Halloween and Satan......

[disneymom3]

Holy moley--go offline for a few hours and we are up to 2 pages!

First off, there are several I would love to share with my neighbor but don't dare. Esmerelda's opinion that they are on crack made me LOL while sitting alone in my office at 10:00 at night. I am also fond of the idea of Singing the Satan Poky in my backyard, but someone would probably report me to my pastor and since DH leads the worship team band, that would not go over well. That and I was born and raised Catholic and the guilt would get to me for sure!!

I feel really bad for this little guy. The poor little dude already has no social skills at all and then he gets fun stuff taken out of his life to boot. No, I am sure as someone mentioned that he doesn't get gifts from Santa. If he breathes a word about that one.......well, we need a mad mamma bear smilie is all I have to say!

Somehow I had totally spaced out about the whole All Saints Day thing. Loved the historical pieces guys! I have been meaning to look up the origins as this issue also came up in another group I am in. Very interesting.

I am fairly good friends with her. I mean I was taking care of her son while she had an appointment and she has watched my boys for me when I went to the Dr. I suppose I should say something to clarify in case her little guy brings it up. Now I am tempted to print out these two articles and give them to her, but I won't.

 

[UrsulasMyHero]

I can only imagine what the little kid thinks about faerys and the like, there is no magic in his world, probably.

Hallow'een or SamHain, is the time when the veil is thinnest between the worlds, when the dead can be honoured. It's a lot like Day of the Dead in Mexico. Of course there are different meanings in different cultures, but Ive NEVER heard of it as the Birth of Satan. *Cku Cku!*

 

[aprilgail2]

My daughter had a kid like that in her class last year...when they cut up pumpkins she sat out in the hallway and when they had their halloween party she sat out in the hallway, her parents wouldn't let her participate in that "evil stuff" she also preached to all the kids in the class about how they would go to hell if they made jesus mad and how if they go out on halloween the devil will get inside them and never let them go,..she would sit there singing religious songs in class and lunch..my daughter would come home and say that the kid was driving her nuts because all she would do was walk up to the kids and start preaching everywhere they were (this was in kindergartne!)..parents started complaining that she was scaring thier children with all the hell and devil talk so the teacher had to cntact her parents to tell them to make her be quiet and their reaction was "well we can't stop her from talking about and sharing what she believes in"...they then took her out of public school and put her in some religious school where she belongs!

 

[luvmy2sams]

DD6 has a good friend whose family force feeds him all these goofy beliefs. Did you know that having a carved pumpkin is an invitation for the evil spirits to enter your house? It's hard to do anything but feel sorry for kids like this. DD's friend has no social skills...no imagination...he's a fun-sucker, DD now says. Unfortunately, we attend church and DD goes to a private school where some of the parents feel the same way. They're definitely not in the majority, but they do make the most noise. It's a shame they can't lighten up and just let their kids be kids sometimes.

 

[Stitchfans]

I think you handled it just fine. I wouldn't suggest calling the mother though could lead to a uncomfortable conversation.

 

[MamaLema]

I know a few people who think the same thing.

I still don't know how dressing up like a clown is worshiping the devil?

 

[magicfan]

I think you handled it well. I had a girl tell me the same thing recently. I just kind of said, "oh", then left it at that. No one else heard her but me. Funny thing is that last year her sister told me the same thing after we invited her to our Halloween party, but at the last minute her mom called and asked if she could still come. The daughter must have bugged her mom enough and she gave in. I thought that was strange. If her family is so adament that it is Satans holiday, then why did she give in and let her come to our Halloween party? Sending mixed signals. I just tell my kids that it's not true, but some people believe it is---that we all have our own beliefs.

 

[Sleepy]

Does anyone remember that cartoon The Halloween Tree. It's one of my favorites.

 

[Sparx]

Halloween's roots aren't in Satan's birth. It is in All Hallows Eve, as in the celtic new year's eve.

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

History Channel

 

[graygables]

While the little boys views were certainly extreme and I respect your decision to celebrate Halloween, we choose to downplay it. In our area, it is a very dark time of year with lots of negative spiritual influences. The haunted houses are everywhere as well as some pretty frightening decorations. We were in the party store the end of Sept picking up things for 7yo DDs b-day party and she was a basket case by the time we got out. Scary stuff. Because of all of the witches, vampires, devil costumes, skeletons, bloodied dismembered bodies, and slasher masks it is very easy to see how this is not something to celebrate for people who are Christians. We are taught to think on what is good and right and those thing just don't qualify. We do let our DDs dress up and we do take them to a church trick-or-treat night. They are sometimes called "fall festivals" and that is fine. It's not even the name that bothers us, so much as the pervasive nature of evil (morbidity, etc) that so many equate with it. And no, I'm not on crack and I'm not a wacko, I just prefer that my children not be exposed to anymore darkness and negativity than necessary. Bloody knives sticking out of a mannequins chest are not my idea of fun. BTW, my DDs don't go around telling people that they shouldn't celebrate Halloween, they just understand this is what WE believe and why we believe it. All I know is that I'm very glad when it's over and I can take them to DairyQueen again without scaring the wits out of them.

 

[JoBird]

I, too, am one of "those" parents who don't let my children go trick or treating. It wasn't always like that, only when my DD came home from school one Halloween week from public school in Rochester NY and said "Mom, today we learned about witchcraft and where it originated and what it has to do with Halloween"............Say what??????????????????
Come to find out, they had shown each class (1st graders) this film on witchcraft and what the wiccan religion believes and why it is such a sacred "holiday" to them. It was then that I stopped the trick or treating. And, no, I don't believe in fall festivals either. We choose to go to dinner with my children on that night and act like it is just another night in their world. And if you're wondering, my children are very well adjusted, on the honor roll, play baseball, one's a cheerleader, and are loved by all their peers and the adults in their lives...They just don't trick or treat.

 

[disneymom3]

While the little boys views were certainly extreme and I respect your decision to celebrate Halloween, we choose to downplay it. In our area, it is a very dark time of year with lots of negative spiritual influences. The haunted houses are everywhere as well as some pretty frightening decorations. We were in the party store the end of Sept picking up things for 7yo DDs b-day party and she was a basket case by the time we got out. Scary stuff. Because of all of the witches, vampires, devil costumes, skeletons, bloodied dismembered bodies, and slasher masks it is very easy to see how this is not something to celebrate for people who are Christians. We are taught to think on what is good and right and those thing just don't qualify. We do let our DDs dress up and we do take them to a church trick-or-treat night. They are sometimes called "fall festivals" and that is fine. It's not even the name that bothers us, so much as the pervasive nature of evil (morbidity, etc) that so many equate with it. And no, I'm not on crack and I'm not a wacko, I just prefer that my children not be exposed to anymore darkness and negativity than necessary. Bloody knives sticking out of a mannequins chest are not my idea of fun. BTW, my DDs don't go around telling people that they shouldn't celebrate Halloween, they just understand this is what WE believe and why we believe it. All I know is that I'm very glad when it's over and I can take them to DairyQueen again without scaring the wits out of them.

I understand where you are coming from and I agree that Halloween has gotten more creepy over the last several years. But to me, that is all the more reason to focus on the fun and lightness of the holiday. Maybe my family can be one of the little lights focusing on the excitement and happiness of the day not the dark creepiness. We talk about not liking the haunted hayrides and such and having Halloween be a fun time to go out inthe neighborhood and see what everyone is wearing and greet people and have fun. The police are very present in our area on Halloween night and my kids look forward every year to meeting a police officer and getting a button or glow stick from them. In fact, I think that is probably their favorite part of the night. Well, that and answering the door to give out candy. My kids are wearing pretty traditional costumes and we decorate with pumpkin lights and jack o lanterns.

A friend of mine is somewhat concerned about her son's costume as she also tries to stay away from the icky side. We are studying middle ages history this year and her son has decided he wants to be Clovis the Barbarian. Now, to him, it's a historical character but she is all upset because to everyone else, he just looks like a creepy barbarian guy! Kind of funny, I thought.

 

[Sleepy]

only when my DD came home from school one Halloween week from public school in Rochester NY and said "Mom, today we learned about witchcraft and where it originated and what it has to do with Halloween"............Say what??????????????????
Come to find out, they had shown each class (1st graders) this film on witchcraft and what the wiccan religion believes and why it is such a sacred "holiday" to them. It was then that I stopped the trick or treating.

What exactly was in that film that you found so alarming? Did you view it? Was the content accurate? Just wondering.

While you may take your children to dinner on Halloween and pretend it is just another night, your children are well aware of what is going on around them. How do you handle Halloween parties at school?

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I still don't know how dressing up like a clown is worshiping the devil?

This is the most hilarious thing I have read in a long time. Seriously. I want this on a t-shirt...

 

[RoyalCanadian]

Christmas celebrate's Jesus's birth, but it's really a Pagen (sp?) holiday and was incorporated into the Christian calander to try and get more Pagens to convert to Christianity. We learned that in History today, I'm not sure what it really has to do with halloween, but I thought it was interesting!

Your teacher is very, very wrong on this one Twinkles. There is absolutely no documentary evidence to suggest that early Christians attempted to supplant the pagan celebration of Saturnalia with a celebration of Christ's birth.

Bible Review magazine did a nice article about this popular misconception a couple of years ago. December 25 came to be celebrated as Christmas because early Christians believed Christ died on the same day of the year that he was conceived. Early commemorations of Christ's death fell on March 25 -- which came to be celebrated as the Festival of the Annunciation -- add 9 months and you get December 25.

Fortunately the Romans make significant attempts to undermine the commemoration of Christ's birth and death and built Roman temples on the respective sites in Bethlehem and Jerusalem -- twas easy to find the sites when Christianity became the accepted religion of Rome. Just look for the big statues of a Roman god and tear them down to find the original site nicely preserved beneath.

 

[belle_of_the_ball]

Did you know that having a carved pumpkin is an invitation for the evil spirits to enter your house?

acctually carving pumkins is to keep out evil spirits (jack of the lantern)

here is the story..i come from an Irish Catholic family..I've heard this story for years...


"Irish folk lore tells us that an Irish man named Jack was a trickster...He tricked everyone, including the devil himself. When Jack died, not only was he turned away at the gates of hevean, but also by the devil. The devil, in fear of being tricked again gave Jack a hot coal to hold onto. The coal became to hot for Jack so he put it into a hollowed out turnip. Thus, he became Jack of the Lantern. Because Jack is destined to find a place to haunt with his evil spirts...children carve out hollowed out pumkins to keep out Jack and other evil spirts. (ok everybody..go help keep jack out of your house..Carve away!)"

-my g'mom...Mary


just a tidbit of info i know!

 

[va32h]

I still don't know how dressing up like a clown is worshiping the devil?

Because clowns ARE evil.

 

[graygables]

Because clowns ARE evil.

My DH would agree with that...give him the heebie jeebies!

 

[belle_of_the_ball]

i LOATH clowns...with a burning passion!

 

[eclectics]

Clowns creep me out too ! Halloween is fun. I don't get people that take this stuff so seriously. You can dress up as a witch or warlock for one night a year and still go to church on Sunday. Having fun at a Halloween party doesn't mean you worship satan. And btw, Harry Potter is not evil!