Halloween

[juliod]

Isn't halloween the best holiday?

For a long time I held halloween in contempt. First, when I was a child, that I was "too old" to dress up and go for the candy. Then, that halloween was a "fake" holiday. That is was either a corrupted pagan holiday, or else a corrupted christian holiday.

But now I've come to think that this is the best of the holidays.

Regardless of what halloween might have meant in the past, today the holiday commemorates our freedom from superstition and supernaturalism. Monsters and deamons, this holiday reminds us, are only children dressed up in costumes. We give candy to them. What better holiday could there be?

Here are some other points in favor of halloween:

1) It doesn't commemorate politicians of dubious repute.

2) It doesn't glorify war.

3) It doesn't celebrate inebriation.

4) It doesn't teach a doctrine of eternal torture in hell.

5) It doesn't memorialize the initiation of genocide.



DanZ

[juliod]

Any religious overtones have been bleached away from these holidays, long ago.

But that's not reallly true generally, for christmas. It's like a national day to be smarmy about peace and love, while supporting anger, hatred, violence, bigotry and greed. It's like a license to moralize.

And for practicing christians and their supporters, that is the main holiday to expound on god's carefully crafted plan for infinite torture and suffering.

Halloween is fortunately free of all that. As they said on South Park, it's about costumes and candy.

So this year, take time to consider that although there may be much wrong with the world, though there may be war and violence, at least there are still no ghosts, goblins, trolls, dragons, witches, or ghouls to trouble us.

DanZ

[Cephus]

I like Halloween because it is the only holiday of the year where the point is to have a good time in a relatively safe and sane manner. It's not there to commemorate anything, it has no real historical significance, it's people out dressing up, getting candy and having fun.

Can't ask for more than that, can you?

[mrmufin]

Isn't halloween the best holiday?

Ya know...

I kinda sorta agree with you and the points you make about Halloween; all are very well taken, and for a variety of somewhat personal reasons, I'm quite in the mood for a fine Halloween this year. But I do have a few axes to grind on the spookiest of holidays.

1. Halloween is October 31st. Sadly, a bunch of weaseling bureaucrats (particularly in the smaller communities) have gotten into the bad habit of reassigning the principal festivity of trick-or-treating to other non-Halloween days. These well-meaning but misinformed minions have taken it upon themselves to determine that such festivities shouldn't occur on "school nights" for some bizarre reason.

2. Trick or treating should happen under the cover of darkness. I'm all about safety, but for crying out loud, the arsenic in the peanut butter cups works just as well in the daylight hours...

3. Empty carbohydrates are pretty much non-healthy. Which is why calorie-conscious trick-or-treaters at the mufin residence will be able to choose between mrmufin's delicious steamed broccoli and peppers (served with a delectable parmesan roux) , Cortland apples (baked with butter, cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg) , or grilled salmon with a mango-dill marinade. Trick-or-treaters with proper proof of age can choose between the chardonnay or white zinfandel.

Halloween would also be greatly improved if our employers took the holiday as seriously as we mufins do and gave us the day off with pay...

Until such time as the World Series becomes a recognized national holiday, Halloween will continue to rock! Let's bust out the Zappa at the Palladium tapes and dance merrily to the Black Page! Whoo-hoo!

Regards,
mrmufin

[juliod]

I happy about the responses in this thread. I'm glad to see there is a broad agreement.

Halloween is coming up. Here's an action plan for the holidays:

1) Wear a costume.

2) Give away candy (not neccesarily to children).

3) Stop going to church.

4) Make farting noises at someone reading a horoscope.



DanZ

[lifeisboring]

Then, that halloween was a "fake" holiday. That is was either a corrupted pagan holiday, or else a corrupted christian holiday.

DanZ

Well then, if Christians say that Halloween is a corrupt pagan holiday, can't the other people say that Christmas is a corrupt Christian holiday?

[ST88]

I happy about the responses in this thread. I'm glad to see there is a broad agreement.

Bah, Humbug! A holiday that has become, as its basis, blackmail, involving: vandalism, children in the dark on sugar highs, and -- lest you think that alcohol is not involved -- may I remind you that once those kiddies are old enough to feel uncool while trick or treating, the cool alternative is an in-costume house party. The best part about Halloween is that it has helped to produce somewhat less maudlin stories than those of Christmas.

[juliod]

A holiday that has become, as its basis, blackmail, involving: vandalism,

Naaah, That's just a hold-over from the christian days. And a dying one at that. Vandalism was unknown in my neighborhood when I was growing up. Christianity , however, is based on blackmail. Worship god, or else. Tithe to the chruch, or else. Y'know, typical theism.

children in the dark on sugar highs

At least Halloween doesn't specifically encourage gluttony, unlike Thanksgiving, for example.

lest you think that alcohol is not involved -- may I remind you that once those kiddies are old enough to feel uncool while trick or treating, the cool alternative is an in-costume house party.

Of course any holiday (or any day, really) can be abused for bacchanism. The point is that Halloween isn't principally about drunken debaucherie. Unlike New Year's Eve, for example.

DanZ

[juliod]

Well then, if Christians say that Halloween is a corrupt pagan holiday, can't the other people say that Christmas is a corrupt Christian holiday?

Because christmas is, also, a corrupt pagan holiday.

DanZ

[Cephus]

Well then, if Christians say that Halloween is a corrupt pagan holiday, can't the other people say that Christmas is a corrupt Christian holiday?

It is. You have to remember that the early Christians stole both Halloween and Christmas from the pagans to give the pagans some reason to join their religion. The corruption came from Christianity, not from Paganism, in both cases.

[lifeisboring]

Well then, if Christians say that Halloween is a corrupt pagan holiday, can't the other people say that Christmas is a corrupt Christian holiday?

It is. You have to remember that the early Christians stole both Halloween and Christmas from the pagans to give the pagans some reason to join their religion. The corruption came from Christianity, not from Paganism, in both cases.

Ah, I see...