Religious Conviction or Cultural Paranoia?

Halloween is for children. Let them enjoy it.

Oh puhleeze...kids have been enjoying Halloween, no matter what their religious persuasion. I agree with panzade.

Some "religiously devout people are up in arms about Halloween being celebrated" as a silly kiddy holiday. I refer to the followers of the rites of Wiccan and others who still recall that the origin of this feast (All Hallows Eve in the Church calendar) has its origins in the celbration of Samhain, which marked the start of the Celtic new year and was the holiest of holidays in the Pagan calendar. That retailers have found it a goldmine on a par with Christmas (Yule or the Winter Solstice in the older traditions) is, to them, an abomination.

Pagans aren't evil, dammit.

And if anybody wants to mess with me on this, I'll hex ya.

Just wait 'til late on Halloween ... the dead grow restless as the clock strikes midnight. They go in search of those who believe in them and have called them to their cauldron. For the next few hours they are willing to help out in exchange for a little respect, whether it is by haunting the fearful or other little tricks that will make you question your sanity.

Ya better watch out!!!

Mwahhhhhhahhhhhhhhhhh

Fate played a cruel trick on me...I found my soulmate on a forum,,,lol

<smooch>

Watch out... kisses from pagans are habit-forming.

A family moved into my nice neighborhood from a big city, and when they first arrived they hated halloween and wouldn't let their kids trick-or-treat. Now, several years later, they have no problem with it. The change was based on the community (that's not a guess, by the way).

I would assume that there are some communities that DO have problems on halloween. Maybe just jerky teenagers, pulluing pranks and destrying things (as teenagers are wont to do). Anyway, the point is, some people have a good reason for not wanting their kids out on the streets.

In russia they don't celebrate halloween, and I saw a newspaper article "explaining" the american holiday. We wear pumpkins on our heads and roam around in mobs, wearing dark robes and brandishing torches, chanting and worshipping.

"...wearing dark robes and brandishing torches, chanting and ..."

Some of us do... is that a problem?

It's an inaccurate depiction. It made me laugh.

Not completely inaccurate, SCoates.

Most pagans feel that the dark hours between October 31st and November 1st are a very special time indeed.

Samhain Explained

"Not completely inaccurate" is a contradiction of terms. The statement was, in fact, inaccurate, regardless of whatever truth you may find. :p

It was deceptive.

Not completely inaccurate is not a contradiction in itself. It's a perfectly acceptable double negative. What it means is that your conclusion:



... is not correct for everyone, SCoates.


But... whatever you want to believe, that's OK. No hard feelings. Here, have some candy.

;( you think you can buy me off with... ooh, is that peanut butter?

I'm not 100% sure about Russia, but I strongly suspect that there is a tradition of mummery at this time of year (late Oct., early Nov.). It may have gone out of fashion during the Communist era, but I know that other Eastern European countries have long-standing traditions of going 'round in fancy dress on certain Autumn nights (Martinmass is one, Michaelmass another). This, too, of course, dates back to Paganism. The point is that at this time of year the spirits of the dead roam at will in the nighttime. Some of them are quite malevolent. The idea is to fool them, dress up as a ghost, a vampire, a zombie and they'll think this space is already sufficiently haunted and move on.

That's funny. Sounds like how they'd solve a good zombie problem on I Love Lucy.

Peanut butter and it's got crunchies in it!!!! But, errr... uhhh.... don't ask where the crunchies came from... you don't want to know.

<evil grin>



Hiya Merry Andrew! What are YOU going to "be" for Halloween???

Hey, Piffka. I plan to go in hiding on Halloween as I do most years.

A safe plan! Has it been just two years since New York? Y'know, we celebrated Halloween that year at Sleepy Hollow. Kinda creepy!

Hi Piffka!

Hi Andrew!


SCoates,
You've never been in New Orleans for Halloween, have you?