Halloween
This week’s Spin Cycle is Halloween. Something I really know little about. Halloween has always been a really strange “holiday” for me. It’s just not my thing. It’s nothing against anyone who chooses to celebrate Halloween. I’ve just always chosen not to. It’s a matter of personal preference.
I’ve always had a weird relationship with it. I mean I just don’t “get it”. I don’t understand it. I do consider myself Christian and as a Christian I don’t understand why anyone who is would celebrate it. Like I said… purely a personal belief and I have nothing against those who choose to celebrate it. I just choose not to.
This was one of those real “sore spots” early in our marriage and in our girls childhoods. I tried to enjoy Halloween and let my kids do the whole “Halloween thing” and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I couldn’t even allow myself to give out candy to other people’s kids on Halloween in good conscious. I know most of you can’t and won’t understand how I feel and most of you probably feel it’s without basis. As hubby used to always argue with me “It’s for the kids! It’s so they can have fun and dress up!” Can’t they dress up some other day? As something other than ghouls and goblins and demons and unsavory stuff? In my own personal opinion, I just feel like it goes against everything God stands for. To me, it represents everything the opposite of God and good.
I tried and tried to explain to hubby how I felt and he just couldn’t understand it. His stance was it was just pretend and made up and fun for the kids. I finally explained it to him the only way that I figured he could understand it. I warn you ahead of time, it’s a pretty gross and graphic explanation but I think he got the picture.
I told hubby to imagine a turd on a plate. Yes, I said turd… people, dog…. It doesn’t matter as long as it’s a real turd. Take that turd and put it on the prettiest plate you can find and cover it with ice cream and whipped cream and sprinkles and caramel and chocolate sauce. Cover it until it’s so covered with stuff that you can’t see the turd anymore. It may look really good and appealing and with all that stuff it might even smell appealing. BUT… when you dig that fork down into it… it’s STILL a turd!
That’s the way I feel about Halloween. It’s (in my opinion) a gross holiday…. It goes against God and everything he stands for. Sure it’s fun for the kids and they get candy and get to dress up and pretend to be something different, but… when you dig under the surface… it’s still (in my opinion) evil. I can’t help the way I feel. It’s just an opinion and everyone is entitled to their opinion. Opinions are like assholes. Everyone’s got one. You don’t have to like mine but I still have the right to have it.
But let’s end this on a funner note. I can’t think of any good Halloween pranks but I used to work with this really mild mannered guy that seemed pretty serious most of the time. He was usually the first one to work and the last one to leave. But he liked a good time and he did like to pull pranks and usually did so on April 1st, without fail. The first April 1st that I worked with him, I came in to work and checked my voicemail and sat down at my computer to start work (I turned my computer off every night at work) and turned on the computer. I signed on and when I went to open my first program and my cursor would not move. I’m sitting there moving my mouse all around and nothing happened. I tried everything and couldn’t get it to work. I finally did the whole control/alt/delete thing to restart my computer thinking that for some reason it just didn’t recognize the mouse and same results.
I checked all my connections, unhooked my computer, the whole nine yards. Then from the other office I can hear my boss snickering. I call out to him to find out what’s going on and he yells back “April Fools!” Then he walks back out to my office and turns over my mouse (which I never even thought to do) and he had taped the roller ball in place and left a little note with a smiley face and his initials. He had gone to the trouble to go around to everyone’s computer in the whole place when everyone had left the night before and left them their little “gift”. I loved working with him! What a guy!
Square Peg in a Round Hole 
You’re completely right in that everyone is entitled to their opinion. My mom used to be that way too. She didn’t like what Halloween represented, although she did give out candy. When we were old enough to do our own thing, she would let us go out and trick or treat, but when we were younger, we didn’t get to participate. I let Sprite participate because they make such a big deal out of it at her school and her friends like to get into it, so I don’t see the harm. Besides, she’s going to be a really cute Minnie. 🙂
You’re linked!
I bet she will be adorable!
You’re right, Peg…we all have a right to our opinions. I’ve known several people who feel the same way about Halloween.
To each his/her own, right?
OMG, I LAUGHED to hard when I read…
“he had taped the roller ball in place and left a little note with a smiley face and his initials.”
What a little trickster he was!
Have a wonderful weekend, dear friend!
X
He really was and I miss working with him. Best boss I ever had!
Yes, opinions are just that…everybody’s got one! It’s interesting to find how many traditions have pagan roots. I didn’t know until recently that funerals and weddings (bouquet, veil, and rings) do.
Yes, they all do. Very interesting when you research our traditions origins.
For years growing up our church would have a fall carnival on Halloween so the kids could go there instead. I don’t have much trouble with Halloween, but then the basis for it has really gotten lost in the rush of dressing up.
Yes, and that’s true with most holidays. The original meanings get lost in commercialism.
Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I’m afraid of aliens and weird lights. That’s my opinion!
Most Christian holidays have pagan roots, including Easter and Christmas. Easter (and the egg) were first done way before the birth of Christ. It was a “fertility” holiday. Christmas was begun to celebrate the winter solstice. Princesses and Jedi warriors come to our door every Halloween, along with the goblins and ghouls. We give them all a treat! But then Alex and I are both total pagans.
Yes, they do Linda. Most people just aren’t aware or just don’t care! So if they don’t care, that’s not a problem, is it? 😉
I can see where you’re coming from, Peg. I’m not a Christian, and in fact I don’t really believe in anything, but from a purely objective standpoint I always found Halloween to be at odds with the idea of God in Christianity.
I like the idea of a holiday during which people get to dress up and act goofy, though. It doesn’t always have to be all about the spooky – I mean, kids dress up into all sorts of things, princesses and superheros and knights, not only witches and demons and ghouls.
Very true. They do. I don’t mind the dress up aspect I guess it’s what it’s all based on. Same with most holidays. I really don’t do any holidays so to speak. Pretty much the same reason. Wven things like Christmas, to me, have just become WAY to commercialistic. It seems like now it’s just become this big contest to see who can outdo each other.
When I was a kid (those many moons ago) Halloween was a fun excuse to dress up in a costume and go out and collect “loot”. There were times, when my kids were little, that I kind of felt like I was teaching them to beg, but I don’t think they ever saw it that way. It was just a good time, to pretend to be something else and to get more candy than mom would allow under normal circumstances. I had no idea what the original celebration was about (in those days, we didn’t have internet) until my Kat grew up, went to college and learned all this stuff. With the help of the internet.
Isn’t it amazing what we can learn now with a few clicks of a mouse? How did we ever get by before? LOL
Peg you have the right to your opinion and it is a completely valid one, I am proud to see you standing so strong with your beliefs and not giving in just because everyone else is doing differently, the old peer pressure thing doesn’t work on you I see 🙂
Loved the April Fools prank, wish I had thought of that one.
Thanks Jimmy! Sometimes it’s very tempting to just “go with the flow”. As Kermit says “it ain’t easy being green!” LOL
I thought it was a brilliant prank too. Especially since he was so seemingly “innocent” and quiet. You’d never have suspected him to be the kind to pull a prank. I guess you DO have to look out for those quiet ones after all!
Especially if one of the quiet ones is just sitting there grinning at you 🙂
LOL – Very True!
I think that most holidays (I don’t really think of Halloween as a holiday, but for the purpose of this comment I am lumping it in there) are celebrated without knowing the origins or reasons. Halloween is just an excuse to party. Most of the time people want to dress up to show off some part of the body.
Some people really get into it. I don’t always, but this year I borrowed a costume and had a lot of fun dressing up and visiting with friends.
I’m glad you had a good time. Nothing wrong with it if that’s what you want to do.
Peg – I had a really good time. I got to visit with friends I don’t see often. If you look at the pictures, I am supposed to be CRUEL because I was CRUELLA from 101 Dalmations and I am smiling most of the time. I love just hanging out with friends. So much for snarling . . . if I managed to it was only because my husband reminded me.
That is so funny. I say that because I am always telling people that my natural grey streak in my hair is my “Cruella de Ville Streak”. I love spending time with friends I don’t get to see often!
HA! Next time say it holding a puppy it will make it more believable. 🙂