Hallowe’en

[Naomi4Christ]

What does your church fellowship do for Hallowe’en?

We have had the import of “trick or treat” from North America in the last 10-20 years, but the young people have not got the nice message from America, so it’s trick or trick. Depending on when Hallowe’en falls, kids (and thugs) can be out for 3 or 4 nights and there is no fixed start or end time.

We do three things as a congregation - we give everyone printed labels for the treats with a Christian message. We also have a “Light Party” in church, where children can come in costume and do crafts, sing, eat, etc. We send out our young people to give out gifts to households.

Personally, I buy some fun size chocolate bars, but keep the lights off and curtains tightly-drawn, so scoff them myself.

 

[Tigger45]

We offer trunk or treat at our church not only for our members but to the local neighborhood and suggest to member parents that biblical costumes are preferred over spooky ones.

 

[gordonhooker]

Although some secular decorations and parties happen here in South East Queensland it is not really big thing here at all. It is not something that comes up as a Parish event.

 

[gordonhooker]

We offer trunk or treat at our church not only for our members but to the local neighborhood and suggest to member parents that biblical costumes are preferred over spooky ones.

I love your tag line Tigger - a very Franciscan sentiment good on Martin Luther for quoting it.....

 

[Paidiske]

Like Gordon, I'd have to say that Halloween is not really a thing here. I mean, each year stores seem to stock more cheap plastic decorations and stuff, but it's not really part of the culture. The parish doesn't do anything.

 

[Albion]

Although some secular decorations and parties happen here in South East Queensland it is not really big thing here at all. It is not something that comes up as a Parish event.

That's about the way it is here also, in my experience. But I think the answer really depends on which church we have in mind.

 

[Paidiske]

In Australia, Albion, I'd say very few churches would do anything, because it's not something that's a big deal in general, so we're not trying to match secular events or compete with them.

 

[Albion]

I have gotten that impression (about Australia), but here it is a big deal. Every year it seems, more people decorate their homes, buy more and better costumes, plan gatherings, and so on. The movies shown on TV for two weeks prior are overwhelmingly oriented towards the day. Merchants make the most of the opportunity, etc. That's about society in general.

But as for the churches...the liturgical ones don't do much, certainly not inside the church itself, and I think that the Catholic and Anglican ones do not want to detract from All Saints, while the Lutherans have Reformation Sunday to point towards and celebrate.

The only church that I remember from personal contact making a big deal of the occasion was, strangely enough, a very, very Evangelical one that thought it had to actively combat Halloween by hosting its own celebration of sorts, appropriately substituting something Biblical for every custom that is normally associated with Halloween!

 

[Paidiske]

I'd be open to doing something liturgical - prayer vigil for the Eve of All Saints or something - and it could be really interesting to make something of it. But I just don't see any demand, and I doubt many people would come.

 

[Tigger45]

We’ll have our typical Wednesday evening service the 31st. Not sure if the theme will be in accordance with the Eve of All Saints. I know that following Sunday service is dedicated to those who have passed on this previous year.

 

[Albion]

I'd be open to doing something liturgical - prayer vigil for the Eve of All Saints or something - and it could be really interesting to make something of it. But I just don't see any demand, and I doubt many people would come.

​

Oh dear. I gave the wrong impression, but I see now that I was visualizing what I was remembering but not explaining the images in my head very well.

When I said that that church felt it had to have a special occasion in order to counter Halloween, I meant that they would frown on a kid getting dressed up as Eeyore (from Winnie-the-pooh) or engaging in such as bobbing for apples on Halloween...
​

...but at their own church party, you would see Balaam's Ass bobbing for ”pomegranates.” That sort of thing. Naturally, you could also play ”Pin the Bible verse” on (something or other)….​

 

[Paidiske]

No, no, I got the sort of thing you meant. I was just musing about what one could do, liturgically, which would make some sort of sense.

 

[Arcangl86]

Yeah it's pretty much a secular holiday here. Though that being said there are some churches in heavily Latino areas that do celebrate Day of the Dead which is similar in some ways.

 

[Shane R]

In my area, a Halloween celebration is the type of thing one would expect the mega church crowd and the smaller Baptist and Nazarene groups that ape them to put on. That said, I suspect the organist would be more amenable to the parish putting on Halloween than a commemoration of a saint's day or one of the Marian festivals (Dormition is on my Ordo Kalendar).

 

[Naomi4Christ]

We have a real thing going on the the U.K. right now about “plastic”. Every small use of plastic is judged, such as drinking straws and dental floss.

OTOH, I made a rare foray into town today and there was so much plastic tat for Hallowe’en. The shops that sold this stuff were really busy.

I know this has nothing to do with church, but just something I observed.

 

[gordonhooker]

We have a real thing going on the the U.K. right now about “plastic”. Every small use of plastic is judged, such as drinking straws and dental floss.

OTOH, I made a rare foray into town today and there was so much plastic tat for Hallowe’en. The shops that sold this stuff were really busy.

I know this has nothing to do with church, but just something I observed.

There is a huge against single use plastic here in Australia at the moment. I am pleased about it actually there is so much wastage and plastic pollution in the environment it does need to be cleaned up.