Happy Halloween!! This time of year is funny to me in many ways so I thought I might muse here a moment. Here in the Bible belt, Halloween has become another topic to create "the other" It is quite divided here. Most churches are having "Fall Festival" instead of traditional Halloween. It seems that the same people who are up in arms about Harry Potter also fear the evil and devil laden possibilities of Halloween with all it's Pagan roots. For some reason Christmas with all of it's Pagan roots has escaped this fate and I don't feel like pointing it out and spoiling the gift getting, glitter hanging, Santa Claus welcoming of it all.
So, most kids around here are getting ready to go on a hay ride, drink apple cider and well... do Fall stuff. I am sorry but acorns will never compete with Dracula.And going to a party with your church friends and your parents to eat cupcakes with candy corn on the top will never be in the same league with dragging a pillowcase through a dark and cold neighborhood with your really good friends to find and conquer the houses that are handing out "good" candy.
Perhaps fall colors are nice but spending weeks planning your costume and make-up is fantastic. Having your otherwise strict and controlling mom let you leave the house in what ever you have chosen, with enough eye make-up on to rival any hooker in any big city is really fun. For boys it is a bit more exciting to buy some horrific mask or weapon and pour fake blood on it. Probably more fun than tame harvest games like bean bag toss. So I will say it loud and proud. Halloween is good. Our Bishop said this from the pulpit. Despite some discussion, we are not having a fall festival, we are having good old fashioned Halloween. And to him and other visionary leaders I say good for you! We can get sentimental about the harvest during the month of November.
1 comment:
I couldn't agree more with this post. Although I enjoy the theater of it all, I ultimately feel bad for the children who have to celebrate "fall festival." I'm also surprised that so many people allow themselves to be swept away by trends, unwilling to really investigate true origins.
How many of them even have a rudimentary understanding of paganism? Why do they assume, even if Halloween did have "evil" origins (which it doesn't), that the evil is somehow innately intertwined into the very nature of the holiday? Also, mom brings up a good point about Christmas origins (selective perception?). All of our holidays are revisionist holidays. In fact, the Christian revisions of Halloween have pushed us closer to darker depictions of death and "evil." Don't people see that horror sensationalism plays off of puritan ideals?
Anyways, I was an 80s glam rocker this last Saturday. I will post pictures soon. I wore Marissa's Iron Maiden shirt and purple wig. Indeed.
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