Halloween - how do other Christians feel about it?

[jaffacakeaddict]

I loved halloween as a child. I dressed up in whatever fancy dress costume I could find and would go guising round our neighbours houses with my friends. There was no trick or treat then and everyone was expected to do a "turn" in exchange for some monkey nuts and sweets or some dookin' for apples. Now I have my own kids I feel a bit uneasy about it. How does everyone else feel about it?

It is interesting to think that the Halloween traditions go right back in history to Iron Age Cdelts celebrating the festival of summers end. However, I really don't like the imported American 'trick or treat' stuff or small children dressing up as ghouls and skeletons etc.

I explain to my children where the name comes from from - All Hallow's Eve being the day before the Christian festival of All Saints day.

We are really not killjoys but as neither DH nor myself like the modern Halloween we have never let our children get involved and they have never minded. It seems like another excuse for consumerism gone mad in the greetings cards shops.

Yes, I really don't feel happy about them dressing up as little devils etc. Perhaps they could dress up as cowboys and go round our friends houses?

In the automn, I like Harvest Festival, and I like "All Saints Night". Traditionally here, all saints night was celebrated by remembering past family members and other loved ones, by putting candles on their graves. A lovely and beautiful tradition. I dont like Halloween.

I really love Halloween but I grew up in Canada where its a big deal, every house gave out candy and chocolates, everyone got involved, some homes would spend days getting their house ready as they did for Christmas with decorations etc, a huge thing.

At our Catholic school the older junior high kids would do up a 'haunted house' on the stage of the gymnasium where us little kids would walk in hand in hand and were led through a scary house with 'ghosts', worm buckets (cooked spaghetti) etc, it scared the heck out of us and we loved it! Then we'd have a party and bob for apples, sing, dance etc. So my memories of Halloween are very very positive.

Plus, for us, Halloween and Thanksgiving are usually a couple of weeks apart so its also very much tied into the whole 'harvest' theme as well.

Yes, it is a commercial holiday but I don't think it affects my faith and beliefs at all, I am a practising Catholic and very evangelical and I do not believe Halloween has ever distorted my beliefs, either as a child or adult. I still love it!

I don't have any issue with it. I don't approve of trick-or-treating, but I'm fine with fancy dress as creepy things. I don't think it's validating ghoulies and ghosties.

Some churches, I know, do an alternative "Light Party" for Halloween, but I have always found these pretty tedious. Better that the kids actually enjoy dressing up and playing some harmless traditional party games. I don't think the festival impacts on anyone's beliefs or thinking, and is mostly a harmless bit of fun. I've always ddiscouraged my kids from trick-or-treating though.

Actually it has no real proper history in this country at all; it's a tacky US import which bears little relation to Punkie Night or anything pagan. The old Christian thing was souling - 2 November, not 31 October - n which children begged for a soulcake and in some places put it on graves as an offering.

I think the orange plastic version now is light years from Satan; he's worldly and he probably has some taste :)

I find it incredibly boring anyway but my kids (younger two anyway) still enjoy dressing up as gouls and witches. I agree with the poster above that its become a tacky American celebration. Have no objection on religious grounds - I just find it dull!

Our church has a kids' event on Hallowe'en called "The Alternative", which is supposed to be a light version of hallowe'en.
I've never been to one (no kids), but I assume they promote love of God rather than worship of the devil.

Although, as a tradionalist, I've never believed that that's what it was about - the devil worship thing is a corruption.
In the Christian calendar, it's always been held as the evening before All Hallow's Day, which is when the dearly departed go to their rest. (I think the idea is that on the night before, those souls must be floating around with no rest....)
All Souls' Day is for those who have already passed in previous years.

I think it originates in what is termed Samhain, but how much this is due to Celtic neo-paganism rather than any actual recorded "Day of the Dead" known to be practised in Iron Age times, is less certain. I like the idea of Souling a lot but it's only common in certain parts of the UK.

We have halloween activities in our church - we call it a light party. We also encourage children to go out and give treats rather than taking them.

We don't do halloween because we believe that the activities are contrary to the Christian message and I grew up with a lot evil in my life when I was very young and I don't want my children to think it's cool or fun to take an interest (however innocently it's dressed up) in that side of life.

Sorry, DandyDan, it really doesn't. There isn't much evidence of any activities around Samhain surviving into Xtian times, only a kind of anxiety and that was also felt on Yule-days...

I love neopagans but they are making it up. Very creative of them, but they are. Just look at all the recipes for Beltane cake with baking powder, ffs. That said, I reiterate that I think the current Halloween is boring, harmless and tasteless, and very commercial.

I think the problem with the way in which many Christians object to Halloween is that they give Halloween more power than is really has. I agree with sieglinde, it's mostly about Wallmart pushing us to buy pumpkin babygros and toffee apples at Asda. Nothing much evil about that.

sieglinde, I actually agree - I don't think it does either. I think neo-Paganism has made up 99% of the historicity of pre-Christian celebration of this day/season - ie halloween/day of the dead. I'm sure there were religious/spiritual practices connected with earth gods and goddesses/familiar spirits but really these were not codified or connected with a particular day of the year as such.

I think dressing up as creepy non-existent creatures is harmless. I think the aspect of commercialism and the demanding and rather greedy practice of going around asking for sweets from strangers (or even friendly neighbours), is more unpleasant and less in tune with Christian living.

Yes, DandyDan, sounds like we are in total agreement. The custom that's old and likely pre-Christian and most like trick-or-treating is souling, here the cake as sometimes given to the dead, maybe as a kind of fee connected with the afterlife. I'm also in 100 percent agreement about Halloeen - icky, in the main harmless, but can lead to horrible bullying of elderly neighbours.

Hi, I just wanted to respond as a religious person (but not Christian).

I agree with whoever said that it is an American import. My reasons for not celebrating it stem from that and the commercialised nature of it. Also, I think Trick or Treating is really unpleasant when you think about it.

I will bring up dd celebrating Bonfire Night as to me that is an important (and fun) cultural and spiritual event.

Argh, I meant to say historical, not spiritual.

sieglinde, it may well have "no proper history" in England or other parts of Britain where 5 Novermber is/was more commonly celebrated but here in (northern) Ireland Hallowe'en has always been the much bigger day/night.

As a practising Catholic I don't mind letting my own children experience the same things I remember from my childhood - fancy dress, fireworks, sparklers, bobbing for apples, collecting sweets, etc.

I agree noyoucant, as I'm from NI originally I remember bonfires, no fireworks in my day though they were banned I think due to 'the troubles' at that time, but did have sparklers & toffee apples (now banned in my house ;0) jacket pots in tin foil from bonfire & apple tarts with penny's ,oh happy days. I really don't like American trick or teating, a bit distasteful to me, but in all honesty we used to go round asking for a penny for the latern which in Ireland are turnips (here sweedes) alot harder carve than pumkins.
That garble over, my lot like halloween, this yr was first yr I let 2 of mine go trick or treating, with their dad & only to houses we knew.
From my christain faith view, it really doesn't worry me, mine are just as happy dressed as fairies or cowboys so perceived evil doesn't come into it.

It doesn't bother me but we do sort of a Halloween Lite version. DS was a scarecrow this year; we just went to a few houses and there was a Fall Fun Festival at his school.