Halloween is linked to the Celtic festival known as Samhain which is derived from the Old Irish meaning "summers end". The festival of Samhain celebrates the ending of the "lighter half" of the year and the beginning of the "darker half" of the year. During this celebration, the ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin enough to allow spirits to pass through it (a little wacky if you ask me). Ancestor's spirits were invited to be with the living, but evil spirits were warded off by wearing costumes and masks.
I really don't have a problem with Trick-or-Treating, but how much does it take to go over board? I think that Halloween has become more commercialized than Christmas, and technically, it's not even an American holiday. I see more houses decorated with lights and scary decor on Halloween than on Christmas in the area we live in. Again, how much is too much?
My wife and I decided to make a stand last year, and chose not to celebrate Halloween the way we did growing up. We have started a new tradition. Last year, our church held it's first annual "The Blast" celebration, which included games, a maze, plenty of free candy, and a movie. This year's was much of the same and attracted hundreds of kids. Our kids questioned not being able to go trick-or-treating, but forgot all about it once the fun began at "The Blast".
1 comment:
I think that's a great decision. I've trick-or-treated 0 times in my life and I turned out ok. A lot of people don't quite get it but that's ok, they don't have to.
Post a Comment