A Different View of Halloween via Jane

November 1, 2012
 
Happy November!!

Our Autumn has been absolutely beautiful this year ... my flower gardens are ablaze with color, our nights are cool and days warm and sunny.  I like to blog sitting on the sofa in the cottage ... every now and then, I look up to see what's going on outside ... today, the begonias are fiery red, roses deep and light pink, and Freddy the Scarecrow is keeping watch over his domain.  All's right with the world.
 

Daughter Jane; Husband Tim

Don't you just love differing opinions?  Yesterday, my daughter read my blog on Halloween Tidbits and gave me her opinion...  I think it's worth passing on.  I've taught my children to open their hearts and minds and speak freely.  I laughed when I read the first sentence of her comment!

Here'ssssss Jane!!!!

"Yes, I think we can agree to disagree on this topic. I remember a time when you diligently sewed costumes for your children. Do you remember the horrible plastic costumes that were available back then?! Well, I have some great memories of patiently waiting for dark....dressing up in a hand sewn costume (Raggedy Ann comes to mind), and heading out to gather candy. When we got home we would divide our candy into categories....gum, lollipops, candy bars, etc. Then came the trading between the siblings. All innocent fun with no feeling of evil in the event.

As for today, my neighbors use Halloween as a chance to gather in the cul-de-sac and catch up on life. I love an opportunity to get together!!

This is from Grace Church: The day does have religious significance for some people, particularly wiccans and druids. For some people and in some regions, Halloween or some of its elements may have a non-Christian religious meaning. Some Halloween activities could be considered anti-Christian, and would, therefore, be avoided. Christians would want to avoid demonic associations, for example. With these things in mind, it would be appropriate for Christians to consider carefully their activities on this holiday.

For most children, however, there is no religious significance involved in either the day itself or in such elements as pumpkins or costumes. It’s true that such things as jack-o’-lanterns, bonfires and black cats, which are part of the Halloween tradition, may have roots in pre-Christian activities. But when children go trick-or-treating or visit "haunted houses" at the local shopping center, they are not thinking about participating in any religious festivities at all. They are just trying to "have fun" as they would at a movie or amusement park.

Most Christians believe they can celebrate Halloween (in some respects) as a purely secular day of fun. We should remember that much of the television we watch and many movies we see are what we often call "mindless entertainment." Many other things we do for fun, we do precisely for entertainment and for no other reason. That’s the way entertainment is. Playing checkers or a video game, for example, has no redeeming features of a cosmic nature except that it’s fun, and sometimes relaxing. Many classic children's stories include magic or other elements that children know are make-believe.

Love ya!
Jane"

Chats with my Grandsons are extra-special!
They have opinions too!!

Let's encourage our family members (coworkers, friends, acquaintances) to be open and honest with us.  There should be no punishment for telling the truth and offering a different opinion.  Years ago, in Alanon, I was taught ... "Take what you can use, and leave the rest."  Be secure in who you are but never so closed that you aren't able to listen to another opinion.

This morning on Facebook, there were many postings of teenagers gathering candy for the needy ... of trunk & treats at churches ... and, many other ways Halloween was celebrated last night.  Love to hear those stories of how God is using what could be evil for light and good!

Have a wonderful day ... always remember you are loved and prayed for ... YA YOU!!

Miss Dottie

PS  “A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time. When asked which dog wins, he reflected for a moment and replied, The one I feed the most.”~~George Bernard Shaw

PSS  Jane, I don't remember the Raggedy Ann costume but I do remember the indian costume I made for you ... brown dress and headband with red rick rack trim ... also put a feather in your headband and strung some red and yellow beads for your necklace.  I painted your face and you were the cutest indian that Halloween!!  Ah yes ... good memories!!