Trick or Treat

[AndOne]

Its that time of year again - just curious to know who takes their kids trick or treating... Anybody here who does willing to own up to it?

I'll admit that we do it with our kids with some ground rules. No evil costomes for one thing - and we go with them for another.

Anytime someone asks me if I celebrate Haloween - I say "no". But follow up with that we allow the kids to trick or treat. We also don't put up Halloween decorations or let them watch scary movies. What ya'll think of that?

 

[edie19]

Its that time of year again - just curious to know who takes their kids trick or treating... Anybody here who does willing to own up to it?

I'll admit that we do it with our kids with some ground rules. No evil costomes for one thing - and we go with them for another.

Anytime someone asks me if I celebrate Haloween - I say "no". But follow up with that we allow the kids to trick or treat. We also don't put up Halloween decorations or let them watch scary movies. What ya'll think of that?

When they were small my kids went trick or treating. My grandsons go now. We, like you, control it quite a bit. We do have "fall" decorations - fall flowers and leaves, pumpkins, bales of hay, corn shocks, some cute little scarecrows (emphasis on cute).

I've never been a big fan of scary (read gory here - I love Hitchcock's movies - but they were as much mental as anything) movies. I've never seen (nor have my kids to my knowledge) a Halloween, Freddie Kruger, Nightmare on Elm Street movie. Nor do I have any desire to. Sadly even though they didn't watch them, my kids knew all about movies like that from their friends who saw them. I could never understand why parents let younger children put those pictures in their brain - you can never erase them.

edie

 

[Rick Otto]

now, how not to be "of it", eh?

I suggest any formulas rest on our 'state of conscience'.
Raising consciousness & raising a child with a conscience are two different, but both difficult, & worthy challenges.

Get 'em to talk about it. Encourage self analysis with questions like, "What stuff do you like better, the candy or the costumes?" and, "Why?"

They are probably not even interested in origins, or experience the event w/an articulted notion of "custom".

If you spark curiosity in that direction, introduce them to source searching, rather than handing them conclusions.

Just thinkin' out loud here...

 

[bradfordl]

I suggest any formulas rest on our 'state of conscience'.

I agree. Mine moves me to refrain from taking part in any of the celebrations of halloween. Don't even like the "Reformation Day" dress-up consolation escapades put on by Churches, even the one I attend. It probably has more to do with my past and what halloween meant to many of my acqaintances in those days. It was no happy joke, but a serious indulgence in worship of satanic ideas, which is its actual root anyway. Pretty wicked stuff, so I keep me and mine away from it. But that's just my own scruple, what others do is their own decision.

 

[calmcoolandelected]

Its that time of year again - just curious to know who takes their kids trick or treating... Anybody here who does willing to own up to it?

I'll admit that we do it with our kids with some ground rules. No evil costomes for one thing - and we go with them for another.

Anytime someone asks me if I celebrate Haloween - I say "no". But follow up with that we allow the kids to trick or treat. We also don't put up Halloween decorations or let them watch scary movies. What ya'll think of that?

I have let my children go trick or treating. Now they hand out candy (son-16 yrs old, daughter-13 yrs old). We use it as an opportunity to meet our neighbors. For my children, it was all about dressing up and candy. My daughter usually wore last year's ballet recital outfit and my son has been Superman, Annikin Skywalker, a detective, etc.

CC&E

 

[flaglady]

I've got to admit that Halloween and TorT, worries me no end.

I mean, how can you justify telling a child all year not to accept sweets from strangers and then let them go knocking on doors and begging for them? And what happens when the person who opens the door (like me) doesn't wish to partake of this 'fun'?

I once had eggs thrown at my windows and door by some indignant youngsters I'd rejected earlier as did my next door neighour which was, presumably, intended to be the 'trick'!

Saying that they're going to neighbours that are known is no guarantee of safety either. There have been terrible cases of youngsters coming to grief at the hands of such 'friends' as the Soham girls found out when they went to to home of that young school caretaker everyone thought was so nice .....

 

[cygnusx1]

I've got to admit that Halloween and TorT, worries me no end.

I mean, how can you justify telling a child all year not to accept sweets from strangers and then let them go knocking on doors and begging for them? And what happens when the person who opens the door (like me) doesn't wish to partake of this 'fun'?

I once had eggs thrown at my windows and door by some indignant youngsters I'd rejected earlier as did my next door neighour which was, presumably, intended to be the 'trick'!

Saying that they're going to neighbours that are known is no guarantee of safety either. There have been terrible cases of youngsters coming to grief at the hands of such 'friends' as the Soham girls found out when they went to to home of that young school caretaker everyone thought was so nice .....

 

[ChrisCountryGirl]

I've got to admit that Halloween and TorT, worries me no end.

I mean, how can you justify telling a child all year not to accept sweets from strangers and then let them go knocking on doors and begging for them? And what happens when the person who opens the door (like me) doesn't wish to partake of this 'fun'?

I once had eggs thrown at my windows and door by some indignant youngsters I'd rejected earlier as did my next door neighour which was, presumably, intended to be the 'trick'!

Saying that they're going to neighbours that are known is no guarantee of safety either. There have been terrible cases of youngsters coming to grief at the hands of such 'friends' as the Soham girls found out when they went to to home of that young school caretaker everyone thought was so nice .....

I agree...To me, attending a "fall festial" at a Church or a family/friend gathering at one's home is much safer for kids

 

[Proeliator]

This is what we do on halloween with our kids, is watch this movie.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0208298/
On a day where 99% of people are thinking of something evil and horrible, we like the mindset this puts us in.

 

[calmcoolandelected]

I've got to admit that Halloween and TorT, worries me no end.

I mean, how can you justify telling a child all year not to accept sweets from strangers and then let them go knocking on doors and begging for them? And what happens when the person who opens the door (like me) doesn't wish to partake of this 'fun'?

I once had eggs thrown at my windows and door by some indignant youngsters I'd rejected earlier as did my next door neighour which was, presumably, intended to be the 'trick'!

Saying that they're going to neighbours that are known is no guarantee of safety either. There have been terrible cases of youngsters coming to grief at the hands of such 'friends' as the Soham girls found out when they went to to home of that young school caretaker everyone thought was so nice .....

I've had those thoughts as well. There's over 200 homes in my neighborhood and we only went to the 20 or so where we know the people. My kids were thrilled with that! They were younger elementary aged when they went T or T, so we always accompanied them.

Since my children have been homeschooled their entire life (except my son who goes to a Christian high school now) they soon tired of T or T. I think by the time they were in 4 th or 5th grade. Also, before that time, the children living in our cul-de-sac were their primary friends. As they got older, our children have been involved in other activities (martial arts, ballet) and so they haven't had time to "hang out" with the neighbor kids.

The martial arts studio (which is HUGE) has a "fair" every Halloween. The older students dress up and run all the games. It's a good time to invite friends to come and they have hot dogs, sodas and lots of things to do. Everyone wins a prize of some sort at every game. My son would rather go volunteer his time at the martial arts school or go to a Debate tournament than hang with the kids around here.

My daughter is a ballerina and she is either in class or rehearsal most afternoons/evenings. She isn't interested in hanging out at the mall or chasing boys.

CC&E

 

[McWilliams]

Well, go with me back to 1938 when life was so different, tame compared to today! We loved going Trick or Treating but had no concept of any devilish connotations! We dressed as clowns, princesses and such and went as a little group door to door on our block!
Fast forward only a few years to WW11 years in Washington D.C. We still dressed the same but some things were getting out of hand. These were hard times, tires and such were rationed, yet some took advantage of Trick or Treat to slash tires and wreak havoc on our neighborhood.
Then when I had my own children my husband would dress up and take them around our block to friends only and still it was tame and fun. That is until the 'candy man' poisoned those he gave candy to.
After this horrible occurence moms got very cautious and then only let their children Trick or Treat with known friends to ensure the safety of their children.
There are many sick people out there who would destroy others for no reason! It is a time for caution!
So sad that childhood has been stolen by Satan but to ensure a healthy childhood we must be on guard and protect our valuable resources God has so blessed us with, our children!
Today there are surely more 'tricks' than 'treats' as the time has been overcome with Satanic influence of horror movies, of the like I've never seen but have heard of! It gives me the shudders to think of it and I keep my lights out and give treats out only to my grandkids when they come!

 

[AndOne]

Yea - I suppose the safety of the issue depend on what you do and where you live. It is why we go with the kids for one thing. The local mall is passing out candy here which is where we are going to take the kids this year. It's just to darn cold for us in this part of the country to be running around with the kids at night...

 

[HiredGoon]

I had a lot of fun dressing up and trick or treating as a kid. We would walk up and down every block for a mile or so from our house. Never had any bad experiences, the worst "tricks" I ever saw, were the usual late night pumpkin smashings, which was usually done by high school kids later at night if people left their jack-o-lanterns out too late.

And I don't buy the argument that Halloween is based on ancient pagan or satanic practices. In the recent past, with the rise in popularity in paganism and witchcraft, people have tried to tie Halloween to these practices. But historically the American practices of Halloween (trick-or-treat, devil costumes, jack-o-lanterns) can all be traced to the colonial celebration of "Pope's Day" on November 5th. In time, Pope's day celebrations waned, and Halloween developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, carrying over many of the practices of Pope's Day. In some rural communities today around Halloween, you'll still find a lot of "scarecrows" set up in people's yards, that the older folks call "guy fox's" refering to Guy Fawkes and the old Pope's Day celebration.

 

[DesertSAPPER]

I'm definitely in the minority, but I've never had much of a problem with Halloween, regardless of the origins. As I understand it, it wasn't really a 'Satanic' holiday, so much as a Autumnal festival celebrated by simpler people with a much more mystical view of the world. It only really survives today because of tradition rather than any real belief in warding off evil spirits. Sure, the ancient Celts used to light bonfires and such to keep the evil spirits away, but I think it shifted from a religious event to a social event, which is primarily how it exists today.

I'm no expert, but I find it hard to believe that any day gives the bad guys an advantage over any other day. The Power of Christ still compels them, and they have no power over anyone with Him in their heart. People that are already going to do bad things may use it as an excuse to do them, but they would probably just do them anyway. Our kids are our future and as responsible parents we should always be mindful of where they are and what they are doing, not just on one given night, IMHO.

I'm not much of a fan of horror films, particularly not the breed of million-and-one sequel slasher flicks that pass for 'scary' (disgusting, maybe) movies these days. My daughters won't be watching them. I like the Charlie Brown Pumpkin movie, I like the Tim Burton movies (strange as they are), and the recent halloween movies from the other cartoon characters aren't bad, either. It's good to teach kids that fear of the unknown is natural, but can be overcome. I see that being the recurring theme for the halloween movies they watch. I don't really see the point in going to any extremes either way with this. It's good that more churches and other organizations are starting to have 'safe' parties for kids. It can be a nice little fun time. In my book, there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[Proeliator]

I had a lot of fun dressing up and trick or treating as a kid. We would walk up and down every block for a mile or so from our house. Never had any bad experiences, the worst "tricks" I ever saw, were the usual late night pumpkin smashings, which was usually done by high school kids later at night if people left their jack-o-lanterns out too late.

And I don't buy the argument that Halloween is based on ancient pagan or satanic practices. In the recent past, with the rise in popularity in paganism and witchcraft, people have tried to tie Halloween to these practices. But historically the American practices of Halloween (trick-or-treat, devil costumes, jack-o-lanterns) can all be traced to the colonial celebration of "Pope's Day" on November 5th. In time, Pope's day celebrations waned, and Halloween developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, carrying over many of the practices of Pope's Day. In some rural communities today around Halloween, you'll still find a lot of "scarecrows" set up in people's yards, that the older folks call "guy fox's" refering to Guy Fawkes and the old Pope's Day celebration.

Now, I know Wikipedia isn't the best of resources for information alot of the time, but it is rather good for historical kinds of things most times. Whether you "buy into" what Halloween is from or not, I don't think you really have the right to sit and try to spread misinformation about what it is and is based on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Hallows_Eve
If your going to bother to speak about a topic, try and do some research into it first. Halloween has no roots at all outside of paganism.

 

[Cajun Huguenot]

I enjoyed Halloween as a Child. I have two grown children (20 & 22). I took them Trick or Treating when they were young. I also have a 9 and 10 year old as well. They will be Trick or Treating this Halloween.

We usually double up and do both Reformation Day stuff and Trick or Treat.

This is one of those things where some have strong views in one direction and others (like me) see it as no big deal.

I work to keep it fun for the kids. I think you can be "in the world" and let our children enjoy the fun of Trick or Treat without being "of the world" and tying the playful stuff in with the evil of its origins.

Some people don' celebrate Christmas because the date coincides with the pagan celebrations of the Winter Soltice. We can say the same for Resurrection Day (i.e. Easter) because its timing (and name) is linked to pagan fertility cults.

I will not let my Kids join a bunch of Druids for any of these occasions, but we will, as a family, use these occasions for (as the Cajuns say) "pass a good time."

Coram Deo,
Kenith

 

[HiredGoon]

Now, I know Wikipedia isn't the best of resources for information alot of the time, but it is rather good for historical kinds of things most times. Whether you "buy into" what Halloween is from or not, I don't think you really have the right to sit and try to spread misinformation about what it is and is based on.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Hallows_Eve
If your going to bother to speak about a topic, try and do some research into it first. Halloween has no roots at all outside of paganism.

I'm well aware of the argument that Halloween is based on Samhain. But please study the history and practices of "Pope's Day" in America, before accusing people of spreading misinformation. I know very few people today know about Pope's Day, and so when they talk about Halloween they jump back to Samhain and ancient pagan practices. But how did those practices appear in America in the late 19th/early 20th century? Did a bunch of Irish pagans suddenly appear and say "Hey lets celebrate Smahaein and call it Halloween?" I've studied early American history quite a bit. Historically the most direct precedent for most of the practices associated with the American tradtion of Halloween, is Pope's Day. Which developed in 17th-18th century English protestant New England and other colonies, independent of any Irish or pagans. That may be shocking to some people who've never heard of it, but it's not misinformation. Now of course the tradition of Halloween was developed more fully in the late 19th-early 20th century, with the addition of secularized old Irish traditons after the great migration of Irish immigrants, but the basics were there in the protestant English 18th century Pope's Day.

 

[AndOne]

Well said Kennith -

You must be old man - two kids 20 and 21?

 

[beachbumis]

We decorate for Halloween and I have some Halloween ties for work.

Our daughter is young and easy to convince with what costume to pick.

I like handing out candy almost as much as I like eating it.

Michael

 

[bradfordl]

Well.... don't get myself all knotted over it, but how would Pope's Day end up being a scare-fest without some satanic influence? But if any doubt what the pagans think of this celebration, in particular those who practice witchcraft and satanism, I can assure you it is no innocent fun. I enjoyed halloween as a kid myself, but later was exposed to folks who take it very seriously, and due to that, choose not to participate.