Does Anyone NOT Celebrate Halloween?

[Nancy]

Sea Spray, Thanks for clearing up some of the mis information. I just want to add that my DDs dance with a girl who is a Jehovahs Witness and I have seen first hand that she is not allowed to participate in any of the parties we throw, whether they are birthday or just our end of the dance year party. I always assumed this was true for all Witnesses, maybe her parents are more strict, or their church is more strict in the teachings and interpretations of the religion. She also does not participate in any of the competitons or recital because that would be showing off her abilities. I'm sure it is just like all religions, even Catholics, you get some that follow it to the extreme and some that are very laid back.

 

[SeaSpray]

Nancy:

Thanks for your nice comment I didn't know what to expect when I posted

As for recitals and competitions, I do know that my niece played the clarinet all during school from the time she was in elementary school until high school and she did participate in the recitals and performances that her school had. I know she also participated in the little talent shows her school had when she was younger. I know that Jehovah's Witnesses aren't usually "competitive" so that may be why the girl doesn't participate in the dance competitions. As for "end of the year" dance parties I don't think there'd be any reason why she couldn't go to that either, but again, its the decision of her mother, I guess.

You know, in all religions, you find people who are more into parties, or recitals, social things, etc than others, so sometimes its not just a purely religious reason why someone might do something or not do it, you know what I mean??

Anyway, thanks for your respectful reply to my comments, I appreciate it

 

[Geoff_M]

A note to any of my Christian friends on this board, or elsewhere...

If you have hangups with Halloween due to it's association to pagan worship or rituals, you need to be consistent and immediately stop celebrating Christmas and Easter as they are just as steeped in Paganism.

The fact that the celebration of Christmas falls near the Winter Solstice is no accident. The placement of the celebration was done by early Christians to make conversion from Paganism easier since the Winter Solstice was a major festive time in the pagan world. Many of the old Christmas traditions (Yule log, mistletoe, evergreen trees, etc.) have pagan origins.

Likewise, go look up the word "Easter" and you'll see it has a lot in common with word like "Estrogen" and "Estrous". It's a pagan fertility celebration. That's one of the reasons that bunny rabbits, noted for their reproductive accumen, are associated with the holiday. Christians again took a pagan festival and morphed it somewhat and kept some of the trappings.

So come on now people, if you don't like Halloween because you think it's a pagan or wiccan celebration and you can't see the connection between All Hallow's Eve and Halloween, then you need to be principled and also stop celebrating Christmas and Easter too! I think it's funny that my SIL and her husband are so anti-Halloween, but really get into Easter baskets for her kids chock-full of chocolate bunnies!!!

 

[SeaSpray]

Geoff:

Those are the exact reasons why Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate those "holidays". Like I mentioned before, I did look them up in encyclopedias and saw for myself that they ARE connected with pagan beliefs, which the bible says, Christians should have no part of.

 

[sha_lyn]

Geoff_M ... great post.

 

[Geoff_M]

SeaSpray,

I'll at least give the JW's credit in that they are consistent... unlike a lot of fundamentalists I know. Historically there has been resistance against Christian holidays before, though it was not because of pagan origins, but because religious holidays were viewed as too "Papist". For decades it was illiegal to celebrate Christmas in America during Puritanical times.

 

[Mish19]

Wow, this thread has been so interesting to read!! I love to read about religion and holiday origins. Just wanted to throw in my comment

 

[tc]

Just wanted to thank everyone for your nice comments about why I dislike Halloween.

Also, although this can be a touchy subject, I am please this thread has not degenerated into something unkind. Regardless of why some don't celebrate, they are entitled to their opinion, and, for the most part, that is being respected here.

 

[believe]

I think holidays are what you make them to be. I don't think about the 'origination' of the holiday...I think about what that day means to me, my family and my faith.

I am also glad to see that this thread has not turned into a major debate

 

[goofygirl]

I do and I dont celebrate it. I will wear halloween earrings and pins to work, and if I'm invited to a party, I'll dress up.

If I am not invited anywhere, I just close my door and dont answer it. There's not too many kids around my neighborhood. And people are nervous anymore about candy from strangers, so I dont bother giving any out. One year, I gave out toy rings instead of candy. One ungrateful brat of a kid said, "That's it?? Thats all you have??"

So that put an end to me giving out ANYTHING. The door stays closed, and the lights stay off!