I’ve tried. I have really tried. I have marshaled all my self-righteous bluster and vast knowledge, and I still can’t do it. I’m pretty orthodox, as orthodoxy goes. It seems I should be able to – it kind of makes sense. My brain tells me I should be able to… but I just can’t bring myself to do it. Believe me, I’ve tried, but I can’t.
I can’t hate Halloween. I’m sorry to disappoint some of you.
Yes, I know that:
It is pagan in its origins. (Much like Christmas and Easter)
People dress up as bloody, ghoulish, soulless, evil creatures.
Complete strangers are bussed into my neighborhood and show up at my door expecting candy.
In the old days there was a lot of “mischief” surrounding the “trick” part of treating.
Candy is bad for you. And expensive.
Nowadays walking through a costume shop is semi-pornographic.
Insides of pumpkins are slimy gross.
Dorky, uncostumed teenagers ride around on skateboards with bulging pillowcases full of candy.
Some kids get crazy from the sugar. (nevermind.)
I know all these things – but I like Halloween anyway. Maybe it’s because we contain it. We don’t go scary or bloody. We go cute and creative. We refuse to see R-rated movies – and avoid the satanic/gory ones even if they are PG-13 or on TV. We don’t go to haunted houses. We don’t watch Glee. (Unrelated – but I wanted to slip it in.)
Halloween is fun.
Not only that, Halloween is the single most charitable day of the year. Name one other day of the year that complete strangers can knock on other stranger’s doors and walk away with something they value, leaving the ‘givers’ expecting absolutely nothing in return. Not even blessings. There is precious little we do that is so non discriminating.
Remember that 2nd great commandment: Love thy neighbor? I don’t think what the Savior meant by that is that on the one night of the year the neighborhood is interacting with each other, we should turn of our lights, lock the doors, and go somewhere else to avoid those very neighbors. In my book, avoiding trick-or-treaters is missing the point.
I like:
Seeing the FOMLs get excited to play dress-up.
Having photo archives of their costumes as they grow.
Milky Ways. A lot.
Hanging out in the streets and chating with my neighbors.
Carving pumpkins with my kids – especially now that they are old enough to ‘gut’ them by themselves.
Reese’s cups.
Holding hands with the little ones and watching from the sidewalk as they courageously make their first door approaches. (Mission prep?)
Ward parties, even if we call them something less pagan.
Watching the maniacal kids run around in their costumes at the ward parties
Smarties.
Seeing the cool adults dress up and not being spoil sports.
Green apple Jolly Ranchers.
Watching my kids sort their candy on the floor and learn basic trading etiquette.
Refusing to give candy to a kid unless he actually utters the magic words ‘Trick-or-Treat’. (Tiny tots excluded)
Asking the slackers “What are you supposed to be?”
Big Hunks, though increasingly rare.
Laughing at any woman wearing anything remotely “Twilight”.
Quoting Titus 1:15 to people who are “Anti-Halloweenites”.
So, if you are looking for a spiritual, or doctrinal treatise on why we shouldn’t participate in Halloween, you’ve come to the wrong place. Sorry.
No treatise. Only treats.
(Did I mention that I like Milky Ways?)
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Sorry Holly – but it wasn’t directed at you. But if you would like, tell me something important that you feel strongly about and I will make a deal out of it.
I have no problem with people disagreeing with me. Strong opinions and intolerance make for a lonely man.
Oh, btw – Happy Halloween!
Ok, so was this in response to my comment on your last post? ( : Probably not, but I am more negative towards Halloween than most. Doesn’t help that I struggle with being a glass is half full kinda gal. I like the idea of giving out the candy being charitable, but in my experience it doesn’t turn out that way. I guess I’d just rather see a “fall costume ball” or something like that held at the church or somewhere more neutral to get investigators and non-members involved and just have good fall food like pumpkin pie and cider- do the hanging donuts where you try to eat them off the string, etc. Even do a costume march around the building and give out candy if you want! I just hate the dark, gory, scary side of things and the total strangers in masks begging for candy at my door which I find creepy rather than an opportunity for charity.
You definitely make some good points about the fun parts of the holiday. I enjoy your blog whether or not we agree on Halloween. I laughed myself silly over the Oscar costume fiasco. Hee hee.
The trunk or treat at the park in ward boundaries is one of the best ways to interact with less active members. We count on seeing these families there, especially when they don’t let you in the door otherwise. It’s a great way to say, “your children are so cute/clever/etc” without sounding creepy. We chat over cider and bond over common love of candy. I realize it’s pushing it to count it as a VT visit, but if you can’t get in the door, you do what you can….
I’m not generally a fan of Halloween. not because I am taking any kind of “moral high ground” but simply out of laziness. Seriously, how many plastic boy costumes can one mom buy? I had an idea, if everybody bought a bad of candy and at, let’s say, 6:00 stepped onto their front porch and threw the candy to the home on their left, that would save the running around the neighborhood and you would have new/disgusting or delicious candy for the family.
On a side note, I am amazed by my husbands trick-or-treat stamina. He can go for hours. So, I guess it’s trick-or-treating for me.
I love Halloween. It’s the one time of the year that my family fits in! Just sayin . . .
And thank you for liking Canadians! We like you, too!
MMM – Big Turks are only the most delish chocolate covered turkish delight ever! We do have some stellar chocolate bars here that my US friends ask for all the time. I would totally send you a big turk but then you would want to move to Canada! 🙂
Kidding, but really if you want to try some out, I would be willing to share…
Crystal: No, my point was that the Halloween charity is so pure that we don’t even think about receiving blessings for passing out candy – unlike other charity we give. (Tithes, offerings, etc.) Which makes it all the more deserving of blessings.
Super fun post! I too am a fan of the pagan holiday.
I laughed when you said, “not even blessings”…
You trying to say candy giver outters don’t get blessings for their generosity?? I’ll bet they get more blessings than the Halloween scrooges that turn out their lights and lay low while the kiddies tromp sadly past their darkened door.
We are none Halloweeners (or is that weiners?) here. Seriously. Try NOT celebrating it for two years and you’ll see how totally ridiculous the whole holiday (definitely NOT a holy day) is.
Okay, okay, I admit the not celebrating was kind of by default as we live 45 minutes away from town so really, what’s the point for us to take our kids in to do the whole trick-or-treating thing? Thankfully standing back, away from it all helped us really understand how totally stupid Halloween is.
But that doesn’t mean we don’t like dressing up. I mean, come on I have SEVEN daughters. They play dress up all.the.time. And we just go for buying whatever candy we like instead of playing the lotto to see what we might end up with. Kit Kats, Twix, 3 Muskateers, Reese’s….yummo! Oh, we are so deprived!! 🙂
Hmmm, So this comment is slightly off topic, but I thought it was just our ward’s decision not to call it a “Halloween” party since I didn’t hear anything over the pulpit about it. But was it a decision that came from higher up?
I love Halloween for all the same reasons you do (and Almond Joys). And I don’t watch Glee either.
Sandy
Just got back from our annual Ward Comafest. Only a few broke the mask rule and scared the four-year-old silly. All in all, a productive night, especially for the in house quality control agent!
I never thought about it being charitable but you are so right.
You know what I wish? I wish the powers the be over holiday rules would start putting the Halloween on the last Friday of October. That would be nice.
We don’t watch Glee either. Too inappropriate.
But Dexter is just fine.
Fun: Ghostbusters
Scary: Wait Until Dark
Love halloween. EC not so much cuz she hates masks. Love getting spooked. EC not so much cuz her fight or flight is hypercharged.
Trick or treating as a kid, there was a house giving out mini bottles of whiskey. There was a long line of kids.
What’s your must see Halloween movie? I’m a “Ghost and Mr. Chicken” guy myself.
I’m just about to head out to our ward’s HALLOWEEN party. (That’s what the flier says!) I’m bringing my yummy white chili. My teenagers are helping run the spook alley in the scout room. I can’t wait to see my current and former Sunbeams all dressed up. I’m looking forward to all of it!
A few years ago the new Activities Chairwoman decided not to do the annual Trunk or Treat. She didn’t care for Halloween. That did not go over well and several moms went ahead and organized an “unofficial” trunk or treat themselves. The bishop said he would never make the mistake again of not holding the Trunk or Treat.
Halloween is just a fun part of childhood… but we don’t do the gore/scary stuff… I love your list of why you love Halloween (and the scripture–perfect!)
Paul – is that you, or the kidney stones talking?
I hate Halloween and I hate green Jolly Ranchers (in fact, I hate all Jolly Ranchers). But that’s it. I don’t hate anything else.
I’m with you all the way.
We also do cute and fun Halloween. Nothing gory or disgusting in this house.
I love the ward party that is hosted by the YM/YW. Our YW presidency dressed up as Value Fairies this year. I was the Individual Worth Fairy.
I love the cohesive feeling in the neighborhood on Halloween night as neighbors call out to each other while taking their kids around.
PS The only thing better than finding a Big Hunk is finding one that is still soft!
I have a hard time when adults tell me, “Halloween is my favorite holiday of the whole year!” Really?!? It ranks higher than Christmas? Easter? Thanksgiving?
I don’t like the gore. Or the scary decor/costumes. I do enjoy dressing in costume and going to dinner as a family.
JRoberts: I totally understand your viewpoint, and I promise you that we won’t judge you too harshly for sucking the fun out of childhood. Mostly because you are Canadian, and Canadians are so darn nice.
Just teasin’. Also, I don’t know what a big turk is…
I am one of the haters, but I see how everyone could (and should) choose.
Just because Pres Monson loves ice cream, or say – your US smarties…I would not eat them. So goes, if you like Halloween, more power to you. 🙂 (but bring on big turks and caramilk bars…mars bars and three muskateers too!)
I love how in the Lord’s rules we ALL have free agency, not just one or two of the “select”. We can all choose to use what we feel best about for OUR family.
(which is why our family does not have the tooth fairy or Santa. It doesn’t mean we are “Childhood destroying Nazi’s” as I have been called before!)
I am with you on this. I love Halloween but my Halloween is the cutesy Halloween. I hate the gory part of it.
BTW – I know you are semi-annonymous as a blogger, so maybe you need to set up a PO Box or something, so fans can send you Milky Ways! I’m partial to Snickers by the way….very, very partial!
Fabulous. And I laughed out loud at the Glee comment. I once thought about writing a post about Glee…and how I despise it (love/hate, but way more hate than love-relationship)…but I didn’t want to get tarred and feathered for saying so. I agree on all your points…I totally could have written this post…wish I had! 🙂
You’ve convinced me!
(Which was probably an easy task since I’m already a fan…)
😉
I was with you, really, nearly until the end. I love Halloween because I love chocolate and the Daddy Tax on all Halloween candy makes the following days much better for me. So I’m with you about the appreciation of Halloween.
And as far as the Pagan roots, well, are we tossing out Christmas in December, too? Let’s just accept that we are a part of culture, and that we can make it better through our charity.
I was with you about the photos and the Reese’s cups, and even the Big Hunks.
But you have crossed a line in mentioning green apple Jolly Ranchers. They are disgusting, stick in your teeth, and are green. They are not chocolate, and all the top tier Halloween candy is chocolate.
Or Bit O’ Honey, which no one ever gives out ever but is really one of the best non-chocolate candies ever mass produced in this country.
Just say no to green apple Jolly Ranchers.
I went as a broom carrying water for my 2-year-old Sorcerer’s Apprentice, once…
I liked the scripture quote, too. Although it was a little funnier when I thought it was Titus 1:5 instead of 1:15. It said something about Crete, and I thought, “Wow, this MMM is much deeper than I thought. I don’t even get what he’s talking about.”
I’m a Halloween-hater myself, mainly due to the gore. People hang plastic rotting corpses in trees in their yards! What the?? It also bugs me to no end when a trick-or-treater doesn’t say thank you. Don’t ask me why, but it’s a HUGE pet peeve.
I like your idea of making a list of things I like about Halloween, though. Milky Ways would be on there. And Reese’s.
JWW
Cindy: Nowhere has that ever been more evident than last year when Halloween fell on a Sunday.It was fascinating.
Tracy: I have been blogging for almost a year, and you are the first person to ever call me “snarky”. This is amazing to me, because I think I’m “snarky” a lot of the time. “The Universal Night of Goodwill”. I think I’ll steal that – thanks.
I like Cindy’s comment.
Your scripture quote may be a little snarky…but again, I like it.
Maybe it’s because I didn’t grow up in the church, but we’ve always looked at Halloween as the universal night of good will in our neighborhood, and an especially good opportunity to be involved in our community.
Until the next night, when I sorely regret ever having allowed my children to bring all that candy home. Just sayin’.
I love Halloween My mom always made our costumes the first one I remember requesting was a princess but not just any princess a princess like princess Jasmine of Aladdin that little tummy and shoulder bearing Feminist. My mom hand designed an outfit that was completely modest and UT October appropriate and was Jasmine-esque It was a great Modestly lesson and I plan on doing the same thing for my children now. As for Halloween haters the wonderful thing about this Gospel is that you are allowed to have such opinions completely opposite of some one else and we can both be within the bounds of the Doctrine