Hell-oween Hoopla

Thankfully, I was able to celebrate Halloween like a normal kid; going out dressed up to go door-to-door for candy, then coming home to unload my bag and have it be inspected while a parent and I (or as I got older, a friend or a few and myself) went back out for more.

I can recall a Halloween celebration at the chapel [I can now add one more positive thing in regards to church] where they opened up the basement storage area, normally off-limits, as a haunted house. This wasn't like a Catholic Hell House, but an actual attempt at a spooky interior; full with little light, spider webs and one of those 'creepy music' tapes generally heard at the house with awesome candy that, despite being told not to re-visit, you can't help but go back (the sins of gluttony, envy and greed)

Since my cup is only half full (Really; the cup of juice beside my keyboard is half empty) the bad stuff should be included:

The holiday allowed for the discussion of "evil" within church, somewhat in lessons but mostly through general comments amongst the congregation. I don't remember much of these talks, but the thesis was Halloween = bad and you can get snacks *and* cool toys at Christmas - of course keeping the virgin birth as the focal point of the season spent tearing open gifts under the tree and shoving your face full of sugar cookies and chocolate.

Both holidays are pagan, but only one is bastardized by Christianity. Maybe if Christians were able to make Halloween 'theirs' - like as a way for them to "evade the evil spirits which plague this earth, I tells you, like this devil child, a little kid, dressed like the devil, came and demanded candy from my doorstep! What is this here world coming to?" - they would be less likely to lash out against it. On the other hand, I like having a holiday that is for everyone; you don't have to be religious to celebrate it but even if you are religious the only thing stopping you from celebrating it is yourself.

One of my pet peeves is people talking about x-mas / giftmas / non-denominational seasonal time before Halloween, so I'll end this post now with a hearty HAPPY HALLOWEEN