Okay so John and I have been going to a wonderful church and we have a "lifegroup" that we attend for a weekly Bible study which is incredibly interesting. But at our last meeting they stated that we wouldn't be meeting on Monday night because it would be Halloween. Which then made them start talking about what some of them do that night and I must admit I was kind of shocked. You see as a child I was NEVER allowed to participate in any Halloween antics so it's amazing to me what kind of things people were able to do at Halloween. I mean when I was a kid we always went to church on the night for our "Autumn Festival","Fall Festival","Calvary Carnvial"...basically you think of a corny NON-halloween name and our church evening was called it. Then to top things off we had to come dressed up as a Bible character. Now most churches now adays will let you dress in anything not evil or scary but I was not that lucky. However, I do remember the only2 times, yes 2 times I was able to go trick or treating I was 12 and then 13 and it was always last minute so I never really had a costume. Once I was a baby and the other time a bag lady, all things that can be homemade costumes. But I feel like I missed something in my childhood because of this so it brings me to the question of what will I let my kids do??
Now that being said I am trying to ask fellow friends what they grew up doing and what they will let their kids do when this time of year comes around. Granted we don't have a clue what our neighborhoods will be like or the crime rates but if you had let's say a 7 year old right now what would you do when they come to ask you if for a costume and trick'r treating??
I'd love to hear your thoughts!!!
8 comments:
Halleluiah, you're back! Hope you're enjoying the house.
About Halloween...my kids will go to all the church Fall Festivals or whatever else they call them, no matter how corny they are. At least they won't celebrate all the supernatural and the occult. Check out this website, I share my views with the writer: http://www.jeremiahproject.com/culture/halloween.html
PS. David and I are thinking of going to Helen, GA for our anniversary, maybe we'll swing by yours on our way back if it's not too far.
Yelena :)
We celebrated Halloween when I was little, I even went as 'Death' one year, I made my own sickle and wore a black bath robe with a hood. Usually I was a ninja, pirate or soldier. We were allowed to go trick or treating as long as it didn't fall on a Sunday night. If it did, we usually went to the fall festival @ church. Halloween is rooted in a pagan holiday, but then again so are Easter and Christmas, all three being marked by human sacrifice and diety worship at one time or another. The question is not what others see it as, rather what you see it as. If you feel it's safe in your neighborhood to go door to door, then I say let them have fun. Go with your kids. I plan to go with mine. I worship Jesus, not Samhain or any other demon. I know where I stand, so slapping on some grease paint and a colored wig aren't going to condemn me or my family to Hell. I don't think it's a good idea to let them dress like a devil or witch or anything like that, but if you're going to restrict their costume choices, do the right thing and explain to them the reason behind your decision instead of just saying "NO!" Oh well, I'm off to buy a pumpkin. Happy Halloween everybody!
Wow very interesting. It's funny though because I think I'm right in the middle of you both but John is basically right where David is....glad I could strike up some controversy. By the way we close on our house Friday and I'll post an update then!
We always went trick or treating - my parents just looked forward to us coming back and dividing up the candy (its helps when your daughter doesn't like chocolate)! Remember though I grew up in a liberal, left wing home.... :) When I was younger the neighborhood was much more involved in Halloween and everyone came out with their kids and they had "adult stations" setup for parents to get coffee and apple cider as they walked the neighborhood with the kids. My parents never emphasized a religious side of Halloween - it was always just another holiday to me like Valentine's Day or Labor Day. As a kid you really have no idea what any holidays mean, I was just glad to have a reason for a classroom party or to have the day off from school!
Our kids will go trick-or-treating and you know David will make them have elaborate costumes which he will design. And by the way, if you ever live in a neighborhood that's not safe to trick-or-treat, let me know before we to come to visit!! :)
-Robin
Sara,
I used to go trick or treating. Not a lot. Actually 2 times as a child and once in high school. We took a Japanese Exchange student. She had never seen anything like it!
Anyways, Me and Stephen have researched Halloween and do not participate in it. So with that said we will not be allowing our future children to do so as well.
I think the best thing to do is do your research about what halloween really is. Even though some people say "well I won't let my child be a witch or anything" It is still participation! So really find out what it is all about. That is how I made my decision.
Hope that helps!
There are tons of sights to find research but if you need any let me know I will be glad to share!
Love ya, Missed ya!
Wendi
I'll bet a lot of Christians won't be skipping another popular Fall holiday: Thanksgiving. Remember, the one where we celebrate the communal feast we had with the native americans the year before we began to kill them off and take their land? Celebrating greed, avarice, murder and deception aren't condoned by Christ, but then again, that's not really the reason most Christians celebrate Thanksgiving. Just as many Christians celebrate Halloween as a time to fatten themselves on their kids' candy, not to worship or implicitly condone worship of the supernatural. Instilling your kids with knowledge is the surest way to protect them from the evils of this world. Instilling them with fear or disdain of something is only going to pique their interests further. Halloween is good for bringing the neighbors together to enjoy over-eating of sweets and the occasional hayride. It is not good for glossing over witchcraft, promoting mischief, or egging houses. Robin and I will be careful to distinguish between the two. And if you are still vehemently against it, take the advantage of the opportunity of tons of children coming to your door. Attach a bible verse to a piece of candy and add a, "Have fun, God Bless You." Kids, other than your own, won't understand the principles you're following by ignoring the doorbell when they come by. Find a way to remind people that Jesus loves them in any situation. It worked for Saint Patrick.
My family never "celebrated" Halloween......or at least that's what my Dad said. They did let us go trick-or-treating when we were younger, though always as a clown....nothing scary or crazy and they would only take us to houses of people we knew. We didn't get much candy but I think it was just enough to keep us from feeling like we were being left out while all of the other kids were doing it. I'll probably do the same with my kids but I'll explain everything to em. We always had a Hallelujah Night so that helped to. You got candy from the church.
I love costumes. I love candy. I love the fact that once a year people actually MEET their neighbors and many people just GIVE things away to relative strangers. I love bonfires and the color orange and pumpkins.
I hate Satan. I hate spiders and witches and mass quantities of candy corn. I really hate it when people like our neighbors set up a gruesome display with a "guy" facedown, half-buried in a hay bale with a hatchet in his back and blood. Can I say "really hate" again?
I love Jesus. I love Halloween. I choose what I want to "celebrate," and just use it as a time to dress up and be creative. I trick-or-treated as a kid, and absolutely don't feel as though I identified with Satanists in any way. Things are what YOU make them. Many people celebrate Christmas without acknowledging Jesus. It's still Christmas to them. I celebrate Halloween without acknowledging Satan or other occult stuff. It is what I have made it. Nothing wrong with a felt ace of spades costume, a good bonfire, and some orange-sprinkled sugar cookies. Darn it. :) Much love to ya all.
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