So we aren't big on Halloween. Of course over the years my little ones have asked the all too difficult question of 'why' we don't celebrate this holiday and EVERY one else does.
Usually, a simple answer does the job, however just recently my 9 year old wouldn't let my simple answer go unexplained. So as we were running errands, just me and her, she quizzed my brain on the deeper reasons of why this holiday bothers me so much. And I guess over time, I hadn't thought so deeply on the subject.
Our conversation began with the topics of the things we celebrate, we have a party for, we decorate for, we bake a cake for, dress up for etc..... for someone's birth, to honor a Saint (St. Patrick's Day, St. Valentines Day)...., to be grateful for a New Year, celebrate Jesus rising from the dead, to experience life and the changing of the seasons that God gave us to enjoy and the list goes on.
Now, when we come to Halloween, what are we celebrating? What are we honoring? What part of life are we experiencing? I posed these questions to my daughter and as usual, out of the mouths of babes, she said, Halloween celebrates death.
Yes, indeed it does. Now I know plenty of children dress up as cowboys and indians and princesses and fairies, and all is good. It is fun to play dress up and act out those personalities. Certainly we don't need a holiday to dress up as a cowboy! But when the costumes and decorations get to extremes and truly end up celebrating the dark side (HH would love the Star Wars reference!)....it's where I draw the line.
I asked my daughter, let's think about God's plan for us. When you think of God, and all the ways He is connected with life, creating of life, preserving life, bringing people back to life etc.....can we truly think He wishes us to celebrate death?
I get it. Death is a part of life.... and it can't be ignored. And we don't ignore it. We bring the children to funerals with us, we explain the soul is no longer there, and our bodies will remain. We go to funerals to celebrate that person's life, not his death. We don't revel in the death, but are grateful for that person's life, and all those he/she loved. But to glorify death is another thing. To celebrate that death is a whole other ballgame.
It just wasn't God's plan to have death in the world. We as humans brought it upon ourselves, and it becomes part of our lives. But there are many parts of our lives that we don't celebrate, simply because the nature of it dictates that.
I can every now and then, get a kick out of a scary movie, don't get me wrong, I just think, these things are meant for adults. It's been quite a long time since I sat through a scary movie, but just recently my HH and I saw "Paranormal Activity". It was created on a very small budget, ($16,000 or so) and is getting quite the attention at the box office with a following. I can see why - the gore is minimal, the action sequences are limited severely, the antagonist is never even seen. Now, I can appreciate a movie that relies on the human imagination for it's effects. And this one does it in spades.
I admit, sleeping that night was difficult, so keep that in mind....however, it did remind me and my HH, that evil does exist and we aren't immune. Mid-way through the movie, we pressed pause, and took our holy water to every room of the house, asking God, protect us from even the unseen. We blessed the children even as they sleep, and said a quick prayer to St. Michael.
So again, Halloween celebrates death, the evil in the world, the darker side of man. In what universe should we tell our kids that once a year it's ok....every now and then, it's ok to glorify evil? Not in our universe, not in this day and age, and definitely not under my watch.
**In an ironic twist of fate, just after posting the above, Google decided to add Halloween ads below. Forgive me, I have little to no control over what Google puts there.**
Usually, a simple answer does the job, however just recently my 9 year old wouldn't let my simple answer go unexplained. So as we were running errands, just me and her, she quizzed my brain on the deeper reasons of why this holiday bothers me so much. And I guess over time, I hadn't thought so deeply on the subject.
Our conversation began with the topics of the things we celebrate, we have a party for, we decorate for, we bake a cake for, dress up for etc..... for someone's birth, to honor a Saint (St. Patrick's Day, St. Valentines Day)...., to be grateful for a New Year, celebrate Jesus rising from the dead, to experience life and the changing of the seasons that God gave us to enjoy and the list goes on.
Now, when we come to Halloween, what are we celebrating? What are we honoring? What part of life are we experiencing? I posed these questions to my daughter and as usual, out of the mouths of babes, she said, Halloween celebrates death.
Yes, indeed it does. Now I know plenty of children dress up as cowboys and indians and princesses and fairies, and all is good. It is fun to play dress up and act out those personalities. Certainly we don't need a holiday to dress up as a cowboy! But when the costumes and decorations get to extremes and truly end up celebrating the dark side (HH would love the Star Wars reference!)....it's where I draw the line.
I asked my daughter, let's think about God's plan for us. When you think of God, and all the ways He is connected with life, creating of life, preserving life, bringing people back to life etc.....can we truly think He wishes us to celebrate death?
I get it. Death is a part of life.... and it can't be ignored. And we don't ignore it. We bring the children to funerals with us, we explain the soul is no longer there, and our bodies will remain. We go to funerals to celebrate that person's life, not his death. We don't revel in the death, but are grateful for that person's life, and all those he/she loved. But to glorify death is another thing. To celebrate that death is a whole other ballgame.
It just wasn't God's plan to have death in the world. We as humans brought it upon ourselves, and it becomes part of our lives. But there are many parts of our lives that we don't celebrate, simply because the nature of it dictates that.
I can every now and then, get a kick out of a scary movie, don't get me wrong, I just think, these things are meant for adults. It's been quite a long time since I sat through a scary movie, but just recently my HH and I saw "Paranormal Activity". It was created on a very small budget, ($16,000 or so) and is getting quite the attention at the box office with a following. I can see why - the gore is minimal, the action sequences are limited severely, the antagonist is never even seen. Now, I can appreciate a movie that relies on the human imagination for it's effects. And this one does it in spades.
I admit, sleeping that night was difficult, so keep that in mind....however, it did remind me and my HH, that evil does exist and we aren't immune. Mid-way through the movie, we pressed pause, and took our holy water to every room of the house, asking God, protect us from even the unseen. We blessed the children even as they sleep, and said a quick prayer to St. Michael.
So again, Halloween celebrates death, the evil in the world, the darker side of man. In what universe should we tell our kids that once a year it's ok....every now and then, it's ok to glorify evil? Not in our universe, not in this day and age, and definitely not under my watch.
**In an ironic twist of fate, just after posting the above, Google decided to add Halloween ads below. Forgive me, I have little to no control over what Google puts there.**
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