Halloween

[MusicLover123]

I was at the store yesterday with my family(not married yet :-), and had their Halloween stuff. I swear, it keeps getting creepier and demonic every year. Like, there were skulls, creepy dolls, a "telephone" playing weird voices and sounds, among other things.

I think this is the first time(maybe as my relationship with Him grows) that I really feel uncomfortable around these things. What is so entertaining and fascinating about darkness? What draws someone to these things? Especially the horror movies, it is as though demons are making these things.

[Dandelion]

I grew up, a Roman Catholic, in the Bronx, in a lower, middle class neighborhood.

Halloween was a big deal there. I would go to Woolworth's store, on Fordham Road, and there were many, many boxes there, with pre-made Halloween costumes. I would pick out the one I wanted, and go trick or treating, in my apartment building. I wasn't allowed to go to other houses, while most of the children I knew, could. The candy stash would last for days and even weeks, for some of the children.

No thought was ever given, that I knew of, when I was young, that Halloween was a bad idea. It was like breathing the air.

I dressed my children in non-frightening outfits, except the first year, when my older child was about 2. That year he was Dracula.

As time went I, I began to re-think Halloween. I no longer partake in Halloween activities. My daughter still loves it, and my son, aka, Dracula. They are very taken with scary movies, too, which I didn't let them watch, when they were growing up.

The custom actually was begun in a response to the Catholic feast of all souls, followed by all saints day. I think I got that right.

I think it also had roots, as a pagan feast of harvest time.

Anyway, I don't judge. We all are on a journey, planned out by God. I am here to love, not to judge.

My interpretation of this Bible verse, keeps me away from it, though.

Philippians 4:

Think on These Things
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me, put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

D.

[MusicLover123]

Thanks Dandelion.

Apologies if I sound judgemental. It is just my conscience that doesn't feel right about it here, so if someone does not feel wrong celebrating it, that is between you and God ultimately. It is not everything related to Halloween I don't feel good about. I'm fine eith candy and fun little pranks and some costumes. It is when people start bringing out the skulls and creepy dolls and sounds, coffins and other things.

On specifically the things I mentioned, just what and why are you celebrating it?

[GodIsLove]

I totally agree that the spooky, scary etc aspect of Halloween doesn't sit well with me.

I also grew up participating in Halloween.

With my kids, I have made this compromise (for now, we will see as they age):

I told them flat out we don't celebrate death so we will not do haunted stuff, skeletons, witches, Dracula,, scary costumes... they seem to "get it"

But so far every year for 6 years they can dress up in cute costumes and we trick or treat at stores on a square downtown called the "commons."  It was last night, so not on actual Halloween. My in laws are into getting together so the cousins can dress up and play and we do that as well.

So far I'm ok with that because I believe it's what is in our hearts that matters.

We will see as they get older. I also don't agree with watching scary movies, I did as a teen and I regret it.

Philippians 4:8 New International Version (NIV)

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

(Thanks ML for the scripture in the other thread, and Dandelon for it in this one!)

[marie glen]

Amen, :iagree: with all of the above.

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: IMO, Halloween is a pagan festival which we are told not to emulate. It also seems to me to be a celebration of death and all it's trappings, and a great witchcraft primer for young children. I refused to allow my kids to participate in it, just like I refused to let them participate in Ouija boards, Dungeon and Dragons, and every other witchcraft based thing coming at our kids today. The history of it alone should be enough to stop participation in it, but sadly, for a lot of Christians, it's not. My  :2c: Blessings...

[Dandelion]

To MusicLover 123,

I don't celebrate or participate in Halloween activities, anymore. I thought I was clear about that part, but perhaps not.

But, I do not judge others.

To Cardinal, Even though I did participate in Halloween parties, I didn't let my children watch, participate, read things about witchcraft, psychics, fortune tellers, etc.

This is a quote by a Satanist:

"I'm glad that Christian parents let their children worship the devil, at least one night out of the year" ( Referring to Halloween).  Anton LaVey - Father of Satanic Worship

[GodIsLove]

Satan lies, as would satanists.

I don't believe we can accidentally become Satan worshipers because we wear a teddy bear costume and eat a snickers bar on a particular day.

I don't believe we can accidentally become Hindi by standing in the tree pose, or accidentally become Buddhist by sitting quietly, or accidentally become pagan by adhering to the days of the week, talking about the names of the planets. Tuesday comes from Tiu, or Tiw, the Anglo-Saxon name for Tyr, the Norse god of war, etc. We don't accidentally become Jewish by eating kosher pickles.

I believe it is the same argument that Christians have with Christmas because of pagan roots etc.

That all is true, but God can use anything for his purposes. When else can you hear songs proclaiming Jesus and even UR played openly in stores and on the radio? When else to people feel stirred to help their fellow human even if it's to drop change in a Salvation Army bucket?  Even amid the consumerism and distractions, God uses it.

So while there are pagan roots to Halloween, there are also Christian roots, not that the holiday is Christian how it's practiced now. Now it's secular, as far as the community than I live in, and it's 90% kids dressed as princesses and super heroes.  The Friday festivities that I mentioned were done with another Christian family.  The darker aspects of Halloween are by people who live darkly the other 364 days of the year too.

Just my two cents, for now, at this point in my walk.

[Dandelion]

For me, the purpose of Christmas has always been to celebrate Jesus birth. It is hard for me to understand why the fact that the date is not the same as His original birth makes it an invalid holiday. Yes, it has become very commercial, but not for me.

Halloween also has both Christian and Pagan roots as well, and yes, many people do not dress up in scary costumes, or in anyway honor demonic spirits. I do think it is much harder to avoid the darker side, during Halloween, however. Perhaps, I am wrong. 

However, as I said, I don't judge...... I do celebrate Christmas, but no longer celebrate Halloween.

D.

[GodIsLove]

I think if I didn't have small kids I wouldn't celebrate it either.

I don't particularly like the holiday. So I teach my kids we don't celebrate death, and to look upon or think bad things corrupts us.

My compromise to them, because everyone we know dresses up except two families, is that they can dress up in non-scary costumes.

If I truly thought the holiday was all evil I wouldn't compromise with the kids, but because I think we are truly acting in a way that doesn't offend God I'm fine with it.

I see it as a lot of other things in this world, fairly nonsensical but not cause for forbidding.
I am pretty strict with my kids, we don't watch anything even mildly violent, scary or intense, mostly it's Mr Rogers...i have a tendency to want to shelter and protect them from the evils of the world to a pretty strong degree and I once posted on here about that impulse and some people discouraged that approach.
I talk a lot with them about things in a matter of fact way to explain our values.

So I just wanted to explain that it can be done, in my opinion, to partake in something for the sake of the culture around us while also not compromising our values. Maybe others see differently and that's okay too.