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[img]http://shrewsbury.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/halloween2.jpg [/img] As someone of Celtic descent, Halloween is pretty much in my blood, along with second sight, alcoholism, mood swings and remembering battles and oppression that took place a number of centuries ago.
But it’s always mystified me why the True Church celebrates something blatantly unchristian. Unlike Christmas and Easter, which are Christianized festivals, Halloween is hardcore pagan… it’s about evil, death, the undead.
Granted, we do have a bit of a thing about the dead in our church… baptizing them etc… but celebrating Halloween is plain bizarre for a church. There’s no doctrinal justification. Sure, it might be fun, but so’s extramarital sex (sometimes), gambling and violating the word of wisdom, and we don’t do them officially.
I’m carving out my pumpkin tonight… but I’m fully aware that this isn’t Christian, and that’s pretty much as far as my heathenism goes.
(Incidentally I hear in the States, dressing as a Mormon missionary is a popular Halloween costume these days. Quelle ironie!)
I think many people – including me – celebrate Halloween just because it’s fun. A chance to dress up like someone you’re not. Many holidays are different than the supposed reason we celebrate them. I think I read a pamphlet by a member of the Q12 (Hunter maybe) who wrote an article that Christmas is basically a pagan holiday, or is based on one, but we still celebrate it anyways because of the “good” things and in spite of its pagan traditions. Independence Day for the US might be better commemorated on July 2. Easter eggs are pretty meaningless in light of what Christians believe. I don’t have any problems celebrating any number of holidays as long as people don’t go overboard.
I really don’t think the secular celebration of Halloween is evil. In my mind it’s about socializing and kids having fun. I’m sure there are people who see it as evil but I really think they’re in the minority. It’s sort of like exchanging gifts at Christmas and the whole Santa Claus thing – not really part of the Christian holiday but when you ask most people about it that’s what they’ll bring up. FWIW, I don’t think the church celebrates Haloween. There are no special talks given to recognize the holiday like there are at Christmas, Easter, and Mother’s Day, etc. Members of the church celebrate Halloween and some wards sponsor Holloween or related parties, but I don’t think we can classify that as the church celebrating Halloween. Likewise, there is no prohibition in church handbooks, GC talks, and so forth about celebrating Halloween. The GHI makes a very brief mention and simply reminds leaders of the prohibition against masks (which I really don’t understand, but that’s another topic). You point out there’s nothing doctrinal supporting Halloween, but there’s nothing doctrinal prohibiting it either – unlike adultery.
Lastly, and please understand I’m not being argumentative or contrary here and I am by no means attacking anyone, Halloween does have roots in Christanity – at least Catholicism. It’s “All Hallows’ Eve” the night before All Saints Day. It does actually have a clear religious undertone to some. By the way, I’ve never seen any of the couple hundred trick-or-treaters that come to my house annually dressed as an LDS missionary. This year I’m betting on lots of zombies.
One of my favorite Onion videos. Satire all the way. http://www.theonion.com/video/in-the-know-has-halloween-become-overcommercialize,14284/ I have no problem enjoying secular holidays, even the ones (like Valentine’s Day) that I see as manufactured for commercial reasons. I see Halloween in that vein. I also have no problem with the prohibition on masks at church events like trunk or treat. Given the crap that happens in our modern society on a regular basis, I’m okay with making sure the people who are there are known to someone – especially with so many kids in one location being, generally, unsupervised. I have more problem with the explicit prohibition on “cross-dressing” since I see it as much more cultural and homophobic.
Must admit it’s a funny one. I associate Halloween more with films that “are not uplifting”, ouija boards and demons than carols, angels and the gospel. Granted Christmas and Easter are Christianized, but the Christian aspect of Halloween seems to exist only in the name now.
I tend to think Christmas and Halloween are converging. Is Satan going to come down the chimney? Will we start seeing Halloween stuff for sale in December? Or November?
So we have a holiday that focuses on spirits, ghosts, magic, demons, people coming back to life, mysticism, supernatural etc….and we call it evil? Sounds like church to me?
Halloween is my favorite holiday…by far.
I’ve been celebrating the concept all month….movies, decorations, books, podcasts…
I’ve even been slowing turning into a zombie all week at school.
Halloween is a pagan/Christian holiday. More pagan than Christian for sure, but….
Halloween is not evil. People are evil.
IMO.
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cwald wrote:So we have a holiday that focuses on spirits, ghosts, magic, demons, people coming back to life, mysticism, supernatural etc….and we call it evil?
This makes me grin.
cwald wrote:So we have a holiday that focuses on spirits, ghosts, magic, demons, people coming back to life, mysticism, supernatural etc….and we call it evil?
Sounds like church to me?
Halloween is my favorite holiday…by far.
I’ve been celebrating the concept all month….movies, decorations, books, podcasts…
I’ve even been slowing turning into a zombie all week at school.
Halloween is a pagan/Christian holiday. More pagan than Christian for sure, but….
Halloween is not evil. People are evil.
IMO.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
I like you more and more all the time cwald.
SamBee – I think this is especially an issue for ‘old-school’ Europeans. We have an activity every year at the chapel. We don’t call it a halloween party, it’s a harvest party. But it falls on or near 31st October. People come in fancy dress (no masks) and we have “trunk or treat,” apple bobbing, donuts on a string etc etc. We enjoy it, we go home, we don’t worry about it.
A lot of the older members get a bit upset that we do it and don’t attend. Our concession is that it’s not called a Halloween party – but everything else is the same. Our friends at the local catholic church are having a party tonight called the ‘Light Festival’ – still with apple bobbing etc. Each to their own.
I don’t see Halloween as any more satanic than Harry Potter. It’s just make believe and play. Do you give your kids easter eggs? Pagan fertility festival
I agree with you Mackay11. Dressing up/trick or treating/etc. is very much the same as Santa bringing gifts at Christmas, Easter eggs, giving your sweetheart candy or flowers on Valentine’s Day, or wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day. Most people make no connection with the history of Valentine’s Day (most probably don’t even know the history) and what we do. My kids growing up certainly made no connection between Halloween and evil. I actually see it as more of an issue for some evangelical Christians, the same one who won’t read and watch Harry Potter, but I don’t understand their logic. Halloween is not rooted in evil. Although Christmas and Easter have pagan roots, they can at least be identified as Christianized. With Halloween it’s not even a Christian veneer most of the time. Apple bobbing can be put in the Christmas tree category – harmless but pagan. I’ve no problem with that… Likewise eggs symbolise new life… can be fitted into the pagan symbol appropriate for Christianity group. But there is no Halloween equivalent to that.
But living skeletons, vampires, zombies, witches etc don’t belong in a church IMHO.
It’s very hard to reconcile the idea of black magic, smashing windows, children out begging candy in the dark from strangers, seances, driller killer films and some of the other nastier aspects of Halloween with Christianity!
Halloween is essentially the old Celtic New Year, Samhain, when the doors between the world are open. The pumpkin (formerly turnip) lamps are there to ward off any evil spirits which might be wandering about while the doors are open.
The All Hallows business gives nothing to it but a name these days.
It was – and still is – a time when folk practise magic of an unsavory
and malignant nature.
Quote:But living skeletons, vampires, zombies, witches etc don’t belong in a church IMHO.
I’m totally cool with that perspective, even if I don’t feel as strongly about it.
I also have never seen those things in a church, except for in the “
cultural hall” and only when it’s too cold or rainy/snowy to have an activity in the parking lot. Except for those who feel the most strongly about it, that seems like a reasonable place for it to happen. Fair enough Ray. I’m fairly alright with the pagan aspects of other “Christian” festivals, but there is definitely something very nasty about Halloween which you don’t get with the others. It’s traditional – for example to curse folk at Halloween, and tell frightening stories.
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