Halloween

[Rascalking]

LOL. It has nothing to do with complaining or happiness. Those of us who are opposed to demonic halloween, are really quite joyous people. Christ is our hope and our joy and our light.

“We cannot partake of God’s feast and the feast of devils.”
Tertullian

So, I assume your not going to my halloween party?

 

[Corki]

My husband and I were talking about threads like this the other day. And he said he remembered going trick or treating at the Catholic School he went to! Everyone dressed up for the day, not as Saints! They could wear whatever they wanted. His Aunt went dressed as the devil!!

This poster is so evangelical…They are so freaked out by Halloween it’s ridiculous. Like Puritans.

This is definately something that seems to have spilled over from the evangelicals. Growing up, we always dressed up at my Catholic schools. My kids are not dressing up today at school (Catholic) but the teachers are. Halloween isn’t surplanting All Saints, they are having Latin Mass tomorrow at school.

As I noted in another thread, the Catholic Daughters and the KofC have booths tonight at the community Halloween fest.

While I understand that some people may be uncomfortable with Halloween, especially if they live in a location where the occult aspects have taken over, there is simply nothing un-Catholic about the holiday.

 

[Catholic90]

My grandfather used to tell me that some people will complain about everything and never be happy. I think people who are really against halloween are sort of like that.

It (halloween) is good clean fun!

I love Halloween!

LOL. It has nothing to do with complaining or happiness. Those of us who are opposed to demonic halloween, are really quite joyous people. Christ is our hope and our joy and our light.

“We cannot partake of God’s feast and the feast of devils.”
Tertullian

Yes, He is, but that does not mean we cannot also have fun on Halloween. Because of Christ, we can laugh at death! Death has NO POWER over us! None, nada, zilch! Therefore, we can laugh at death and laugh at the devil cuz he cannot get us!

I placed tombstones in my yard tonight, and the little trick or treaters are coming as I type this. I have sayings like, “Little mouse, little mouse, you should have stayed out of my house,” and “Izzy Dead Yet” and “Here lies the Green Giant. May he rest in peas.” I have spiders and a vomiting jack-o-lantern.

I love Halloween and I am so glad the weather is perfect for the trick or treaters tonight!

Today, at our CATHOLIC school, the little ones dressed in their costumes. Tomorrow, we will have mass. But tonight, it is time for some FUN!

 

[Catholic90]

Here is my Jack-o-lantern!

 

[Rascalking]

Here is my Jack-o-lantern!

Looks fantastic!

Happy Halloween! Boo!

 

[EasterJoy]

That is one of the deceptive catch phrases. The big two:

1. Good clean fun
2. Harmless fun

Those in favor of demonic halloween usually begin to attack those who are opposed, by calling them puritans or fundamentalists or party-poopers or some such nonsense.

I think that this occultic festival has been so ingrained in the American culture and consciousness, that parents feel it is a rite of passage for their children to idulge in this unChristian ritual. I think there is a level of guilt where they think they are depriving their children of “fun” if they refrain from participation. Every year, the imagery gets more sinister and diabolical. Even those children who may dress as something benign are exposed to this demonic imagery as they waltz from house to house for candy.

I pray that more people will recognize the spiritual dangers associated with this event.

The phrase “demonic Halloween” is not redundant, in spite of what you’re saying.

Sometimes those who are defending the right are called partypoopers. This is true.

It does not logically follow that if someone calls you a partypooper that you are, therefore, defending the right. Sometimes, when someone complains that you’re being a partypooper, it is because you’re being a partypooper.

Our parish priest used to decorate his basement for trick-or-treaters. There were cobwebs and jack-o-lanterns and bats and scary sound-effects, but there wasn’t a devil in it. If you’re saying that he was encouraging an interest in the occult, you could not possibly be any more off base.

That would be rash judgement, which is a sin. You will agree, I am sure, that there is no sin that can be justified by the “dangers” it attempts to ward off. You know how cunning the predator is who wants to see you fall, brother. Be very very careful how you word your warnings, then, lest you who would save others fall yourself.

 

[catholicmamajoy]

Here is my Jack-o-lantern!

…and now the candy made it sick!!! Jack is going to need to do some serious fasting over then next couple of days (and take some Alka-Seltzer )

 

[Catholic90]

…and now the candy made it sick!!! Jack is going to need to do some serious fasting over then next couple of days (and take some Alka-Seltzer )

Exactly!

It is really funny how many kids have commented on it!

Such fun!

 

[Corki]

Here is my Jack-o-lantern!

That’s similar to the one that won the pumpkin carving contest on Martha Stewart’s blog. The winner was, by the way, submitted by two of the producers from the Catholic Channel.

And for some more good, clean Halloween fun, check out the Google doodle for today. It’s a fast-forward video and it’s very cute.

 

[Corki]

My favorite Halloween costume so far tonight – a ladybug. She was about 2.

My favorite Trick-or-treater. The little boy on his motorized car, in a SWAT team outfit who exchanged my gift of candy for a great big hug.

Not a demon or devil in the whole neighborhood for these little darlings to be “exposed to”. And all were traveling with their parents.

Sorry, just not buying how this is evil.

 

[Aelred_Minor]

My favorite Halloween costume so far tonight – a ladybug. She was about 2.

My favorite Trick-or-treater. The little boy on his motorized car, in a SWAT team outfit who exchanged my gift of candy for a great big hug.

Not a demon or devil in the whole neighborhood for these little darlings to be “exposed to”. And all were traveling with their parents.

Sorry, just not buying how this is evil.

When I was a kid the one rule my parents set was no devil or witch costumes. I think that was about right, looking at the issue of costumes in isolation. Though I still would support finding ways to integrate the secular aspects of the holiday with the religious meaning.

 

[Catholic90]

My favorite was a little boy of about 18 months. He was a puppy, complete with a painted on nose and drool! Adorable!

I had about 110 trick or treaters tonight - every single kid was in costume, all were very polite saying thank you, and only a very few very small ones had to be prompted to say “twick or tweet”!

 

[Rascalking]

My favorite was a little boy of about 18 months. He was a puppy, complete with a painted on nose and drool! Adorable!

I had about 110 trick or treaters tonight - every single kid was in costume, all were very polite saying thank you, and only a very few very small ones had to be prompted to say “twick or tweet”!

Rock on! I had Buzz Lightyear, some football players, a princess-wow, it’s been a great night! Imagine those vistors!

 

[pnewton]

Happy Halloween everyone, late though it is. We had about 50 kids come by today. We usually go all our in our neighborhood and had great weather. Now, I still have All Saints tomorrow to look forward to. My son is going as St. Michael (defend us in battle).

 

[StrawberryJam]

Less kids than in past, but more considerate ones than in past. Everyone of them said thank you tonight.
I gave them all full size theater box candy.
They had 10 to pick from.
I also offered a silly plastic ball type toy that tights up.
So when they screamed Trick or Treat
I responded
Toy or Candy?
They looked confused, and some decided to grab double on the candy. Some decided to grab the toy instead. Some asked me about the skull decorations. I did some art of the sugar skulls the Mexicans do. All over. Had the place decked out this year, unlike years past. Included keebler cheese and cracker snacks, goldfish variety packs from Costco, Raisins, prebagged individual apple packs, and pencils with eraser tops.

Hey, it’s like Christmas for me. I don’t get to share gifts with kids now that they are mostly grown ups in the family now.

I like seeing kids eyes light up with wonder and delight.

I don’t have the joy of seeing people get together often.

Kids are so full of life, and as I get older and see less life around me I find myself wanting to do whatever I can to help them keep shining.

 

[Catholic90]

Less kids than in past, but more considerate ones than in past. Everyone of them said thank you tonight.
I gave them all full size theater box candy.
They had 10 to pick from.
I also offered a silly plastic ball type toy that tights up.
So when they screamed Trick or Treat
I responded
Toy or Candy?
They looked confused, and some decided to grab double on the candy. Some decided to grab the toy instead. Some asked me about the skull decorations. I did some art of the sugar skulls the Mexicans do. All over. Had the place decked out this year, unlike years past. Included keebler cheese and cracker snacks, goldfish variety packs from Costco, Raisins, prebagged individual apple packs, and pencils with eraser tops.

Hey, it’s like Christmas for me. I don’t get to share gifts with kids now that they are mostly grown ups in the family now.

I like seeing kids eyes light up with wonder and delight.

I don’t have the joy of seeing people get together often.

Kids are so full of life, and as I get older and see less life around me I find myself wanting to do whatever I can to help them keep shining.

Aww, good for you! That sounds fabulous!

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Maybe we are talking about different things. If by “religion” you mean only the more…how should I put it… vigorous aspects of religion, going to Mass and praying the Rosary and such, then obviously even a monk cannot do these things 24/7, and most people are not called to be monks.

Well that is indeed the popular perspective. Dare I infuse that with what I find fun? I find just the thought revolting both to my religious and artistic tastes.

I do want to address the idea that serious things cause suicide while trivial pursuits prevent it. I don’t claim to be a psychologist and I’m sure there is a lot of diversity between people who contemplate or commit suicide.

Workaholics are a good example. Religion in of itself is similar to work. It’s not something for pleasure but it is something of a requirement for a higher cause. The fact that it refuses to be something for refuge and for pleasure automatically makes it impossible with the common idea of ‘fun’.

But living a vapid life of perpetual distraction seems to me to likely be the fastest path to suicide, or at least one very dangerous path, whereas a life infused with religious purpose takes one away from the brink. This has been my experience to a large degree.

And my experience finds religion a tad bore when taken in excessive amounts. By ‘religion’ of course, I mean the vigorous aspects which you have mentioned. Also, I keep repeating that the pleasures which you label as ‘distraction’ are not ends in of themselves but merely something to recharge a person whilst they attempt to achieve a higher purpose (such as religious ones).

I’m not saying you need to be constantly praying as you eat an ice-cream cone, “Thank you for this ice-cream, God. I wish I could have given you an ice-cream cone on the cross, Jesus. Thank you for dying for me, Jesus. I’m really not worthy to eat this ice-cream, worthless sinner that I am, who have caused you so much suffering, but thank you for blessing me with it nonetheless” etc. An attempt to constantly do this would almost certainly fail, and an obsessive drive to accomplish this kind of constant prayer and hardminded purpose could, I suppose, lead to depression.

I’m impressed that you actually realize that this is the sort of thing people would think you’d want them to do when you suggest ‘spiritualizing’ their pleasures.

What I’m saying is that the general plan of your life should be in the context of your Christian faith, with every part of it, the serious and the lighthearted, kept in their proper context.

And separating entertainment from religion isn’t keeping things in the proper context? I have found it the complete opposite.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

My favorite was a little boy of about 18 months. He was a puppy, complete with a painted on nose and drool! Adorable!

Rock on! I had Buzz Lightyear, some football players, a princess-wow, it’s been a great night! Imagine those vistors!

No trick-or-treating here but would you believe a little girl beat all the teens/adults at this big-time costume contest we had over here!

 

[EasterJoy]

Well that is indeed the popular perspective. Dare I infuse that with what I find fun? I find just the thought revolting both to my religious and artistic tastes.

Workaholics are a good example. Religion in of itself is similar to work. It’s not something for pleasure but it is something of a requirement for a higher cause. The fact that it refuses to be something for refuge and for pleasure automatically makes it impossible with the common idea of ‘fun’.

And my experience finds religion a tad bore when taken in excessive amounts. By ‘religion’ of course, I mean the vigorous aspects which you have mentioned. Also, I keep repeating that the pleasures which you label as ‘distraction’ are not ends in of themselves but merely something to recharge a person whilst they attempt to achieve a higher purpose (such as religious ones).

I’m impressed that you actually realize that this is the sort of thing people would think you’d want them to do when you suggest ‘spiritualizing’ their pleasures.

And separating entertainment from religion isn’t keeping things in the proper context? I have found it the complete opposite.

This is all very odd. The Jewish understanding of observing the festivals of God requires that one make merry! Look at this section of Deuteronomy; this is the translation on the Vatican web site (boldface mine, of course):

*“You shall celebrate the feast of Booths for seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and wine press. You shall make merry at your feast, together with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, and also the Levite, the alien, the orphan and the widow who belong to your community. For seven days you shall celebrate this pilgrim feast in honor of the LORD, your God, in the place which he chooses; since the LORD, your God, has blessed you in all your crops and in all your undertakings, you shall do nought but make merry.” *Deut. 16:13-15

A feast day ought to be understood as a day set aside to make merry for the goodness of the Lord! In other words, you ought to be trying to have fun and enjoy yourself!

Jesus was criticised because he didn’t deny himself 24/7/365: *“To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.” *Matt. 11:16-19

*"Then the disciples of John approached him and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast (much), but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” *Matt. 9:14-15

Honestly, I am having a hard time believing that I’m having to convince Catholics that using feast days to actually feast and have fun before God is as much a part of our religion as working and practicing self-denial at the times appropriate for those things!

Be like little children… dare to imagine that your Heavenly Father smiles with you when you have fun!

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

Honestly, I am having a hard time believing that I’m having to convince Catholics that using feast days to actually feast and have fun before God is as much a part of our religion as working and practicing self-denial at the times appropriate for those things!

Be like little children… dare to imagine that your Heavenly Father smiles with you when you have fun!

We desperately need to have a thread on Catholicism and “fun”, because it’s an ongoing subject that we haven’t tackled head on. Personally, I’m tempted to agree with you.