Does Anyone NOT Celebrate Halloween?

[Princess_Aurora]

I was just wondering if anyone here doesn't celebrate Halloween or knows people that don't celebrate Halloween. If so, what are the reasons? I use to know someone in school that wasn't allowed to go Trick or Treating for "religous" reasons. I don't know what religion she was but she also didn't partisipate in our Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter parties at school.

I LOVE Halloween! It's like my favorite holliday I can't imagine anyone not wanting to celebrate it.

 

[tc]

I don't celebrate halloween. I hope I don't offend anyone, or put someone off, but the reasons are simple. I was sexually assaulted on Halloween and then stalked for years after. My assailant felt it fun to do a lot of his stalking in Halloween. Kind of celebrating the anniversary. I hated seeing peopel in costume for fear it was him. My kids never went to school. I was just too afraid. My stalker never contacted me when I moved (that was 18 yeras ago) and I am sure he has moved on or is in jail, but I still don't celebrate. I have been to counseling and no longer live with the fear like I did, but I just can seem to "celebrate" on Halloween. Usually Stephen and I take in a movie and dinner so we're not home for trick or treaters (kind of freaky to open the door, still), and then home and watch another movie. My daughter, Kimmi, is 19 and works at a daycare. She's having a good time dressing up on Halloween. She missed out, but doesn't blame me, she understands. As far as religion goes, if I had kids now, I would not have let them dress ghoulishly, but our church has a great festival where kids dress in non-scary costumes and have a great time. I would probably do that. Hope this post didn't start this thread off on a downer. I have healed and am moving on, but that's why I don't celebrate Halloween.

 

[snoopy]

{{{hugs}}} tc, what a horrible thing to have to go through. I'm so sorry.

I celebrate Halloween, but a co-worker of mine doesn't allow his children to celebrate Halloween, or any holiday, for that matter. They are Jehovah Witness, apparently the only special day they celebrate is wedding anniversaries. I always feel sorry for his kids, they have to be excused from all the school parties, and never have even one time celebrated their own birthdays. What the reason for this is I'm not exactly clear on, but from what I understand its the norm for Jehovah Witness.

 

[preshi]

I hate Halloween.. I don't think it's safe for my son... when we were younger we either went to this thing the firehouse threw or we'd go to the elementary school where they had fun stuff to do... never trick or treated until we moved here... I don't like the older kids attitudes and people are just too scary these days.

 

[DaveH]

We don't. We are empty nesters and no kids have come around. 3 years ago when DW and I got together she had stuff ready for the little ones and none show. It is ashame but I understand why parents don't let there kids go around the apartment complexes like ours even when they are with them. When I was in the miltary and lived on post it was great for the kids. The folks without kids did all kinds of neat things to have fun with the kids and the MP's were everywhere.

 

[binny]

Halloween is not my favourite holiday. I don't like being scared and have bad memories of my brothers scaring the crud out of me ( their fav pastime)

Other than that I have no real basis for my dislike of the day.
We do the church Harvest Festival mainly because all their friends are there and I really dont want them around the really scary costumes and such theyre just too young. They do still dress up but not in anything spooky. I do let them trick or treat at our friends and neighbours houses.

Did any of that make sense?

 

[tc]

Princess_Aurora: don't worry about bringing up bad memories. After years of therapy and many hours of prayer, I have grown to accept that bad things happen to good people. It helps to heal by talking about it. When I mention it, it tends to bother more people than it does me. My experiences are what made me the person I am today, and, believe it or not, I like who I am, and, given the chance, would probably not change it.

 

[WDW2002]

I have a co-worker whos daughter in law does not celebrate which results in her grandkids not celebrating. It is a religious thing, but not the witnesses, they celebrate other holidays.

 

[Judy from Boise]

When I was in the miltary and lived on post it was great for the kids. The folks without kids did all kinds of neat things to have fun with the kids and the MP's were everywhere.

So true ! People went way out on base to have fun on halloween, and it was safe.

 

[Blondie]

Sorry tc, no wonder you don't like Halloween. {{{hugs}}}

We, on the other hand do participate in door-to-door trick or treating. There are so many kids out in our neighboorhood! I try to focus on the theatrics of halloween. Who doesn't like getting to dress up as something else for a change? I think it's all in good fun, as long as nobody is getting hurt.

I do have a friend that doesn't allow her kids to trick or treat for religious reasons, she feels it's satan's holiday, but they still gave out candy to those who came to her door. I told her that I thought it was sending mixed signals to her kids...it's okay for you to pass out candy, but her kids weren't allowed to trick or treat? After I said that, she stopped passing out candy!

I also e-mailed her lesson on Halloween...but she still thinks otherwise...and that is fine.

 

[WDW2002]

Originally posted by Blondie
I do have a friend that doesn't allow her kids to trick or treat for religious reasons, she feels it's satan's holiday, but they still gave out candy to those who came to her door.

If you don't celebrate you don't celebrate, that is fine. But to give out candy but not allow your children to partcipate, is IMO mean as well as sending a mixed message.

 

[Blondie]

That's what I thought too WDW2002, which is why when I found out, I had to say something (it's a rare occasion when I keep my thoughts to myself!)

 

[Grog]

My boss doesn't celebrate for religious reasons. Kind of a shame for those of us that have been there a while as our previous boss, who I worked with for over ten years and who left last summer, loved Halloween and used to go crazy with the decorations. I don't complain though, as I like my current boss and respect her views. I can always celebrate Halloween away from work

 

[jldriscoll]

Originally posted by snoopy
{{{hugs}}} a co-worker of mine doesn't allow his children to celebrate Halloween, or any holiday, for that matter. They are Jehovah Witness, apparently the only special day they celebrate is wedding anniversaries.

You're right except that they also celebrate Thanksgiving. My Uncles family belong to this religion and Thanksgiving isn't a religious holiday so they participate. (It had always been the only holiday we spend with them). Halloween's origins are religous...and Christian. The way I understand it, Witnesses do not celebrate Christian holidays because Christ is not thier SAvior, therfore they are not Christian. Much like Jews do not celebrate Christmas. I could be wrong, but this is how I've always understood it.

 

[Buckalew]

{{{hugs}}} to you, tc.

I don't celebrate Halloween. I haven't since I got married 15 years ago. I have no problem with others celebrating the holiday. I have my reasons, which are personal convictions. We celebrated when I was a child and my sisters kids still do (except one sister's kids go out and get treats but they aren't allowed to have candy so she lets them have a couple pieces & I have no idea what she does with the rest! Who is weirder---her or me?? ) DD goes to a private school, which also does not seem to celebrate so that hasn't been a big issue for her. She knows my reasons and seems fine with it. Of course, she may allow her children to one day do it.

I don't give out candy and I don't give out tracts.

 

[sha_lyn]

Halloween's origins are religous...and Christian. The way I understand

Here are a couple of sites on the origins of Halloween. I don't know why some insist it is Satanic, when it clearly is not. I'm not sayign that anyone here have suggested it is Satanic, but that is usually where this subject ends up.


Halloween Facts and Misinformation

Halloween or All Hallow's Eve



You call it Halloween, we call it Samhain

I will be attending my first Samhain party this year. It will be like a modern halloween party, but we will also take time to speak about and honor our loved one who have passed.

 

[sha_lyn]

jldriscoll ... I wasn't contradicting you. I kept getting bumped while posting (and correcting) so my post wasn't complete when you read it. Orgionally, before my computer froze up in the middle of my first attempt to post, I said I was backing you up before the post turned to talk of it being satanic. Sorry for the confusion.


Our "american" version of Halloween is a blend of many traditions, many Christian in origin. Other traditions were kept by different groups early in Christian history as they were converted to Christianity.

 

[jldriscoll]

Thanks sha_lyn, always hard to tell the tone of a post when the subject starts to get controversial.

Don't you hate being at the mercy of your computer sometimes!!! Talk about your Satans!!!

 

[sha_lyn]

LOL ... It's still acting crazy. The page will still apear to be loading and then it will say the page can't be displayed, but if I open a new window and go to the thread, my post is there.
If my tone was off, it was because of the stupid computer (or internet)

 

[disykat]

Okay, I'm going to be brutally honest here.

I hate Halloween - no religious reasons - I just can't stand it. Even as a child I hated it. I used to get sick every year so I didn't have to go trick or treating. I finally gave it up totally in third grade. I just hate dressing up in costumes. I'm normally very outgoing, but I want to be myself - costumes make me feel self-conscious. I just don't "get" what's fun about it.

That said, I spend every year dressing up my kids, planning the activities at both church and school. Even before kids, I taught - so I did the Halloween/Harvest thing to the hilt. Other people love it so I'm not going to spoil their fun - I just don't enjoy it! It was a big surprise to me when I became an adult and realized adults make a big deal about Halloween - I thought it would be over since I always considered it to be "just for kids".

Sigh! I'll never spoil anyone's fun - it would probably surprise people I know to hear me say these things, but count me as someone who CAN'T STAND HALLOWEEN! Orange and Black - yuck - no wonder I hate this holiday.