Well I took part in the Halloween traditions here last night (when in Rome...) and I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. Kerry and I went to the house of her friends Mandy and Geoff to do the staying in waiting for trick or treaters thing. Mandy and Geoff kindly welcomed Kerry and I and their friend Brad into their home. We all worked together to carve the pumpkins and decorate the outside of the house and then we opened that hospitality out to the children of the local community. Here in Canada the whole trick or treat thing is something which is primarily for chidren. Most of those that visited us were under 9 and all under 14. It was really good for Mandy and Geoff who've only been in their house a few months to meet some of the parents who were with the children who took it as an opportunity to introduce themselves. So despite reservations about the whole motivation of Halloween, and some bad experiences in the UK of people taking it as an opportunity to throw eggs at houses and demand money at the doors of strangers, I was presented with new evidence and changed my mind. Ultimately my prespective was that Trick or Treating is something which brings communities together; a truly Christian act really. Is this not Christ in Culture?
3 comments:
Very interesting. I don't really like 'Uk Halloween' I have to admit, but there's not really any point in jumping up and down about it. Actually I don't jump up and down about anything.
I've posted a link to this post on the Wibsite just to see whether anyone is reading.
There were eggs on our windows and baked beans down our walls. apparently that's what students do on Halloween. People i've spoken to say that Halloween isn't the night of the evil spirits anymore, but i think in the UK it is getting more and more so - if pensioners being harrassed for money and houses egged is not evil what is?
I also think that God works though any situation, so your experience is just proving that. I'm not all that keen on the idea of it, but the american and canadian holidays are all very different to ours and are much less selfish.
Hiya Deep Thought,
Yep, Halloween is a weird one isn't it. It's not really 'ok' to like it if you're a Christian yet you're supposed to be all enthusiastic about Easter (a pagan festival to the fertility goddess 'Eostre') and 'Christian' weddings, the historical formation and basis of which is anything but 'Christian'. But then again the Archbishop of Canterbury is a Druid (a good thing in my book). It's all a messy cultural remix, I'm just enjoying the music.
Cheers,
Dave K.
http://www.wibsite.com/wiblog/davekillingback/
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