People are fine with being disrespectful to Christians

[Flymetothezoom]

At a church playgroup. The people who run it are very devout Christians. I am taken aback, by the number of parents, who thought it was appropriate to bring their kids to the church dressed for Halloween. Kids are dressed as witches, goblins, skeletons, creepy pumpkins etc..
The church holds a light party every year on Halloween and is very clear that they do not endorse Halloween.

Ooh, the irony.

Are you alright @DogOverlord? You genuinely seem quite unwell with all your posts.

Kinky.

YANBU, I do think people forget that churches are about Christianity and it seems like it’s the only religion that it’s acceptable to disrespect.

That hasn’t helped you sound any more lucid 😂 but I will take from this that you’re just enjoying winding people up.

This has been an educational thread.

In case people want more context but don't want to Google - this article was useful in enhancing my understanding.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/oct/28/halloween-light-parties-church-christian-spin

Fwiw - there is discussion in Jewish communities about hallowe'en and whether it is secular or actively not appropriate to participate in. One local Jewish school held a dress up as an animal day on Friday in honour of the portion of the Torah (bible) read this week - the story of Noah. It was almost certainly put on to help assuage any feelings of missing out on the fun.

I work for a church and love Halloween. I wouldn't care less if the kids came to playground dressed up

I'm catholic and Halloween has never been an issue. You're mistaken in saying that people are dressing as witches, etc. to glorify the dark side... what nonsense!

At Halloween we were always taught that people dress as witches, etc to hide from the dark side. Dressing as a ghoul keeps your soul safe from the ghouls who wonder around on Halloween looking for souls to steal. If you look like a ghoul you get left alone! All Saints day on 1st November is your opportunity to celebrate the light side!

Halloween has always been celebrated loud and proud in our catholic household. Absolutely not offensive at all.

Witches are ficitional, serial killers aren't. Happy to help.

Well, this thread is only going to go one way now so I will leave you to it but may I give the frothers on all sides a reminder that we still have no confirmation that any representative of the church in the OP actually had an issue with the costumes? OP has made an inference based on the fact that they hold a light party.

Absolutely not. Anyone starting a thread spreading misogyny, homophobia, harmful sexist beliefs (eg purity culture) etc, and directly linking it to their religious beliefs will get the same reaction from me.

I can't control the fact that it's mostly 'Christians' starting these types of threads on Mumsnet.

All Saints day on 1st November is your opportunity to celebrate the light side!

Exactly. I think that's why some of us are quite confused about the need to counteract Halloween.

There's so much misinformation and confusion about Hallowe'en. This is a great article on it, and its conflation with Samhain from the late 19thC - very much an invented tradition:

limerick1914.medium.com/customs-vary-wi-the-times-at-hallowe-en-6137752ed653
If anyone is concerned with respect for Christianity and formal religions more generally, you might be a bit more specifically concerned that the UK has actual established churches (Church of England and Presbyterian Church of Scotland), and that anti-Catholicism is still a pretty strong current in Britain, particularly around Bonfire Night.

Says who?

I was a child in the 80s, went to a Catholic PS, church six times a week (FFS!), devout mother, devout to the point of nutty best friend’s family, etc, etc.

My Catholic school had Halloween parties every year. Nutty devout family’s elder daughter used to take me and her sister out trick ode treating, dressed up as all sorts. Obviously they never got OP’s memo. 🔥🔥🔥

You're bringing the pure 6th form debating club vibes

Exactly. Some Christians will obligingly turn a blind eye, some wouldn't tolerate it. They just need to be clear. Did they let the kids in? Did they specify a dress code?