| Hallmark Halloween |
| Wednesday, 24 October 2007 | |
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Halloween was a sure bet. I got to knock on stranger's doors, ask them for free candy, and dress up as Spiderman or whoever I felt like (no doubt I'll regret putting up this picture of me and my best buddy Mike from a Halloween night in high school). Though there has been much discussion about the origins of Halloween (see especially Ronald Hutton's Stations of the Sun), in our times it seems to have taken on a new cultural form that has to do more with consumerism than anything else. Hallmark even has their own press page for Halloween. In it they share information about the growth in Halloween home decor, both inside and out, as well as the 440 cards they offer for the occasion. Let me know your thoughts: 1. Is Halloween something you participate in? If so, how? 2. Halloween seems far more popular in America than other countries. What is Halloween like where you are? 3. What is the meaning of Halloween in our times? Does it have any connection to the past? 4. Throughout your life, what has been your favorite Halloween costume? Set as favorite Bookmark
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1. I don't have a front door, so kids can't come to my place for trick-or-treating. But usually I'm involved in some sort of outreach that night -- participating in community Halloween parties, going to where the kids are, and loving 'em in Jesus's name.
2. Halloween is big in Santa Cruz, but mainly among teenagers and young adults who want to make trouble. Parents around here are regularly seeking or creating safe alternatives. Our town has large Halloween functions in a few of the subdivisions. 3. What Halloween means to the kids is dress-up and candy. What it means to the teenagers is partying and mayhem. Goths make a big deal about its dark origins, but know next to nothing about those origins; it's all contemporary neo-paganism in their activities. Christians try to rename it and counter-program against it with harvest parties, again knowing next to nothing about the feasts of the saints. Nobody thinks about the past. 4. I really liked my Batman costume. I liked it so much I wore it on other days than Halloween -- I figured I had to squeeze all the fun out of it before I grew out of it. 1 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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Smulo, is that you?!!
Wow, I'm going to have to ask my mom for a copy of the picture of me in my spaceman outfit to see if I can out-embarrass myself on that one. In answer to your questions: 1. Yes I'm fine participating in Halloween. This year I plan to go to my kids school party dressed as the Great Pumpkin. 2. Here in New Jersey most people seem to take their kids to parties rather than risk trick-or-treating, but I'm not sure. 3. The connection to the past for most of us goes only as far as our childhoods. 4. My favorite costume was a wizard, homemade by my mother and oldest brother. My best costume was the spaceman outfit mentioned above. BTW, my b-day is Oct 31. 2 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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K. W.,
Thanks for your answers. I smiled when you talked about wearing that costume on more than Halloween. Having flashbacks about a Superman underoos costume I used to wear. 3 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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Adam G.,
Haha. That's me. What was I thinking posting it? You will have to post a picture of that spaceman outfit--you know, misery loving company and all. And that Great Pumpkin get up will work too. Interesting to hear about mostly parties there. Lots of JW style door knocking for candy here. Interesting to hear of your b-day. 4 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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In the UK Halloween is linked in the popular view to rubbing shoulders with all things demonic and witchcrafty. To participate in it as a born again Christian is virtually unthinkable. There have been moves to make it more commercially oriented in the American way, but it hasn't lost its folklore aspect to a significant degree yet. If anything that has strengthened the acceptability of the appearance of evil in it's practice. It is a 'pagan celebration' in the way you DON'T use the word 'pagan' - good PR for the devil.
As a kid I used to hollow out potatoes into grotesque heads in which to place candles, but then our household was only mildly Christian in its awareness of spiritual realities. 5 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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Personally, I want to see a picture of you in the Superman Underoos.
 6 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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ummm...It is hard to concentrate on those questions with that picture up
Maybe I will say something more later. 7 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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Cute pecs, and look at that hair!
 1. Halloween was fun in the 60's. I don't think fun-size candy bars were even invented yet. I lived in a small town and we went to every house in town. Many of the older ladies actually gave out baked goods instead of candy. (Yes, I'm old.) 4. The only costume I remember was in college I borrowed a football uniform from the athletic department. I'll have to see if I can dig up that picture. 8 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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Whoa ... JJ ... you were BUFF!
I was a gypsy for about 100 years in a row. Halloween was always cold in Vermont so I had to wear my costume over my winter coat. I don't remember anything very original. I do remember the look on my mother's face the year I told her the plans I'd made to be the pope. Since we weren't at all religious I had no idea how rude this would be. She guided me away from that. And ... you'll know from my synchroblog post that we do Halloween now. 9 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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I second the Superman underoos request!
10 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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love the photo- halloween is a recent celebration as far as the masses go here in the UK... I didn't celebrate much at all as a child... today things are different- I wonder if that is good or bad?
11 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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Toni,
Any thoughts as to why Halloween is still thought of as demonic there? 12 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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Lainie,
Haha. Actually, I don't know where it is but I have a pretty cute one of Sheyna and I from when we were real young. I think she was Wonder Woman or something. 13 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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Reba,
Haha. Me and my dumb photo idea! 14 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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replying for Toni here Jon- I think feelings are mixed- as far as Christians go there is a good deal of ignorance, Halloween has not traditionaly been a family time and older children tend to trick or treat alone and have often been involved in egging houses etc... so it is not the fun festival that is celebrated in the USA... many (esp. the commercial giants) would like it to become so. As for me I am still asking questions!
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October 24, 2007
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Grace,
You're making me blush You're not that old, but baked goods?! I hadn't heard of that before, pretty nice of people. I wish fun sized candy bars still weren't invented. Especially on Halloween! 16 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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Sonja,
The key word there is "were"  I guess I shouldn't think it was funny that you wanted to be the pope, but that cracks me up. 17 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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Kay,
You're making me blush now too 18 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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Sally,
My kids didn't celebrate Halloween until last year, because it's not really a big thing in Australia. But they had a great time last year and can't wait for this. 19 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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Sally,
It is much more of a family thing here. Parents are out with children walking from house to house, that kind of thing. Worth thinking through. 20 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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If I was gonna dress like one of the Village People, I'd be the biker. Not the injun.
21 report abuse
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October 24, 2007
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1. I totally participate in Halloween. I decorate the house, inside and out, get lots of candy for the kids and go out trick or treating myself...yeah still!!!
2. Halloween's a little slack. I kind of live in the boonies and people have to be bussed to our neighborhood. 3. I don't think I can honestly give a honest answer to what the real meaning of Halloween is and how it pertains to the past. For me, it has always been a fun time. 4. I dressed up as a midget wrestler one year. Built a ring out of box with poles and ropes and cut the bottoms out of some high top tennis shoes so I could put them on up to my knees. My favorite was a couple of years ago. I dressed as Darth Vader ( I have one of the red electronic light sabers). One of our church members came over with their daughter who was also dressed as Darth Vader. So I took her out trick or treating in the neighborhood and introduced myself as Darth Vader and "mini-me". It was a lot of fun. Oh yeah! Never ever break out the high school pics! LOL 22 report abuse
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October 25, 2007
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Agent B,
Well how about you be the biker and we'll go trick or treating together? 23 report abuse
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October 25, 2007
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Mike,
You know how to have a good time on Halloween! I know I shouldn't have broke out the high school pic, but you need to break out some pics of you on Halloween! 24 report abuse
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October 25, 2007
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John - I'm not a fan of Halloween which says more about what my parents taught me about it than perhaps what's the "real deal" about it. My parents heard Doreen Irvine (I assume you know who she is) speak and talk about how those involved in the occult loved Christians to participate in Halloween paries as by doing this they were glorifying Satan. Now I'm not sure if I still buy this, but bring a child up in the way he should go and he'll continue to walk in it.
It's a live issue in our house as my middle boy loves to dress up and is very excited about Halloween. The shops are full of Halloween stuff and at school they will do stuff about ghosts and witches and other scary things. So he's surrounded by things that say this is exciting. So we're having to think about how we respond to him. The church, as many churches here do, are having a "Praise Party" to which kids can come dressed up, but to be honest I'm not even comfortable with this. All that said - I guess most people in the UK see it as a kids thing and and oppertunity for an office party. 25 report abuse
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October 25, 2007
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I loved dressing up as death, actually. All black cape and hood. Skull painted face underneath.
One year my best friend, Shawn Fidler, and I were vampires and didn't know we shouldn't put vaseline in our hair. We've done the non-Halloween thing in the past - when we were further from living a life of love and following Jesus ironically. It was as though fear controlled our lives. I'm not saying that is true of everyone who is convicted not to participate, but it was for us. We will participate in a smallish way this year. Kids dress up and get candy. Perhaps I'll dress up too just for fun. I've still got hair. Have you seen my hair lately?  Why are you more like Larry than the Peach?26 report abuse
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October 25, 2007
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BTW, i joined the synchroblog as a highjacker. I was inspired.
But not by your pecs. 27 report abuse
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October 25, 2007
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Brodie,
As with all these things, you gotta go with your conscience. Though its worth noting that Doreen Irvine, and most of these types of people, have been outed as frauds with their stories, and certainly with their understanding of what Satanists, etc. believe and practice. 28 report abuse
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October 25, 2007
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Bryan,
Vaseline in your hair?! That is so funny. That must have took forever to get out. I haven't seen your hair lately. I got better pecs though. So what do you want, good hair, or good pecs? I'm going with the pecs and shaved head buddy. Are you not signed up on the Synchroblog list? Let me know if you want to be. Its for anyone who wants to participate. 29 report abuse
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October 25, 2007
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The only thing I can think of through this whole post is, "Dude is that you?!"
 30 report abuse
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October 25, 2007
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cause you're pretty ripped. hehe
31 report abuse
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October 25, 2007
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I'm not against Halloween, although it's MUCH more commercial now than then.
And often I haven't been able to be home in the evening to give out candy. But this year I will. It will be fun. Maybe I'll dress up. 32 report abuse
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October 27, 2007
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Due to financial circumstances I won't be buying the supplies to be the Great Pumpkin this year. :- Oh well. Next year.
I do plan to ask my mother to lend the spaceman pic to me so I can get it scanned onto disk for posterity. 33 report abuse
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October 27, 2007
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When I was a kid , Halloween was probably my second favorite day of the year. Christmas was first--but not by a long shot. 
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