www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall It's time for Halloween again!

In my area, the kiddies will be out with their parents on that day, (Oct. 31) anywhere between 5 and 8 p.m. They seem to like it in the dark these days...The teachers don't give homework that day either..

When I was young, it was always after school. How I loved to head straight for the lady down the street who always gave out a large Nestle's Crunch bar!!

The funniest memory I have of my children's trick or treating days, (a few family friends and their kiddies would come to my house where we would all have a simple dinner and then trick or treat w/the children), was when they came home with their goody bags for us to go through before they were allowed to eat anything--and lo and behold, there was a piece of white bread in each of their bags! Since we parents would wait in the dark street infront of the houses, we often couldn't get a clear view of the occupants of the house. It turns out that the lady who gave them white bread was a Japanese lady who was new here, (there is a large Japanese community here), who didn't speak the language, and who seemed to be confused by all these costumed children who were ringing her doorbell with open bags. It seems that she eventually caught on that she should put something in the bags, so she gave them all she had that was suitable--white bread!!

Poor dear-- what a shock that first Halloween that she knew nothing about, must have been--and she lived on the MOST popular block for trick or treating in the area to boot!!

One more thought--I LOVE the new doggie costumes for Halloween which I see everywhere!! They are brilliant! How I wish that we had our dog when the children were still of trick or treating age, because that pretty sheltie of mine would have *definitely* been dressed in costume to trick or treat too! (--needless to say, my husband does not find dog costumes as adorable as I do, so perhaps it is better we didn't have a dog then, LOL)!

Alice

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The roommate came home from a part time night job he works (a store) with a pumpkin outfit for Mr. Dog. He seemed utterly humiliated by the indignity of it. We resolved to settle for a bandanna with cartoon skeletons on it that read "Bad to the Bone", which he found much more agreeable.

Dear A Simple Sinner,

A friend of mine has a two year old English bulldog named Beast. My friend thought it would be cute for Beast to wear a pink tutu and go as an ugly ballerina. Beast had his own idea and shredded the costume immediately. Now he will go as a bad biker wearing a leather cap and vest instead which Beast seems to like.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

..I guess that 'bad biker' is more his style!!!

It definitely fits the 'bulldog' look better than a tutu does! HEHEHE! (and it seems that Beast knows this--it's a matter of his dignity after all!)

Alice

A good Christian defense of Halloween by Rod Bennett:

Holiday Hysteria [catholicexchange.com]

I'm too old to go door to door and ask for candy - so I passed out candy at work, dressed as a cowgirl.

I know this is past its expiration date but here is an Orthodox Priest's blog on the subject:

http://southern-orthodoxy.blogspot.com/search?q=samhain

The gist: An Irish Orthodox Priest says most of the Samhain junk is made up.

Yikes! Give me a break.

Sacred realities get overtaken by secular (= money raising) forces. Secular forces get overtaken by sacred realities.

All Saints Day and its Vespers start (All 'Hallow's Evening = 'Hallow Evening) was the vespers of a feast day. 'All Souls' day, i.e., to commemorate the departed (November 2) have deep resonances among God's people because they personalize the faithfuls' connection with those who have gone before, both those who are 'sanctified' by decree (All Saints], as well as those who are unofficial 'saints' among the dead [All Souls].

A lot of 'popular' theology entered into these ecclesiastical commemorations of the departed, and the skulls and bones became the manifestation of the 'dead'. Unfortunately, commercial forces (i.e., the Archdiocese of Hallmark) entered the picture and their 'writers' enhanced the popular understanding of the feast. (Much like our Holy Father St. Nicholas became St. Nick and Santa '(Ni)klaus'.) And St. Nicholas' practice of tossing gold coins through bedroom windows as a dowry for poor girls became 'gift giving' from the Saint. (The American understanding of this comes filtered through the English and the Dutch/German understanding of our Holy Father.)

It's clear that much of our recent (last 40 years) and current Halloween perspective is an interpretation mediated by commercial forces - including the commercially available costumes and candy distribution. Kids respond to what is on TV and what the stores offer. And parents are basically responsive to their kids.

To be honest, much of Halloween is commerce, imposed by corporate interests in selling stuff.

10 years ago, every kid was Star Wars - Luke, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, and to a certain extent R2D2 (LOVE HIM!) and C3PO. Also, cowboys, fairy princesses, pirates, ghosts (Yeah Casper!!).

There's nothing harmful in a kid taking on an alternate 'persona' for Halloween night, especially when it involves getting candy!! For kids, it's not sinister - it's getting something from other people for playing a game and knocking on doors.

I don't like the Archdiocese of Hallmark (and their allies) pushing of blood and gore in their costumes and props; but they're in it to make money. And God forbid that we restrict commerce!!

As a Christian, I'd prefer that we had a more Christian perspective on all the saints and all the souls who are dead. But to be honest, our contemporary American perspective on death is really bad news and nothing like what our European counterparts understand. (My American family members want to visit 'grave-sites' back in Greece, and I can't make them understand that the bones of our ancestors - having been buried in a tomb - have been removed and are now in an ossuary with the other deceased of our ancestral village.) Scares the snot out of Western folks, but this is the reality for more than 2,000 years back in the 'old country'. It's not 'skulls and bones' but restful repose of the faithful. Together.

We must fight against the stupid stuff that Hallmark and the other corporate forces impose on us (let's not even TALK about Christmas - elves, 'angels', talking donkeys, little drummer boys, etc.). Or Easter (bunnies, chickies, jelly eggs, chocolate baskets, etc.)

We must be clear in supporting customs that are legitimate and based upon our true Christian beliefs, and fight against the stupidities that are being imposed on the community by corporate forces that are only interested in making $$$. Not by screaming and demonstrating against the $$$ powers, but rather by re-affirming who we are and WHY we do what we do to show-up their $$$ motivations.

God bless us all. And help us to reaffirm our faith and its practices.

Dr John