So what is the big deal between Halloween and religion? Will one night of candy fun corrupt the soul? This is unlikely, but let us take a look at this ongoing topic of debate.
For many, many years, Halloween has been synonymous with witchcraft and evil. Satan’s one night of the year to claim souls for Hell has been the belief of the church and pious individuals. Those who practice dark arts would have us buy into that belief to keep the Christian world dazed and confused.
Let’s set the record straight. Knowledge is power, especially in this instance. Halloween began as a pagan festival of nature where people tried to appease the dead to prevent their intrusion into the world of the living.
But, we all know about superstitions. There was no distinction between the spirits so folks assumed precautions in case the spirits were bad. Unfortunately, it is the stories about bad spirits that have survived and given the celebration of Halloween a bad name.
In an effort to scare people, tales of the undead have been immortalized in books like Frankenstein and Dracula. Movies brought us Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and the Scream guy. People love to be scared, but so much of the fiction has been confused with fact that Christians have been led to believe that the practice of Halloween is evil for their children.
Basically, children know what we tell them. The truth is always best. There are people who practice earth religions like Wicca and those who profess to be Satanists. They derive their greatest influence and media coverage on this night. Even those groups have been made gorier than they actually are through film and books.
Our children will learn that the practice of dressing up and receiving candy is not evil from the knowledge that we obtain. Spirits are not roaming the streets looking to take over their bodies or mess with their minds. In fact, for little ones, it is essential that we not expose them to the scarier side because they could be traumatized by it and fear the fun side of Halloween.
Christians have nothing to fear from Halloween as long as the truth is told. While there are groups who practice magic (the jury is still out) and contact with the dead, they don’t have exclusive rights on Halloween. They practice their crafts all year round and not just this one night of the year.
I know this is a touchy subject, so I usually stay neutral. When my kids asked me about Halloween I explained it and that was that. We love Halloween, but we don't condemn those who choose not to celebrate it. There are plenty of other ways to celebrate through fall festivals and parties as well :)
ReplyDeleteThere was a time when I boycotted Halloween, but I finally decided that I wasn't going to give any more of my power - and God's power - away. Halloween is just a fun tradition, not a day that gives more power to Satan and his cohorts, unless we give it to them. That being said, I don't really like all of those "evil" costumes, I like the fun ones.
ReplyDeleteThanks Amanda and Sandra for visiting!
ReplyDeleteWe sat down and explained the history of Halloween to our kids in a positive way and made a point of showing them all the fun and good things we can do during Halloween. We don't allow them to wear the "evil" costumes either.
For the past 7 or 8 years we have taken our kids to the local Zoo which hosts "Spooktakular" where we walk through the zoo and "trick or treat" the volunteers for candy. We also take them to my hubby's workplace, where the college students in the dorms give out candy.
They really enjoy these two outings and have a blast for Halloween!
Just on your claim about "to prevent their intrusion into the world of the living"... For me, Halloween is the time of year when the veil between the worlds is the thinnest, so for us it is a time to WELCOME and CELEBRATE the souls of our families and loved ones who have passed. It is a time to remember their deeds and be happy that they were (are) in our lives. There's nothing evil about it, and there's certainly no Satan - Satan is a Christian concept. To see Halloween as a celebration is enormously comforting for us.
ReplyDeleteSigh... but then again, Halloween is still 7 months away for us southern hemispherians :-)
xx
A
Hello Tara and thanks for visiting my blog.
ReplyDeleteThat is the great thing about Halloween and many other Holidays, they can mean something different to each person.
I teach my children that Halloween is not evil, but a time to have fun and celebrate life.
Thanks again for visiting!
Tara has it right. Why not give your children the 'real deal'. Go and find out about Samhain (to give it its real name) from any Wiccan or pagan site or blog and explain to them it is a major celebration and that paganism and Wicca are OTHER RELIGIONS, just the same as Islam, Hindu etc are religions. There is nothing dark or evil about what we believe and celebrate. So mote it be!
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