So as a Christian, I think I'm supposed to be all up in arms about Halloween. Actually, we got our daughter this REALLY cute pumpkin outfit... and well... I'm kind of looking forward to it.
I've read the stuff about what Halloween "means" and the origins (from both sides of the argument) and I don't think any of us need that much candy... and I'm not a big fan of giving glory to any "being" but God. But some of my greatest memories of childhood came around trick or treat... and it really had nothing to do with the candy... but more with the costume and going through the neighborhood. A chance to live another identity. To be a super-hero. To be Gene Simmons or Ace Frehley (from my favorite band at the time, Kiss). To be, yes, even a demon one year (and as a magician, I could throw fire so I was a pretty scary kid!).
It's funny I ended up in the profession I did... many of my colleagues rail against most of my "influences" as a child. I was a HUGE Kiss fan (my dad took me to see them in concert when I was 11). Even then, people were saying kiss meant "Knights in Satan's Service" and that they were evil. Actually, the truth is (if you didn't know) they wanted to call the band F_ _ K but figured they would never get on the radio, so they settled for "Kiss." (And that does not mean "Funk.")
Now, one could argue that I ended up in my current career despite those choices. (And this is true). And one could argue that I would not have struggled with some of the sin I have struggled with without those influences (also may be true). As an adult I certainly wouldn't lift Gene, Paul, Ace or Peter up as role models...
But here's the thing...I wouldn't lift up a LOT of people who are much more clean cut and working on corporate America. (They are just as dark.)
So what do you all think of Halloween and childhood influences?
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4 comments:
halloween for me, was all about who i went trick o' treatin' with (b/c i wore essentially the same outfit from kindergarten till 6th b/c it had a GREAT sparkly cape). the fondest memory i have of trick o' treatin is the last stop one year was at my neighbors who are from china. the candy of choice was the mickey n' minnie heart lollipops that you get during VALENTINES day. needless to say- we didn't eat them although they were completely wrapped. i was a little young and a wee bit irritated so since their last name is Wu, i started yelling wooo! wooo! and my parents were m-o-r-t-i-f-i-e-d. yet another example of me talking when i shouldn't. holding the tongue has never been a strong suit.
i love candy so much. yum. it was all about the candy for me. (if you want more perspective on candy- i joined the cross country team in middle school b/c i heard the coach gave out candy after each practice).
My favorite halloween was when I was about seven. I dressed up as a fireman in a yellow raincoat, a red fireman's hat, and a cardboard ax I made with my dad. I think he took me trick or treating that year. It's one of the few memories I have of doing things with my dad. I treasure that time, but it really has little to do with halloween, evil spirits or candy.
I have some awesome pictures of me as a kid dressed for halloween...before we stopped trick or treating. Then, I got to dress up as Boba Fett for the Halloween party here in Athens a few times, so that was rad. I used to think Halloween was bad. In some ways, I still do--you can certainly take it too far, getting into the darkness of it all. But at the same time, the celebration of it is awesome--candy and costumes?! Yes, please. And I think it is certainly possible to avoid the darkness aspects of it. I never saw a single black cat slaughtered on a mailbox the following day...though I certainly heard enough stories on the school bus to lead me to expect them. So, to recap: celebrating darkness and evil is stupid and dumb, but celebrating a good time with family in the neighborhood is fun and enriching.
Besides, since Christmas and Easter don't mean anything anymore anyway, why should Halloween, right? ;)
PPS: Kristin--I once had a doctor named Rao. One day I was waiting in the exam room with my mom for about 30 minutes. I started going "Raow! Raow! Raow!" like a yappy little dog. Sure enough, he chose that moment to walk in.
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