Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Halloween? Bah, humbug!

I am whatever the appropriate term is for a Halloween Scrooge.

I do not like the celebration of the dark arts and I don't think children should be led to believe that threatening others is acceptable on this one night of the year. 

Am I taking it too seriously? Possibly but I still don't like it. Fortunately when my children were young this American import of trick or treat was in its infancy in this country. Nowadays it's a different story. 

When the children were young I was a fairly new Christian and the church I belonged to sometimes held an alternative Light party. I think on at least one occasion I dragged my children along but they weren't very successful. Who wants to to go a church event when they could be getting free sweets or enjoying a halloween disco? 

These days Husband and I do our best to ignore and avoid it. There aren't many children in our road and the path to our house is quite dark - especially if we don't put the outside light on which we don't. One year next door's children did knock and I think the best I had to offer them was a slimming world chocolate bar. They didn't come back after that although for the next few years I did buy in a (large) tin of sweets just in case. And, what do you know? I had to eat them all myself.

This year, with Halloween on a Tuesday, I shall be at Zac's leaving Husband to fend off any daring trick or treaters. Good luck to them for that.

Interesting P.S.
I asked Nuora about the celebration of Halloween in Italy. She said it doesn't really happen there. What does happen is that November 1st is celebrated as All Saints' Day and is a national holiday and a day when Catholics are supposed to go to mass. The next day, 2nd, is All Souls' Day when deceased members of the family are remembered but I think,as far as I recall, Nuora said that her parents will combine it with All Saints' Day and visit family graves after mass. That's the tradition in her part of the country, Piemonte.

6 comments:

nick said...

I try to ignore Halloween as well but it's getting more and more fashionable over here too. If some people want to do the Halloween thing, good luck to them, but I object to them pestering other people who aren't necessarily interested. We always get a few trick or treaters and I wish they would just piss off. In any case, giving out chocolate bars simply encourages rampant tooth decay.

Sharon said...

I used to have a lot of fun with Halloween. Now? Not so much.
I used to love seeing the little fairy princesses, pirates, and hobos. Little kids are so cute dressed up and they are so excited.

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

Here it's St Martin's Day in November that's celebrated with songs and sweets .
Perhaps there's something about Autumn that makes a treat neccessary .

Liz Hinds said...

Quite right, Nick! I should have added that to my arguments.

I love the pumpkins and colours, Sharon, but just not the tort-ing.
Autumn treats are all very well and good, Sonata. I would never deny a treat its rightful place!

Beside a babbling brook... said...

"celebration of black arts

So not so!!!!

"this American import of trick or treat"

American import?!? Samhain celebration is ANCIENT!!!!

You obviously have accepted the superficial and religious history of Halloween Samhian.

Even things like "Trick or Treat," have their origins, in ancient practices.

Wonder why they put a Holy Day, around Halloween Samhain? Because the Catholic Church was good at psychology, and knew they couldn't stamp out "The Old Ways," easily. So they put Catholic Celebrations, at times of ancient Pagan ones!!!! The Ancients honored their ancestors, at Samhain. So the Church make it, "All Soul's Day" celebration. Seeeee???????

Why do you think Christmas is celebrated, when it is????? No one knows when he was born! But the old church fathers picked at time, quite near Yule! Please read all about it here!!!!!

Please do not just swallow, all you are fed, in Religious Meetings. Know History! And then, come to your own conclusions. Maybe you will stop wanting to say "What TF?" during your Bible Study classes. Remember????? You said this, in a post!!!!!!

I am of no religion. I was a Roman Catholic until I was 60 years of. And then, I gave myself permission, to question. And spent years! Years! Coming to my present views. One has to read, and read, and ask, and think. And that takes time and effort and ....

-sigh- I am so incensed, to find that modern people, still are believing and passing on, some very old and very untrue notions. -sigh-

Luna Crone

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Nuora is right. .But it is actually getting more popular in Italy unfortunately ..and in Piemonte where my friends live and where my cousins live near Milan .They do have a national holiday too . We don't. .and the cemeteries are adorned with Chrysanthemums. . THis is one flower you don't take to someone as a gift. . Also in France.