I'm not even going there on this story. These people have no concept about where All Hallow's Eve actually came from. Devil worshipping, my a$$.

Holy Rollers Protest Sunday Halloween

I'm not even going there on this story. These people have no concept about where All Hallow's Eve actually came from. Devil worshipping, my a$$.

Holy Rollers Protest Sunday Halloween

A lot of those Christian fundamentalists won't let their kids participate in any activity that acknowledges the "occult."  They won't even let their kids go see "Harry Potter," let alone celebrate Halloween.
Regarding 11/31 falling on a Sunday, what's the problem?  It's not like when I was growing up.  Halloween was the 31st come hell or highwater, and you went trick-or-treating after dark.  Period.  These days, communities seem to be doing Halloween on the last Saturday afternoon in October, or something like that.  So if Halloween is on a Sunday, do your Halloween stuff on the 30th.

SCREW THAT.

Halloween is ALWAYS the 31st.

Halloween is the day before All Souls Day which is the day before All Saints Day.  Are
they proposing a change to All Souls and all Saints as well? I think not.  These people
really have to get over it, and themselves, they seem to think they have the answer for
all of us as to what is good and proper, having a good laugh is not on the agenda here.

I read about this. First of all, most people do not understand what Halloween or Samhain is about. For one thing, it is the half-way point between the Autumnal Equanox and the Winter Solstice. In Wiccan mythology, the God dies at Samhaim and it is a day to remember the departed. It is also said that the vail between the living world and the spirital world is the thinnest so it is time to communicate with those who have departed. It has NOTHING to do with the devil-even though some satanists try to jump on the old Wiccan holiday (just like Christians did the same thing-putting All Souls Day and All Saints Day right after).

However, in modern times, the day became more commerical (like Christmas). The candy companies and the costume companies making money on this day. It has really turned into a kids' day of fun. And in my eyes, there is nothing wrong with that. I'm sure that no one would disagree with me that it is fun to dress up-which is the appeal of Halloween for most-kids and adults. Of course the candy is the appeal for the kids, too.



Cat

meh. it's their right to complain despite the fact that their wrong.

   Offended by the sight of little devils and witches running around!?  LMAO!  Now, that's funny! :^D

   And I always thought they were kinda cute...








  ...or our little trick-or-treating beasties may try donning the trappings of our savior...you, know, just to keep the P&Q...

I'll touch this! :D

Everyone can't be pleased, obviously.  ::)

So, if people don't like the kids knocking at their door on their holy day or night, they should keep their porch/outside lights off. End of story.

If they don't want to send their kids out on a Halloween night that happens to fall on a Sunday, fine, no skin off my nose.

I don't agree with the folks who think a harmless and realistically mostly marketing-geared (especially in today's society) age old tradition should be changed for the masses because of the very vocal minority.

These people do have their very basic right to complain. If that very vocal minority wants to go all out to exercise all of their rights, go through the proper channels and suggest a national vote, more power to them.

But they shouldn't expect an entire nation to just bend blindly because of their individual personal beliefs and/or issues.

I know my porch light will be on!! :D :)

  You know, Spray, I really wonder how many of these folks will actually turn away the trick-or-treating children...I suspect, not many.

I wish they'd mind thier own business! Happy Halloween!

A few years ago the charity Car worked for set up a Holloween party at the local elem. school, with entertainment etc to make fopr a fun, safe (and warmer) night.  Admission was a can of food for the food shelf (which more and more communities seem to need (thank you Lil' Georgie and Mr. CHENEY).  But it wasn't a holloween party but a Fall Costume party because the Congregational minister objected.  Cat went as Cleopatra, I went as Emilio Zapata.

Amusing trick-or-treat story: in my youth, I did a lot of live roleplay, and at one point shared a house with four other like-minded souls.  There were more extremely realistic (but foam-padded) swords, shields, spears, axes, etc. in that house than your typical mediaeval armoury...

...come Halloween, there was a D&D session going on downstairs, with about half-a-dozen party members, when some boys knocked on the door saying "trick or treat" - I'm not sure, but I guess they got turned away: I looked out of my bedroom window onto the street, and got a grandstand view of what followed.  The boys had crossed the road, and all the D&Ders from downstairs had armed themselves, stuck the occasional bit of costume on (there was one awesomely good skeleton latex mask) and were closing in, hiding behind parked cars and coming within a few feet of the trick-or-treaters... when they all stood up, started waving swords around and making lots of noise.  You have never seen a bunch of boys run so fast.  Damn, but it was funny :D

A few years ago the charity Car worked for set up a Holloween party at the local elem. school, with entertainment etc to make fopr a fun, safe (and warmer) night.  Admission was a can of food for the food shelf (which more and more communities seem to need (thank you Lil' Georgie and Mr. CHENEY).  But it wasn't a holloween party but a Fall Costume party because the Congregational minister objected.  Cat went as Cleopatra, I went as Emilio Zapata.


Ok, you got Cheney's name right but my name is CAT not Car.  ;)

Anyway to eleberate on this story, the minister did object because Halloween is the "devil's" holiday and he said that he would not have anything to do with it if we called it a Halloween party-of course, he had nothing to do with it anyway. But we ended up calling it "October Fun Fest" which just happen to be on Oct. 31 and everyone was in costume.  ::) Would a Halloween party by any other name still have the sweets?



BTW, here are the two of us in our costumes. It's kind of small but I hope you can see it,  ;D



Cat

Ok, you got Cheney's name right but my name is CAT not Car. ;)

Anyway to eleberate on this story, the minister did object because Halloween is the "devil's" holiday and he said that he would not have anything to do with it if we called it a Halloween party-of course, he had nothing to do with it anyway. But we ended up calling it "October Fun Fest" which just happen to be on Oct. 31 and everyone was in costume. ::) Would a Halloween party by any other name still have the sweets?



BTW, here are the two of us in our costumes. It's kind of small but I hope you can see it, ;D



Cat




Cool. Is that your house by the way? What is that rope thingy to the right?

Cool. Is that your house by the way? What is that rope thingy to the right?



Yup-that is our livingroom. The "rope thingy" is a hanging plant holder. If you look closely, you can see the plant.



Cat

Yup-that is our livingroom. The "rope thingy" is a hanging plant holder. If you look closely, you can see the plant.



Cat


Neat. You like plants? I love them myself. Kinda offtopic but oh well.

While my son does trick or treat on Halloween, it pretty much ends there for me. We don't "celebrate" it as it's often mentioned b/c of our spiritual beliefs. However, let's not make negative comments on these folks b/c honestly they feel it's something important to them. Of course, the 31st falls on a Sunday this year (yes, it threw me off as well), but while I won't be out there "boycotting" with them. I respect their desire to.

Tanya

You can celebrate Maxwell. On a couple of Halloweens my family got together and did a bonfire type thing out in the woods it was fun.

Oh, yeah, and sacrifice an infant and drink it's blood for the life essence, and all that stuff, yeah, I've don that...
:o


???

What are you talking about? This is the first time you've ever ticked me off, Max. I'm dissapointed.

No, just a bonfire, it seems logical. Like Cat said, Halloween, or Samhain, isn't just candy and stuff it is also partly about change of the seasons and all of that, so a bonfire seems like a logical fun little thing to do for the fall season, that is all.

Halloween is the day before All Souls Day which is the day before All Saints Day.  Are
they proposing a change to All Souls and all Saints as well? I think not.  These people
really have to get over it, and themselves, they seem to think they have the answer for
all of us as to what is good and proper, having a good laugh is not on the agenda here.

My Dads birthday is on All Saints Day...November 1st...the day after Halloween...so when is All Souls Day?? ???

Oh, yeah, and sacrifice an infant and drink it's blood for the life essence, and all that stuff, yeah, I've don that...
:o


That's was certainly in poor taste, Max.

I read about this. First of all, most people do not understand what Halloween or Samhain is about. For one thing, it is the half-way point between the Autumnal Equanox and the Winter Solstice. In Wiccan mythology, the God dies at Samhaim and it is a day to remember the departed. It is also said that the vail between the living world and the spirital world is the thinnest so it is time to communicate with those who have departed. It has NOTHING to do with the devil-even though some satanists try to jump on the old Wiccan holiday (just like Christians did the same thing-putting All Souls Day and All Saints Day right after).

However, in modern times, the day became more commerical (like Christmas). The candy companies and the costume companies making money on this day. It has really turned into a kids' day of fun. And in my eyes, there is nothing wrong with that. I'm sure that no one would disagree with me that it is fun to dress up-which is the appeal of Halloween for most-kids and adults. Of course the candy is the appeal for the kids, too.



Cat


Cat, though you are very politically informed, I as a fellow Pagan am concerned about whether or not you have got past some of the pitfalls of Wiccan self-education. Modern Samhain, Hallowe'en, and All Hallows Eve, though they share some common origins and take place on the same day, are three completely different holidays.

One thing that a lot of neopagans have yet to realise is that all of our holidays aren't at all like the orginials, and that it is not totally correct to claim the Christianised/Popularised versions as our own. This results in a lot of "you stole our holiday, blah blah..." Modern Samhain is completely different than ancient Samhain. All Hallow's, though the reasons for its conception may have been to align new beliefs to old practises, is a very church-oriented holiday and has nothing to do with the macabre, and it is a day that celebrators spend in church. Hallowe'en is a purely American holdiay which arose from a melding of different immigrant traditions, albeit mostly Irish and British. Halloween is about celebrating all things macabre, make-believe, and of course SUGAR, lol. It is devoid of any spiritual meaning for almost everyone.

So I guess the situation is a lot like evolution. Sure, humans and monkeys share common ancestors, but that doesn't make us one and the same. It's really just a question of which one you choose to celebrate and why.

The fundies protest Halloween every year for one reason or another. I remember in 2001 it was because it would be disrespectful to the victims and their families. It will always be something. I respect their opinions and their right to not participate, but I do not respect them trying to ruin the fun for everyone else... every freakin' year. And it's not just Halloween... it's everything.

Cat, though you are very politically informed, I as a fellow Pagan am concerned about whether or not you have got past some of the pitfalls of Wiccan self-education. Modern Samhain, Hallowe'en, and All Hallows Eve, though they share some common origins and take place on the same day, are three completely different holidays.

One thing that a lot of neopagans have yet to realise is that all of our holidays aren't at all like the orginials, and that it is not totally correct to claim the Christianised/Popularised versions as our own. This results in a lot of "you stole our holiday, blah blah..." Modern Samhain is completely different than ancient Samhain. All Hallow's, though the reasons for its conception may have been to align new beliefs to old practises, is a very church-oriented holiday and has nothing to do with the macabre, and it is a day that celebrators spend in church. Hallowe'en is a purely American holdiay which arose from a melding of different immigrant traditions, albeit mostly Irish and British. Halloween is about celebrating all things macabre, make-believe, and of course SUGAR, lol. It is devoid of any spiritual meaning for almost everyone.

So I guess the situation is a lot like evolution. Sure, humans and monkeys share common ancestors, but that doesn't make us one and the same. It's really just a question of which one you choose to celebrate and why.



You are right that my "self-education" may be lacking. I do strive to learn all I can and admit that sometimes I do fall short. And you are also right that the day has evolved over the centuries. What will I be doing on Oct. 31? I will probably dress-up (haven't decided what yet) to answer the door and hand out candy. After all those little ghosts and gobblins are safely (I hope) home, I will cast my circle to honor the Goddess and God and honor those who have left this world. Whether or not that is the ancient ritual for celebrating Samhain, that is my modern way of celebrating it.



Cat

You are right that my "self-education" may be lacking. I do strive to learn all I can and admit that sometimes I do fall short. And you are also right that the day has evolved over the centuries. What will I be doing on Oct. 31? I will probably dress-up (haven't decided what yet) to answer the door and hand out candy. After all those little ghosts and gobblins are safely (I hope) home, I will cast my circle to honor the Goddess and God and honor those who have left this world. Whether or not that is the ancient ritual for celebrating Samhain, that is my modern way of celebrating it.



Cat


That's awesome! Please don't think that my intention was to, in some way, insinuate that you didn't know what you were talking about, or that you were some kind of fluff... I didn't mean that at all. I just know that rocky road all to well. It can be very easy for independent students to get lost in one of those mindset-mires that go along with teaching oneself. That's why it's great to have a respectable mentor to help guide one in the right directions. Scholarship is very important in Paganism today. Moreso, I think, than in any of the other world religions. It's almost like we pagans are constantly on the stand, so we must always be equipped with the right information. You're doing great as far as I can tell. Hopefully, so am I.

Everything you said about Hallowe'en was on the right track. It was what you weren't saying that sort of made me a little worried that you might be stuck in the whole "they stole our holiday..." routine. You aren't though, and that's clear. It's just that when I have that sort of suspicion about a fellow student, I feel an obligation to guide them out of it. That way they'll be better equipped, because like I said, we are all always on trial. We all have to help eachother out.

Now, what I'm doing on the 31st. Well, on the 29th I am spearheading a celebration at my college which includes a costume contest and essay contest. And on the actual day I am going to the largest Halloween theme park in the world ("Screams"  in Waxahachie, TX of all places), and then partying at a friend's house. It will be fun.

While my son does trick or treat on Halloween, it pretty much ends there for me. We don't "celebrate" it as it's often mentioned b/c of our spiritual beliefs. However, let's not make negative comments on these folks b/c honestly they feel it's something important to them. Of course, the 31st falls on a Sunday this year (yes, it threw me off as well), but while I won't be out there "boycotting" with them. I respect their desire to.

Tanya


This is how we do it, too.  I will take my daughter to the mall (warmer and you get tons of candy and other stuff, too) then I will hand out candy to the few trick or treaters that come to our door.  Our church usually has a 'Hallelujah Party' but this year, since it falls on Sunday and we usually have a service Sunday night we won't have the party.  I am not big on Halloween, but I let Sarah go out because she thinks it is fun.  I refuse to let her dress like monsters or other scary things, because of my beliefs.  This year she is a cheerleader.

Around here Halloween will mostly be done on Saturday.  The LDS don't like to do anything on Sunday...they even celebrated the Fourth of July on the fifth because the actual holiday fell on Sunday.

I let Sarah go out because she thinks it is fun.  I refuse to let her dress like monsters or other scary things, because of my beliefs.  This year she is a cheerleader.

I wonder if 80s_cheerleader influenced that decision ;)

???

What are you talking about? This is the first time you've ever ticked me off, Max. I'm dissapointed.

No, just a bonfire, it seems logical. Like Cat said, Halloween, or Samhain, isn't just candy and stuff it is also partly about change of the seasons and all of that, so a bonfire seems like a logical fun little thing to do for the fall season, that is all.



Sorry, I've got a sick sense of humor.  I try to keep on the right side of socal mores, but sometimes I cross the line.

I was referring to an urban myth about satanists, didn't mean to tick anyone off.

That's awesome! Please don't think that my intention was to, in some way, insinuate that you didn't know what you were talking about, or that you were some kind of fluff... I didn't mean that at all. I just know that rocky road all to well. It can be very easy for independent students to get lost in one of those mindset-mires that go along with teaching oneself. That's why it's great to have a respectable mentor to help guide one in the right directions. Scholarship is very important in Paganism today. Moreso, I think, than in any of the other world religions. It's almost like we pagans are constantly on the stand, so we must always be equipped with the right information. You're doing great as far as I can tell. Hopefully, so am I.

Everything you said about Hallowe'en was on the right track. It was what you weren't saying that sort of made me a little worried that you might be stuck in the whole "they stole our holiday..." routine. You aren't though, and that's clear. It's just that when I have that sort of suspicion about a fellow student, I feel an obligation to guide them out of it. That way they'll be better equipped, because like I said, we are all always on trial. We all have to help eachother out.

Now, what I'm doing on the 31st. Well, on the 29th I am spearheading a celebration at my college which includes a costume contest and essay contest. And on the actual day I am going to the largest Halloween theme park in the world ("Screams"  in Waxahachie, TX of all places), and then partying at a friend's house. It will be fun.


Sometime I wish that I had a mentor but than again, I can create my own rituals, and basically do it MY way. The funny thing is, I seem to be mentoring my step-daughter-not in every aspect, but just the basics. Sometimes I feel kind of strange about it because I'm not too sure if I know enough to be mentoring. Oh well. She seems to be on her own path and I am on mine. But, we do talk about some things that only a pagan could understand so it is pretty cool.


Oh, BTW, I forgot to mention that on the 30th, Carlos and I will be going to an annual pumpkin carving party thrown by some friends of ours. And this year (like all the rest) I will be carving (what else) a cat on my pumpkin.  ;)



Cat