tuesday thread

[Bosco 1]

For those of you with muslim SOs... and I don't want to start a fight or a big debate I'm just curious since they obviously don't have this holiday in their home countries and may seriously not realize what they're engaging in... do they realize / have you explained to them that Halloween is a pagan/satanic holiday when they're celebrating it with you?

My husband doesn't need explanations for me, he is quite informed on his own; however, he realizes that ANY holiday only has the meaning attached to it that you give it. Someone could fast for Ramadan but be doing nothing more than making themselves hungry if has no other meaning to them.

Anyway, he will be wearing a garlic braid around his neck tonight to ward off the evil influences of me and my pagan neighbors around him

[Caladan 19]

Cool. Make sure you turn the light out on your porch. Otherwise the little kids will come up to the door in search of chocolate and other goodies.

[Bosco 1]

But I think it would be wrong to explain it to a foreigner as 'This is the day when Americans worship the devil', because mostly it's about letting kids get candy and run around on sugar highs.

[Veiled Princess 1]

Like I said, it was just a question based off curiosity. I've seen a lot of talk of Halloween here this week and it just made me wonder.

I don't want to get into this debate but I do feel a holiday's origination is important.

I also don't feel it would be fair to not explain it's background to a religious person who may be unaware and allow them to make the decision if they want to celebrate it or not on their own.

[Caladan 19]

Yeah, that's cool. I think I just disagree about the importance of the origin, generally. Most societies have harvest festivals, or wedding ceremonies, or other reasons to party, and oftentimes the festival gets picked up and modified by the religion or new society for its own purposes (sort of organically, usually).) It's kind of neat, to my mind, how the meaning changes but people still party.

[~Jackie~ 30]

This thread has now sparked Mohammed's interest in the history of Halloween. I have no desire to research this, so do any of you have the short version of how Halloween started in America?

Jackie

[mybackpages 0]

Like I said, it was just a question based off curiosity. I've seen a lot of talk of Halloween here this week and it just made me wonder.

I don't want to get into this debate but I do feel a holiday's origination is important.

I also don't feel it would be fair to not explain it's background to a religious person who may be unaware and allow them to make the decision if they want to celebrate it or not on their own.

You will find a lot of support for your view not only in some muslim communities but in many christian communities as well.

For me halloween is a cultural expression, what it may or may not be rooted in is not important. Cultures evolve and events like halloween can have many meanigns over the centuries.

I would argue Halloween has never been about devil worship. That is a misconception by the Christians who painted pagans as devil worshipers.

[Caladan 19]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween

A basic run-down of the holiday.

[Veiled Princess 1]

This thread has now sparked Mohammed's interest in the history of Halloween. I have no desire to research this, so do any of you have the short version of how Halloween started in America?

Jackie

Halloween started long before America.

The is the time when the pagans celebrated the death of their god and their goddess would begin mourning... this is why it's cold and dark.... come to find out she's preggers and drops her load in December... giving way to the birth of the sun god (which is funny to see him turned into the "son god" I'll admit). The sun god is then born again and goes through his life cycle during the year only to die again next Halloween... this is considered the circle/wheel of life.... he must sacrifice himself in order for the rest life to go on.

The reason children dress up during this time is because it's supposed to be a very magical time of year since it's when the sun god dies and so the veil that seperates the worlds (spirit world from our own world) is very thin and it is easier for them to cross over to our world and vice versa.... people would dress up like spooks/goblins/etc to try to fool any real ones.... jack-o-lanterns were carved and carried to scare them away as well. Brooms were hung on doors because the broom was/is significant to pagans in that it is supposed to cleanse a place of evil spirits.

They would leave food out for the spirits to appease them... if you didn't leave them something it was believed they would wreak havoc on your home... hence "trick or treat"

[~Jackie~ 30]

Thanks for the info!

Jackie

[Caladan 19]

The U.S. version, though, pretty much starts in the mid-late 19th century, and doesn't get commercialized until the 20th (which is when all the witches, goblins, and ghosts come back in.)

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Well, they're passing out Halloween candy at work that I'll partake in, but only after my mouth recovers. I had two small cavities filled this morning and ouch! One was in the worst spot for a cavity, or so the dentist kept telling me. My tongue is numb, so I can't taste the chocoate

[amal 4]

yes i have explained Halloween to my husband and he doesn't like all the "icky" costumes and death... He does think it will be fun to celebrate it in our own way and he is excited to see the adults today all dressed up! I went to his work in my robe and pajamas..he turned 20 shades of red and told me multiple times "go home...go home" all the while laughing hysterically!! I made sure to wear pajamas that I never wear so that he would be more comfortable with it... He saw some adults dressed up as witches and then figured I was just fine hehehehe! I told him that I don't like the "devil" attitude some ppl get for Halloween but I do like to dress in a fun way and just enjoy a change for a day. He agreed with me

I LOVE MY HUSBAND!!!

amal

edited to say that he made me buy candy to pass out tonight..he can't wait to do that!

Edited October 31, 2006 by amal

[Mrs. Forgetful 2]

Happy Halloween and Tuesday everyone! I am now officially 22 years old today! Yay for me! I'm getting off work at 12:30 and going to hang out at home for the rest of the afternoon. Then Adil and I have reservations for dinner at this little thai bistro. After that we are going to Bates Motel. I'm very excited! Well I have to get going. I have to start preparing to leave. I hope you all have a good day full of fun!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

For those of you with muslim SOs... and I don't want to start a fight or a big debate I'm just curious since they obviously don't have this holiday in their home countries and may seriously not realize what they're engaging in... do they realize / have you explained to them that Halloween is a pagan/satanic holiday when they're celebrating it with you?

My husband knows all about Halloween. I wrote a paper about the history of Halloween and read it to him when we first began talking. I wish I had that essay here at work with me. It explains a lot that people don't know. There is actually some catholic backround to it, if I remember correctly. I think they called it "All Saints day." But now it's all fun and games. We let the kids go out and get candy, dress in costumes and have a chance to have a fun day filled with imagination. Now we don't teach about how it started because of the fall equinox. (wonder why we always change the clocks about the same time as Halloween?) I also think that people have pagans pegged as the wrong thing. Pagans were worshippers of nature, not the devil. That concept didn't come around until people became more and more ignorant to their ways of life. But what do I know? I grew up in our era, where it was already twisted and turned around. Now when people think pagan, they think it's wicca, but it's not. But anyway, it's your decision to think and do what you want. Do you think that if everyone actually stopped celebrating Halloween the "Evil Spirits" will not come out and play? It'll happen no matter what we do. So I choose to have fun and enjoy the one time of the year where I can dress up and have that same imagination I used to have as a kid, without people looking at me all funny because they are dressed up too!

I don't really celebrate Halloween. I don't pass out candy or attend parties or anything like that. My kids do participate in the annual Halloween parade at school. My ex doesn't like the idea of them celebrating Halloween or any other holiday having to do with another religion or paganism. We don't celebrate Christmas or Easter...both of which have paganism mixed with Christianity.

Funny thing...Mohamed thinks it's kinda strange that I don't "celebrate" Christmas. He considers it more of an "American" holiday. He likes the decorations. He suggested that he may like to "celebrate" Christmas but not as a religious holiday. He was thinking more of a fun day. Go figure.

We celebrate Christmas in our house! My husband says Merry Christmas, but I say Happy Holidays! We don't observe from a christian point of view though.

Edited October 31, 2006 by Mrs. Forgetful

[Ban Hammer 13,512]

Happy Halloween and Tuesday everyone! I am now officially 22 years old today! Yay for me! I'm getting off work at 12:30 and going to hang out at home for the rest of the afternoon. Then Adil and I have reservations for dinner at this little thai bistro. After that we are going to Bates Motel . I'm very excited! Well I have to get going. I have to start preparing to leave. I hope you all have a good day full of fun!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

THE bates motel?

Edited October 31, 2006 by charlesandnessa