Amongst all the happy trick-or-treaters and partygoers out this evening are worried parents, seemingly afraid of some sort of hidden meaning behind the candy-filled holiday. I personally do not understand this. I know Halloween has a reputation, but I wish people would do research before they make outrageous claims.
What bothers me about this is the same people who insist that Halloween is evil are the ones that are dying eggs for Easter and putting up Christmas trees, both Pagan practices. Here is an article about Easter. The eggs and rabbits come from symbols of fertility, since Easter takes place in the spring.
Here is an article on the Vatican warning parents not to let their children participate in Halloween because it is "anti-Christian". My sister's 14-year-old friend is not allowed to do anything on Halloween. I wanted to talk to her parents, but I didn't get a chance. They went camping this weekend, I am not sure if it was to "get away" from Halloween. My friend Taylor told me he was not allowed to trick or treat for years when he was younger. All it took was for his mom to listen to a Christian tape about the evils of Halloween, and she forbid he and his sister to go out on Halloween. He told me it wasn't until a year ago that he was allowed to go to Halloween parties. He's 19 now, so he would have been 18 then. I like this short article on the "lost" meaning of Halloween.
I think the "meanings" behind holidays have long since vanished, and now they are simply for fun and/or retail. I think people need to lighten up and not take things so seriously. However, it is their lives and they may choose to be uptight if they wish.
An amusing video by the Onion on how Halloween has become overcommercialized:
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I have to agree with you on this one. Halloween is a day that many children look forward to every year. Halloween represents a day that they get to dress up in their favorite costume and go house-to-house collecting candy. In my opinion, it sounds like a great time! I think it is a little extreme to forbid your children from dressing in costume and going trick-or-treating. I don’t think collecting candy dressed up as your favorite cartoon character is a crime. Halloween has a history, but it doesn’t mean that any individual who celebrates the holiday is related to the history.
ReplyDeleteI found an article from History.com that explains the history of Halloween. Here is the link: http://www.history.com/content/halloween/real-story-of-halloween . Basically, Halloween is considered by the Celts, a day that the two worlds of life and death become unclear. On October 31, they celebrated the ghost, Samhain, who represents the ghosts of death returning to earth. The Celts believed that the presence of the spirits would make it easier for the Celtic Priests to predict the future. The Celts would have bonfires where they would burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. They would also dress in costume while doing so.
I don’t necessarily see this as a bad thing (Minus the burning of poor animals). In a sense it seemed like a way of honoring the dead and celebrating the harvest to come. I think the issues of Halloween and Trick-or-treating have gotten out of hand, and children should be allowed to celebrate this fun-filled night with the rest of their friends.
I love the topic Candice :) Very Provocative :)
ReplyDeleteWow, where do I begin on this. Well, I can see both sides. On one hand you have those who celebrate this day every October and on the other hand you have those who oppose it. Yet still, there is a third hand that holds on to neither of these views, a bipartisan stance if you will.
I am one of the bipartisan people:) I respect both sides. I am a believer in Christ and willingly recognize the hypocrisy in the "Christian" community concerning holidays celebrated. I like the way you brought up how the Easter and Christmas holidays are celebrated with pagan symbols and relics. You did your research :) Many people just follow the crowd and don't ask questions like "why do we paint eggs?" or "why are we decorating for late December?” Many believers in Jesus Christ are the same way. As you said, there are few that know about the rabbits being a symbol for a quick delight with numerous sex partners, a salute to Aphrodite and other goddesses, even the worship of nature and of fertility if you will.
My personal convictions on this are quite simple. Now that I know the truth, what do I do with it? I think that is a personal thing between every individual and their creator. What I think may be different than you or her or him. I am not Celtic, nor do I have ancestors that showed me how to celebrate fallen relatives this way. I would be posing if I claimed to be celebrating something I am not truly part of. That would be like me celebrating the Los Angeles Lakers NBA Championship run last year. I am not a fan, so I don't pretend to be. It is the same with this stuff.
All in all, I think there are bigger fish to fry. Instead of letting certain issues divide us, I feel like we should focus on what unites us and let the creator communicate the desires He has for every individuals life on his terms, not by me mocking you and your neighbors for dressing up and giving out candy to the neighborhood kids. By not judging, I am leaving my mind and heart open to more truth about what really matters in this life and the next.
Candice, I agree with Joey that you've chosen a provocative topic. Thanks for the link to the site that explains Halloween.
ReplyDeleteCatholics, Anglicans, Episcopalians and other similar churches celebrate All Saints Day when we remember the departed and light a candle for them. In Latino cultures, people commemorate the day of the dead, and they tend to the graves of the departed and celebrate their lives.
It has always amazed me how many people prefer to follow doctrine, so-called prophets, their disciples, commentators, self-anointed experts, and people who project that they are devout believers whose "knowledge" of doctrine gives them special status.
It's far easier to be a follower than to be a reader, investigator or analyst of whatever doctrine or path is being offered. Independent thought is often presumed but not really realized.
What do you think?
I have to agree with you, Candice. First, there is nothing wrong with dressing up as your favorite character, or some random character and go house to house to get the candy you deserve:). From my experience, I celebrate Halloween when I can. I haven't celebrated in the past 3 years, I had to work every time.Ive been born and raised in Bulgaria, and we never celebrated Halloween there. I believe there is no such of a holiday in Europe. When I moved here 6 years ago, I didn't know nothing about Halloween. However, the first time I went to a Halloween party I had a blast. I thought it was a neat holiday, where kids and adults can have fun. Second, I don't think there is a hidden meaning behind this holiday, or even a evil meaning. I agree with Joey as well, on his take about it is up to the individual to decide if he/she is going to celebrate, or not. As well as, the example Candice gave about the little boy that haven't been allowed to go trick or treat.
ReplyDeleteI liked the article that explained the "lost" meaning of Halloween. There was a good bit of information I didn't know about how different cultures celebrate it, and actually how they have different meanings for this holiday.
Overall, I love your second topic as well. :)