Halloween

Post by **Blood Ravenous** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 3:14 am

So, Halloween is very soon. It's such a controversial holiday. My father doesn't like it for religious reasons, but I like it because of how it is celebrated and not what it's supposed to embody. In my opinion, holidays are a time for having fun outside of normal day-to-day routines. The reason for it is really meaningless. But what do you guys think?

Camulous Smithson · Post by **Camulous Smithson** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 4:07 am

I like it. It's an excuse to be spooky, and when you're a kid it's an excuse to gorge on candy. Kinda doubt anyone here will have religious problems with it.

Post by **Xyon_of_Calhoun** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 4:27 am

No religious problems with it, nope.

However, I don't like it. It's become too commercialised, for one. Another thing might be the fact that in this country, at least, the 30th October is "mischief night"... a night when all the little yobbos get their practise for the actual night of Halloweén.

No, I don't like Halloweén. I wish it never happened. Too many teenagers lobbing eggs at my windows, or half-bricks if you live where my parents do. Too much commercialism.

There's only one thing I'm looking forward to about Halloweén this year.

Cuddling up on the sofa with my GF and a nice warm coffee/cool beer, depending on my mood, and watching some TV.

And not answering the fucking door.

Mind you, that's pretty much what I'm looking forward to for Christmas as well. I don't get enough private time with her, what with my current living arrangements, I.E. a house full of people, and when they've all gone out I've got Shadow sticking his head round the door all the time when I really, really, just want time alone with her.

But my initial rant was about Halloweén.

Ban it. Now.

Post by **Valz Malar** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 6:00 am

I'm a fairly religious guy but I love Halloween. People take themselves too damn seriously. Who doesn't want to eat candy, scare people, and see people all dressed up crazily (of course I live in Seattle, so I can pretty much go outside and everyday is Halloween, but I digress). I agree with Xyon somewhat, if you don't like it you can always turn out your porch light and stay in drinking. It is pretty easy to distance oneself from the point behind Halloween while still enjoying it. Most non-Christians still enjoy Christmas/"the holidays" without necessarily embracing the point behind it.

As for kids egging houses...well, my front yard is clearly marked with landmine and free-fire zone signs and that seems to work pretty well plus it keeps the salesmen away.

Post by **Xyon_of_Calhoun** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:28 am

See... can I touch on a slightly different point... can we not forget that non-christian does NOT mean non-religious. I know nobody said it here, but something in Valz's post reminded me most people make that mistake.

I'm an Asatru, and I'm damned religious.

Fine, I've had my rant. You can remain as you were.

Post by **Frug** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:42 am

I think most people know there's more religions than christianity there xyon. But please do not talk about religion on these forums as it leads to arguments. Arguments I tend to get involved with as well. It's off limits.

My house doesn't really get egged. The kids don't egg -every- house. They egg the ones that look at them wrong. Or every one within range while they have eggs. It's not that bad...

One year we chased down some eggers and beat them over the heads with our sacks of candy.

Jenica Sabiny · Post by **Jenica Sabiny** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:52 pm

Halloween's my favorite holiday. We have great times with it in my family. My parents always went nuts with that holiday, and that's carried over into our adulthoods. I have no shame wearing costumes to work now.

I was still trick-treating when I was 17. And it was actually the best idea we had. Parents opened the door, saw us standing there, and emptied the rest of their candy for us since they didn't need/want it anymore. Awesomeness!

Only good experiences in my life, but I can understand why others might hate it. And my religious background is weird. My family is Catholic, but also uses a ton of folk (see: pagan) practices just because of how the cultures blended where we come from. So stuff like Halloween is like, our time!

For a great example, but not something we celebrate ourselves, see the Mexican festival of the dead. They Day of the Dead is the one people focus on, but the entire celebration is several days long, and you can't even tell what's Catholic and what's folk 'magic' anymore except for the blatant stuff. Mmm, calaveras!

Post by **Laz** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:19 pm

hehe...eggers....ahhhhh sweet sweet memories.

Just remembering that time we shot the eggers with bb guns when they tried to egg my mates house, we waited in a bush on his front lawn so we could spring up behind them...fun night.

Post by **Xyon_of_Calhoun** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:49 pm

Frug wrote:But please do not talk about religion on these forums as it leads to arguments. Arguments I tend to get involved with as well. It's off limits.

Point taken.

Still don't like this "holiday" though.

Post by **Blood Ravenous** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 2:04 pm

My fault for mentioning my dad. It's hard to not mention him without religion... ( >_>)

I've never had a problem with trickers instead of treaters... As a kid I wanted candy more, too. We don't even get toilet paperers! Kinda boring, but it's a good thing.

Post by **Xyon_of_Calhoun** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:36 am

Crass commercialism does annoy me though. All the major holidays in the world, there's a few dozen companies seriously cashing in on them.

This, I do not think, was what was originally intended when the holidays were drawn up...

Jenica Sabiny · Post by **Jenica Sabiny** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:45 am

And you know how much being upset about commercialism of traditional values does? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Why bother being upset about something that won't change? "Oh, but it COULD change Jess! It could happen if everyone got together and sang a song and held hands and then pixies will come by and sprinkle fairy dust on us all and like magic all the stuff I hate in the world will be gone!!"

Yeah, I don't bother myself with pointless causes. Oh man, they've so commercialized this holiday, so instead of taking parts of it I like and making the best of it and having a great time I'm gonna bitch and moan about it. Oh, and forced female castration in Egypt is just as bad as exploitation of willing women.

God I hated college.

Not that I'm bitter or anything.

(This is not aimed at you kiddo. Just venting some of that pent-up frustration at a lot of people I met in college. Ugh.)

Post by **Frug** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 3:30 am

I'm kind of in agreement. I hate the commercialization, but not so much of halloween as of christmas. And it's not like I have any religious reasons for wanting to preserve the meaning of christmas as something... You know. Related to the birth of Jesus. Or pagan roots of the solstace or equinox or whatever it is. I just don't like commercialism at all. I like having a tree and giving gifts to people and having an excuse to be nicer than usual (an easy feat). The more it's commercialized, the less it is genuine. I think everyone knows that, but Jess is right. You ain't gonna change it. Best you can do is not support a mass buying frenzy and celebrate it your own way. Commercialization is only noise, and that's all it'll ever be really.

phoenixbyrd · Post by **phoenixbyrd** » Fri Oct 27, 2006 2:50 pm

Not such a big deal here in the UK. I might be going to a Berleskque Party, fancy dress and Striptease, hmmm, if I can hold of this flu.

Btw, nice touch on the banner Frug.

Kreilla · Post by **Kreilla** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 1:20 am

I love the banner. *grins*

I love all holidays, always have, always will. We're carving 5 different pumpkins this year, hopefully will be able to finish them all. We have 2 big ones, each wll have 2 carvings, one on each side--2 Pirates of the Caribean patterns, 1 owl, and 1 bat. And we have 3 small pumpkins, one with Winnie the Pooh and the Huffalump, one with Piglet and Roo, and the third with Cinderalla, Snow White, and the Little Mermaid. *grins* ohhh scary! *lol* we don't even get any trick-or-treaters, we just like to buy candy in bulk. hehehhe