Well I have seen so many posts and blogs telling me all about how Halloween is such a terrible thing so I decided to stand up for Halloween by answering the points made!
1– Halloween goes against my Christian beliefs.
Ok so dressing kids up as witches, goblins and Dracula is worshipping the devil? I think not… halloween traditionally recognises the dead ..it has evolved to do this by dressing as modern ‘spooky’ and ‘undead’ characters . There are many celebrations and traditions over the globe that use the imagery of ‘the dead’ or ‘evil’ in their rituals. Acknowledging the darker characters in our traditions is just part of our heritage . My friend is a vicar and I asked her about her thoughts..she laughed and said ” there is a big difference between children dressing up as ghosts and ghouls to children actively worshiping and glorifying evil” she is right too! I am a Christian and I can safely say dressing up as a witch or monster doesn’t affect my faith in anyway!
2- Its begging!
Really? How can it be begging when homes actively go out and buy sweets and candy to give out as well as place a pumpkin in the window to illustrate they are taking part.
Begging is asking for money or items for no other reason that personal need ( albeit often desperate) knocking on doors all dressed up and taking a pre prepared treat is hardly the same!
3- it’s another pagen celebration that’s been taken over and spoiled!
Like Christmas? And all the other nutty traditions we have… it’s called history and culture ! When things evolve from its origins into something else influenced it’s simply the world creating new celebrations and cultural rituals. Christmas 50 years ago was a very different affair, it has just evolved to what we know now, new traditions are developed organically through different communities and every generation brings its own take on it. Just as Easter, mayday, whit Sunday ( this doesn’t even happen anymore) bonfire night, mischief night, New Year’s Eve? All these celebrations and rituals have either grown, changed or fizzled out… its history in the making and how the world works.
Pretty much everyone puts up a tree and exchanged gifts at Christmas regardless if they are practising christians, it’s the same thing…
4- children shouldn’t be scared or frightened.
Ok then if your kids get scared easy don’t take them anywhere scary! I have a three year old who this year dressed as a pink witch and went around her neighbours knocking on doors with us. I didn’t take her to a zombie warehouse scare fest and didn’t dress her in a butchered zombie costume… our neighbours were kind and gentle with her and any bigger kids refrained from jumping out on her.
Believe it or not most people know how to behave!
We did do some gentle scaring tho.. saying boo to our trick or treaters and ‘scaring‘ Daddy with torches lighting our faces… there is a difference between engaging kids in the stuff of nightmares to a few gentle bumps and jumps…
5- ‘I’m not having kids knocking on my door all night‘
Ok well it’s not obligatory just don’t get involved. But ask yourself why? Communities are not what they were because people don’t get involved in things like this!
I walked around my street and talked to people I’d never seen before.. or people I only see at Halloween…I welcomed children and families to my home and we enjoyed sharing joy among our community.
It lasted about two hours, by 8pm it was all done… some of the older generation were obviously enjoying seeing the children visit them all dressed up and all in all it was so enjoyable.
You don’t have to join in, but if you didn’t you missed out… it was such fun.
6– ‘the kids have gone out but I closed the curtains and hid.. they better not knock on my door’
So you let your children get involved and watch as they enjoy visiting members of your community collecting treats… but you don’t give any thing back to your community yourself?
Mmmm really?
My favourite were the houses that for years didn’t join in and moved into the back of the house every Halloween to avoid the kids knocking for treats.. then all of a sudden their child is old enough to want to join in and they are all dressed up , house decorated and knocking on your door!!! Community is life long guys! You can’t just take the cream off the top!!!!
7– it’s commercialised!
You mean you can buy cool stuff these days? Hell yeah! It’s ace!
When I was a kid you couldn’t get anything! A plastic mask that cracked immediately and scratched your face and a carved turnip! I would have loved all the stuff you can get now!
From costumes to props! It’s all super fab! Yeah to commercialism !
Btw I only bought pumpkins and a witch costume for my lot! We have in the past gone mad and decorated the whole house and had a party tho it was super fun!
Just remember you don’t have to buy stuff!
8- It’s American!
Well not really… we have always had Halloween it’s just more popular in America and they make more effort …we are following suit… we are just a bit late catching up.
Just to point out that the ‘Santa’ we see now in red clothes is from America , Christmas trees are from Norway , baubles and gingerbread are from Germany and it was the Norwegians that started the Christmas tradition of gift delivering by Santa.
We collect ritual and tradition from across the globe over history .. it makes up our diverse cultures!
We don’t have to boycott things because other countries did them first…. it is 2016! Surely your not saying if America does it we shouldn’t?
9– the clubs are full of young people in inappropriate and frightening costumes.
Oh dear.. maybe stay at home this weekend.
Great excuse to dress up though if you fancy a change from the usual short skirts and heels!
10- it’s all over the internet, Facebook and twitter have been going on about it for weeks!
That because people have been getting excited for it. When people are giddy they post and share stuff.
There has also been tons of stuff about the American election too… now that’s a real nightmare! Firstly it’s American and it involves real life scary and evil characters and they are all begging and trying to manipulate people… cripes I think they should ban it! …
11- kids are wondering the streets in the dark on their own..it’s not safe! . some are causing trouble!
Well I guess it’s the safest time to go out as a child on your own… with the streets so busy with children and families and doors opening and closing all the time. It’s great kids can use this night as a practise for when they inevitably have to be alone in the outdoor world!
It’s a shame some kids cause trouble …. but it happens… let’s hope the masses of non trouble causing Halloween goers make the odd trouble causer feel too self conscious to be naughty!
12- full families are dressed up and going door to door.!!!!
Aw how nice ! Love to see families getting silly together..spending time together and going out together….this will surely make you happy as you don’t want to see kids out on their own causing chaos?!
Stop moaning, stop looking for negativity and join in.. you never know you might have fun.
Round Peg festival Mama 