Hello classic crew and welcome to this week’s discussion thread! But first, TOMORROW at 8:30 PM EST is our A.V. Club discussion where we will be talking about Mona Lisa Smile. Make sure to watch it before then and I look forward to hearing what you think!
Now for today’s question, I want to know - what do you think of Halloween? Do you think it’s harmless fun for kids? Do you think it’s scary and has bad undertones? Do you think it’s fun to see children dress up? Do you think it’s a bad influence? I can’t wait to hear what you think. Share below!
I love Halloween. I love dressing up with the kiddos, decorating, and handing out candy. I can’t wait until both my babies are old enough to take trick or treating. Halloween has been a secular holiday in the US since about the 1930’s. Halloween found its origins in Celtic post-harvest traditions, and came to the United States with European immigrants in the 1800’s (in-particular with the Irish, who gave us the fun that is pumpkin carving and the legend of “Jack”, the jack-o-lantern’s namesake who tricked the devil and is not allowed into heaven or hell, and therefore wanders the earth on Halloween night.) It was actually a Christian holiday (all saints day) by the time it even made it to the US though, ironically, where Christian’s honored the saints rather than honoring their passed ancestors, which was part of the spirit of the ancient holiday that predated it. Much like Christmas, Americans took Halloween and made it very unique to our culture and at this point it has become a fun day for children with a long history of spooky lore.
My sister and I have been discussing this lately. We grew up trick or treating and loved it. We dressed up as puppies and ballerinas. Never anything gross or backwards. It was a holiday for kids.
Halloween is dark and sinister now. I would have ran as a child from the decorations I see people putting up today. I have shied away from it more and more each year until it’s just not something I partake in anymore. There’s so much going on in the fall; Halloween just doesn’t make my list anymore.
I love Halloween, Halloween home decor, and holiday themed baking! I think that Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating are great fun for kids - some of my fondest childhood memories are related to the end of night candy swap that one would do with the friends and/or family they went door-to-door with, although I was never all that into costumes because I've always been a procrastinator 🤪. I really wish there wasnt as much community antagonism toward teenage trick-or-treaters, considering it's one of the safer/more wholesome activities for them to participate in. I'm really looking forward to staying home this year and passing out candy from my porch!
I took my kids trick or treating when they were younger but there’s way too much emphasis an the scary, gross and violence these days. I hate all the gross decorations and don’t participate.
I don't think Halloween is good for children and I don't celebrate it. It encourages children to behavior badly. I think it can be scary for young children.
I think Halloween, costumes, and Trick-or-Treating are wonderful traditions for kids. I love passing out candy and seeing the delight in children's faces!
It's what the person makes of it. Plenty use Halloween for evil, others do not. Halloween itself, All Hallows' Eve, is a legitimate Catholic holiday, and it sure beats celebrating "Reformation Day" like some #cope folks do.
This is an interesting topic, for sure. I grew up in a household where we did not celebrate Halloween--my parents thought of the holiday as demonic because it has pagan origins. Now that I'm an adult, I can understand why my parents felt that way, but I don't personally have a problem with celebrating Halloween. I think whether it's good or bad depends largely on how one chooses to celebrate the holiday.
Hallowe’en is derived from the ancient Druid festival of Samhain. I wouldn’t call it satanic per se but it definitely has pagan origins. I don’t celebrate it as it’s not in my religion anyway. My sister’s Anglican school doesn’t celebrate Hallowe’en. They have however “autumnal fancy dress parties” shortly before Hallowe’en which they strenuously deny has anything to do with it. Make of that what you will 😂😂
We grew up celebrating Halloween in a fun innocent way never dressing as anything grotesque. So much fun with so many family traditions! As a traditional Catholic we emphasize the All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints, and All Souls Day. It’s a 3 day event starting with Halloween, special prayers, an All Saints party with our Catholic community. Here the kids dress as their favorite saint, learn about them, play games, and have a meal. All Souls Day, our family goes to mass, sets up pictures of our deceased family members, remember them and pray for their souls, we even visit cemeteries and pray for the forgotten souls in purgatory.
I think it is harmless fun for kids. I grew up in a traditional, Christian home and we always dressed up and went around trick-or-treating. It's also one of the few things throughout the years that has stuck around as far as communites coming together goes. I love seeing my neighbors and their children spending time together walking around outside of the home. Families come together to carve pupmkins and share in precious time together. I think it has the capacity to be dark like all things, but family values keep it wholesome.
I love Halloween. I love dressing up with the kiddos, decorating, and handing out candy. I can’t wait until both my babies are old enough to take trick or treating. Halloween has been a secular holiday in the US since about the 1930’s. Halloween found its origins in Celtic post-harvest traditions, and came to the United States with European immigrants in the 1800’s (in-particular with the Irish, who gave us the fun that is pumpkin carving and the legend of “Jack”, the jack-o-lantern’s namesake who tricked the devil and is not allowed into heaven or hell, and therefore wanders the earth on Halloween night.) It was actually a Christian holiday (all saints day) by the time it even made it to the US though, ironically, where Christian’s honored the saints rather than honoring their passed ancestors, which was part of the spirit of the ancient holiday that predated it. Much like Christmas, Americans took Halloween and made it very unique to our culture and at this point it has become a fun day for children with a long history of spooky lore.
My sister and I have been discussing this lately. We grew up trick or treating and loved it. We dressed up as puppies and ballerinas. Never anything gross or backwards. It was a holiday for kids.
Halloween is dark and sinister now. I would have ran as a child from the decorations I see people putting up today. I have shied away from it more and more each year until it’s just not something I partake in anymore. There’s so much going on in the fall; Halloween just doesn’t make my list anymore.
I love Halloween, Halloween home decor, and holiday themed baking! I think that Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating are great fun for kids - some of my fondest childhood memories are related to the end of night candy swap that one would do with the friends and/or family they went door-to-door with, although I was never all that into costumes because I've always been a procrastinator 🤪. I really wish there wasnt as much community antagonism toward teenage trick-or-treaters, considering it's one of the safer/more wholesome activities for them to participate in. I'm really looking forward to staying home this year and passing out candy from my porch!
I took my kids trick or treating when they were younger but there’s way too much emphasis an the scary, gross and violence these days. I hate all the gross decorations and don’t participate.
I don't think Halloween is good for children and I don't celebrate it. It encourages children to behavior badly. I think it can be scary for young children.
I think Halloween, costumes, and Trick-or-Treating are wonderful traditions for kids. I love passing out candy and seeing the delight in children's faces!
It's what the person makes of it. Plenty use Halloween for evil, others do not. Halloween itself, All Hallows' Eve, is a legitimate Catholic holiday, and it sure beats celebrating "Reformation Day" like some #cope folks do.
This is an interesting topic, for sure. I grew up in a household where we did not celebrate Halloween--my parents thought of the holiday as demonic because it has pagan origins. Now that I'm an adult, I can understand why my parents felt that way, but I don't personally have a problem with celebrating Halloween. I think whether it's good or bad depends largely on how one chooses to celebrate the holiday.
Hallowe’en is derived from the ancient Druid festival of Samhain. I wouldn’t call it satanic per se but it definitely has pagan origins. I don’t celebrate it as it’s not in my religion anyway. My sister’s Anglican school doesn’t celebrate Hallowe’en. They have however “autumnal fancy dress parties” shortly before Hallowe’en which they strenuously deny has anything to do with it. Make of that what you will 😂😂
We grew up celebrating Halloween in a fun innocent way never dressing as anything grotesque. So much fun with so many family traditions! As a traditional Catholic we emphasize the All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints, and All Souls Day. It’s a 3 day event starting with Halloween, special prayers, an All Saints party with our Catholic community. Here the kids dress as their favorite saint, learn about them, play games, and have a meal. All Souls Day, our family goes to mass, sets up pictures of our deceased family members, remember them and pray for their souls, we even visit cemeteries and pray for the forgotten souls in purgatory.
Oh my heart... just thinking of hearing the Litany of the Saints on November 1st....... Much love from a fellow Catholic!
I think it is harmless fun for kids. I grew up in a traditional, Christian home and we always dressed up and went around trick-or-treating. It's also one of the few things throughout the years that has stuck around as far as communites coming together goes. I love seeing my neighbors and their children spending time together walking around outside of the home. Families come together to carve pupmkins and share in precious time together. I think it has the capacity to be dark like all things, but family values keep it wholesome.