Christian faith vs Halloween

[inmysparetime]

I am a Christian, and refuse to celebrate Halloween in my household as it familiarises and celebrates evil, no matter how it is dressed up as "fun for the kiddies"
I work in a day nursery where everyone (including staff) will be expected to dress up and celebrate Halloween. Any ideas how I can reconcile my professional responsibilities with my faith?

chipmonkey I saw the ghost of a dog in the kids home when I was about 12 One of the house aunties (our residential carers) had had her elderly dog put to sleep about a week previous. I had to pop up to my bedroom one morning to get something for school and I saw it plain as day come out of my bedroom, walk across the landing and disappear into the wall. I didn't particularly like it when it was alive so I hadn't been upset about it dying, so it wasn't an emotional response. I just saw it right in front of me. I didn't dare tell anyone in case they thought I was nuts.

dh also witnessed a ghost in his room in the retreat centre about 6 weeks ago. He awoke one night to find something standing in his bedroom (the door was locked). It walked over and sat on the edge of his bed, he even felt it sit down! When he sat up and put the light on there was nothing there. He hadn't been drinking and isn't prone to being silly, so he is a good witness. He got the impression it was a woman (perhaps one of the nuns).

Wow, that was weird about the dog! And strange that your dh felt the ghost sit down!

I know my cousin has seen ghosts but she doesn't really talk about it.

Sorry, but I have to show off some knowledge here...

Trick or treating is an example of a British practice, which was taken over to America & developed there before being re-imported.

31st October is Hallowe'en (the evening of All Hallows' Day, or All Saints' Day - a holy day of obligation, for the Catholics among us [hsmile]) which comes on 1st November, followed by All Souls' Day on 2nd November. Children would go from door to door, offering to pray for the souls of the neighbours' lost loved ones, in return for food/cakes - 'soul cakes'. Evolved into trick or treating, then brought back over the Atlantic...

As with so many Christian festivals, there was an existing festival (in this case Samhain, Celtic new year) which was re-branded; this involved bonfires to chase the spirits away (but at some point after 1606, we moved the bonfires to 5th November).

So - while I have some empathy with disliking some of the practices, it seems that the church at least condones the festival itself... so maybe it's about how you celebrate it, rather than whether you do?

Was wondering how long it would be before those nasty upstart Americans with their vulgar Germano-Britannic traditions would be mentioned

And as Azur mentions, the irony of the comment about the witches is beyond parody.

Let's not forget, the image of the 'evil witch' was created by the Church.

That image was used as reason to burn to death over 100,000 women.

The 'evil' imagery associated with Halloween is a creation of the Church, designed specifically to discredit and whip up hatred and persecution of pagans, wiccans and anyone else who didn't toe the line.

Umm... don't think I said it was vulgar. Or indeed German. I think it's actually really nice that a very old tradition remains but has developed and been built on over the centuries. Sorry if you don't agree, or if you thought I was criticising those nasty upstart Americans

My work place liked to dress up. I think it's reasonable to abstain without a problem if you explain why.

inmysparetime,
You have my sympathy. I had issues in the past with nursery when I did not want my child to partisipate in Halloween. What is hard is that it is not just one day. I agree with you that Halloween is pure evil in a way that other non christian festivals aren't.

I think the only thing you can do is to book the day off as annual leave if that is possible. I realise it may be too late to do this for this year. Otherwise I think you have little choice but to dress up as instructed. I don't know how sympathetic your manager is.

Prehaps you could suggest that you organise activites for the children of practicing Christians and Musims. Many muslims are opposed to Halloween as well. You could organise alternative activites for these children. It would show Ofsted that your nursery is sympathetic to the religious background of children from christian or muslim families.

Here the kids are not allowed to wear scary costumes to the Halloween party; they are all train engineers or princesses or whatever.

Cote D'Azur, I was aware I would be targeted putting this up, but I think you'll find a great deal of difference between religion and faith. At no point have I said it is against my religion, I have said I have a moral objection to celebrating Halloween due to my faith, and that I especially object to preschool children being dressed ip as gruesome figures for entertainment.
These points have nothing to do with the history of the tradition, I am seeking help on what to do practically on Monday to remain true to my beliefs while delivering the curriculum in my place of work, given that my workplace will be celebrating Halloween.
If you don't have something helpful to add, Why come on here?

I agree with CoteD'Azur.

OP maybe if you learnt about and understood the history and tradition behind Halloween it wouldnt be so hard for you 'morally'

fearful what do princesses and engineers have to do with Halloween?

And how do engineers dress? Most of the ones I know wear slightly ill-fitting suits and refuse to wear ties under any circumstances but I don think there's anything particularly distinctive about them.

Genuinely confused here!

I'm sorry, but rationalising and explaining it doesn't make it any more acceptable if this is how people feel about it, myself included. I have a natural aversion to it for many different reasons, regardless of the history surrounding these practices and beliefs.

OP doesn't say she has a natural aversion to it. She claims it 'familiarises and celebrates evil'. She is saying that it IS bad not that it makes her FEEL bad.

Also she says " I draw the line at anything involving ghosts, vampires or witches, as they represent evil (even if they are fables)"

It's already been explained that the witches her church killed were just old women so not something to be superior about.

Saying ghosts are evil is presumably offensive to everyone who thinks they saw the ghost of a relative.

Now as an atheist I don't believe in ghosts, or her god, but the OP is saying her beliefs matter which dismissing others. She can't have it both ways.

The OP has not dismissed anyone's beliefs. She just does not want to take part in the Halloween celebrations in her workplace.

"It's already been explained that the witches her church killed were just old women so not something to be superior about."

That happened hundreds of years ago and OP was not responsible. Frankly what attrocities happened hundreds of years ago is irrelevent.

The OP has a more immediate problem of how to reconsile her PERSONAL faith and feelings with what she has to do at work. It is not easy and prehaps the OP needs to look for a more term solution. Prehaps she should look for a job at a christian based nursery.

FFS... Intolerance much?

BellaDonnaSansMerci am I right in thinking you mean the OP for her attitude to other people's beliefs?

Realllytired, she is saying that hers are right. I agree about her getting a job somewhere more suitable, but most Christians won't fit in with her views either.

I think you misunderstood about the witches etc. My complaint was not that she killed witches, but that she was laying down the rules on who was good and who was evil.

I did mean the OP. It's actually the rudest thing I've ever posted, I think...

I was going to ask if the OP avoids Easter eggs (Easter being named for Eostre) and many Christmas customs inc the actual date of the celebration but couldn't be arsed.

I appreciate (and support) the OP's right to believe and worship as she wishes (assuming no harm is done to others) but that tolerance works both ways.

Rant over.

I actually do avoid Easter eggs, not that it's pertinent to this discussion.
I am not intolerant of others beliefs, at no point have I confronted my colleagues and refused to undertake any aspect of my work due to my beliefs.
I am looking for a way to participate in a way that does not compromise my own beliefs, why is everyone getting so het up about it?
I do believe that spiritualism is against Christianity (souls go to heaven or hell, don't hang around waiting for a chat)
I don't force others to believe this.

I am really not the fundamentalist you think I am, I hold my beliefs quietly, and am honest with people when they ask me about them.
Please accept the way I feel about the situation, not as a personal attack on your viewpoint, but as a practical dilemma.
Thank you to all you folks that have offered advice, it is very welcome.

Most American (devout) Christians manage to celebrate Halloween, I never heard of it being thought of as even potentially in conflict with Christianity until I moved to Britain.
I find the British idea that you have to dress up as something demonic to make it Halloween quite weird. Americans mostly treat it as a purely fancy dress event, and wear anything to participate. One year I went as Calvin & my boyfriend went as Susie.
This page might be helpful. It concludes that in spite of pagan elements in the common traditions, Christians can in good conscience celebrate both Halloween (and Christmas).

Mali I suppose I mean train conductors? Are they different? DS was one for Halloween when he was little and wore striped overalls, cap, etc. Like this In America it's become more of a dress up and go trick or treating thing, not necessarily about being scary, though they sing songs at preschool like "Five little goblins" , etc.

I do know some devout Christians who do not celebrate Halloween. They usually compromise in some way, like handing out candy, or having a Harvest Festival at church or something.

I mean you can dress up as anything...a dinosaur, fairy, fireman...whatever. It's rare to see a little kid dressed as something scary.

Oh yeah, what ragged said. :)

Did you know, Fearful, that Easter is the most important event in the Christian calendar? I never knew that, growing up in a secular family in the USA. I honestly thought Christmas was THE biggest event in Christianity . Easter is a Big Deal here, from a sacred religious standpoint, you hear lots about each of the holy days leading up to Easter on the BBC (like Shrove Tuesday, Lent Sunday (ok, it's called something else, I forget what), Maunday Thursday, Good Friday, etc.) Shops here used to all close on Good Friday, and even now few open on Easter Sunday.

My uncle (Creationist preacher, tho' I think even he celebrates Halloween) -- he has sent out email circulars about Christmas being over-commercialised, but can't remember nary a word from him about Easter being over-commercialised. & [hconfused].

Is that just a cultural difference, or should any Christian anywhere deem Easter as more sacred than Christmas?

I'm not sure since I've never left the US besides brief forays into Canada. :o But yes, I've always been told that Easter is the most important. (I am a devout Christian, in my own way.)

I agree that Christmas is over commercialized and have tried to take steps to remedy that within my own family. :)

I "do" all the trappings of Easter though- eggs, bunny, etc. We believe that they symbolize new life, which is what can also be found in Jesus.

That is probably the most Christian-y sentence I've ever written in my life. :o