
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.
I can’t go out as Karl Marx in black face?
LOLOLOL. After another Baptism of a child named Madison, or something like that, I asked our Deacon when the Church had changed the rules about children being given a Saint's name at Baptism. He replied, "Oh, we do not know whether there is a St. Madison, or not. Perhpas she hasn't been born yet."
One of the most enjoyable Hallowe’ens I ever spent was as an adult. It was the end of the Jubilee year, and our Bishop arranged a great, Diocese-wide, celebration. He rented the Convention center and people from all over our Diocese converged on it for the whole day. The first 1000 in the door were given disposable cameras and told to record the day and turn the cameras in at the end.
There were displays of pictures of noted events in our Diocese on the 1st floor and displays and activities all over the convention center. The various Catholic schools presented their choirs and bands in mini-concerts. One of the high schools presented an act from the play 1776, and there were other dramatic presentations too. There were senior activities. On the top floor were children’s games and crafts. They built a Noah’s Ark out of 2 x 4s and cardboard, and you could have your picture taken with your head poking through various cut out animals.
Throughout this great complex, high school youngsters wandered about in Saints’ costumes. People attending were encouraged to approach these kids and guess their costume. The youngster gave (the person guessing) a Holy Card representing and telling the story of their Saint. I remember one very tall boy who was perfect as Saint Patrick and proud to represent him. He was super tall with his miter on!
At the end of this part of the event, you turned in your camera and they made your pictures into a calendar for the following year which came in the mail about 30 days later. I still have mine, even though this celebration was over 10 years ago.
At 5 pm everyone attending moved out into the street and marched in procession with other members of your Parish down the street to the Arena where we celebrated a HUGE Mass with every priest in the Diocese concelebrating with the Bishop. We had readings and song in every language spoken in the Diocese, with a full orchestra and choir. It was an incredible Hallowe’en celebration, and everybody enjoyed it. Thousands attended. Our Pastor had made a special plea to his parishioners to attend this event, and I’m glad that we did, even though we had no children to bring with us.
See #57.
Kids dress up for the fun of it, and once the costumes are shed they go back to their everyday life of school, chores at home and family time with mom and dad. (At least in my part of the country.)
I have fond memories of trick or treat, and I dare say it has not once affected my faith in God. As a matter of fact I think it allows us to reflect upon our mortal soul as we get older.
God Bless!
I feel that Evangelical Protestants go way too far in their avoiding “The Devil”.
God told us not to be afraid and put his trust in Him.
So, if my kids want to dress as Harry Potter characters, then go to the All Saints party the next day, it’s my own way of thumbing my nose at the lot.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.