Happy Monday & Happy Halloween lovely readers!
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I was in the elevator the other day when i heard this conversation between two moms.
Mom A: Oh your daughter is so cute, how old is she?
Mom B: thank you. she is three.
Mom A: what is she dressing up for Halloween?
Mom B: oh we don't celebrate Halloween.
Mom A: oh really?
Mom B: Yes.
Of course at the point, the elevator stopped
and it was my floor and i HAD to get out.
Needless to say, i wasn't privy to the remainder of the conversation.
Therefore, i thought i would take it to my blog.
Mr. Pancakes and i aren't really into Halloween the way we were when we were younger.
Our families were not ones to carve pumpkins and or decorate our homes.
But we would get dressed up and participate in Trick 'O Treating.
The festivities of the night was always fun.
And the masses of candy we would bring home was always great.
We DON'T know how involved in Halloween we will be as parents, however the conversation between the two moms intrigued me.
Why wouldn't Mom B allow her child to celebrate Halloween when it's all around them?
It could be religious or the commercialization of halloween or safety concerns.
Whatever the reasons, this mom and her daughter don't celebrate Halloween.
But my question is this,
is Mom B doing a disservice to her child by not dressing her up.
The daughter is only three years old so she is too young right now to know any different,
but how about when she gets older and ALL her friends are dressing up and she can't.
Is that a disservice to her daughter?
Children's costumes are always so cute anyway.
Plus isn't Halloween for the kiddies?
What harm is done if Mom B allows her daughter to dress up
and go trick 'o treating?
I really wish i would have been on that elevator long enough to hear how the conversation eneded. But since i wasn't, please help me satiate my curiousity by speculating some of Mom B's reasons.
Is Mom B doing her daughter a disservice by not celebrating Halloween?
Are you celebrating Halloween?
How are you celebrating Halloween?
p.s: i don't about Mom B but this is something
Team Pancakes can do as part of our Halloween!
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33 comments:
In my opinion, if it's part of someone's religion (for whatever particular reason) that Halloween shouldnt be celebrated, then fine. But other than that I dont see the big deal :) Its one night a year. It's fun. Kids costumes are cute, like you said. And it's just one day!! :) No big deal, in my opinion...let the kids be kids! ;)
I myself don't "celebrate" halloween either, however, my hubby and I had a really good time in our youth and innocence dressing up as fun characters. Since my son is 2 and won't really remember any of it, we will not do it this year, but if he requests it next year we may. We certainly don't decorate either, and handing out candy is still up in the air.
When I was a child, my parents did not allow us to celebrate Halloween for religious reasons. However, we did substitute the holiday by celebrating November 1st
which is All Saints Day!
In college, Kyle and I celebrated Halloween regularly by dressing up and eating candy and watching scary movies. And now that we're really our own family, we've made the decision to celebrate Halloween. For us, it's just a fun night to dress up and tell ghost stories and carve pumpkins.
My parents explained to me as a child why they didn't like Halloween and it was a mixture of concern about the origins of Halloween as a holiday and concern for my safety (at the time, razor blades were being found in caramel apples and things like that). But now that Kyle and I do celebrate, my parents don't seem to care so I think they've relaxed quite a bit.
When I was a child I did do halloween and when my daughter was small i did it, but it wasn't until someone pointed out to me that Christians are not to celebrate this day for it is a pagan holiday it's all demonic. Little to my surprise I had to search and see for myself and see what God had to say. Well needless to say God tells us it is of the devil and so my family don't celebrate that day. I know some people disagree with it and see nothing wrong with it but it's what they don't see that causes them harm and I can't put my love ones in danger spiritually...
I am not married and I don't have kids, but we are NOT going to be celebrating Halloween in my home. I am Christian, a child of God and I have been called out to be separate from the world. It matters not to me that it is all around me. What matters is what God says. I believe everyone should do their own research about what exactly they are celebrating. When the time comes, I will calmly and prayerfully explain o my kids why we don't celebrate that day.
I was never allows to trick or treat (my mom was paranoid of strangers) but we did dress up and give out candy.
My much younger bro and sis were not allows to do any of it, and they always hated that. My kids will def dress up and do the whole bit. For the meantime, I dress up my dog!
We don't celebrate it either. My son is 8 and has never celebrated it. He talks about it somewhat but doesn't make a big deal out of it. The origins of halloween is why, for religious reasons we don't participate. It might be cute and innocent for the kids but the history behind it is all devilish and is not something we want to celebrate.
I've always celebrated halloween, and plan to let my children celebrate too. When I was younger there were some stipulations though, such as no evil costumes, nothing gorey, no witches, demons, or satan costumes. I will probably implement the same things with my children.
I am Mom B.
Is Mom B doing her daughter a disservice by not celebrating Halloween? No, what's to celebrate. Children don't need to dress in costumes and they can learn from a very young age to be their own persons. My halloween stance didnt start off as a religious reason, but if that makes it easier to explain thats what I say. Where I come from neither I nor my husband had Halloween. And why dress up to beg strangers for candy????
Are you celebrating Halloween? No
How are you celebrating Halloween? NA
I happen to love Halloween, but I respect those who do not get as invovled or who choose not to participate at all. It's one of my favorite holidays, though. Plus, I love candy ...
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I need someone to to point out to me in the bible where it says it's not o.k. for a child to dress up as a princess and go door to door and get candy lol.
No worshiping of witches, or even spooky decorations, just an evening of trick-or-treating, how can it hurt?
Even my church allowed Halloween celebrations with a caveat that there were to be no demonic type costumes (devils, witches, etc.).
I'm going to have to claim ignorance when it comes to knowing the origins of Halloween. And frankly, the origin really doesn't matter much to me.
I feel that Mother A is creating years of wonderful memories for her child that Mother B will not (although I'm sure there are other memories Family B has created...but not Halloween memories). Not to mention the alienation the child will feel when his or her classmates all celebrate and they cannot.
I have years of absolutely wonderful memories of carving pumpkins, dressing up and walking around my community (with my parents) collecting candy and meeting friendly neighbors.
Every Halloween, I still get extremely excited about what "I'm going to be" and I put lots of time and energy into planning and decorating. I love it! It's so fun! I can't wait to have children so we can decorate, carve pumpkins and make costume plans! My children will have lots of fun Halloween memories! Yay Halloween!
We don't celebrate Halloween because it is not a holiday here. But when our kids were growing up we were careful because in California the celebrating took on a whole different level than what my husband and I had both experienced as children. It was frightening and not fun to me to see graveyards set up in people's yards. And seeing how elaborate some of the decorations were around town just overwhelmed me. We participated in Trick or Treating at the mall. No scary costumes was our rule. We held an All Saints Day Party at our house so our kids and those of our friends could get candy and dress up. We participated in outreach activities like the big carnival our church held for the neighborhood. I think it is up to each parent to decided what is right for their family. Halloween has never been a holiday that I decorate for...just simple fall decorations.
Thank you for your nice comment on my blog ! Well, I think kids should be allowed to dress up for Halloween...you know, in Italy where I live Halloween hasn't been popular and it is starting to be now...I saw many kids dressed up already this afternoon and it was cute ! There's nothing harmful in dressing up and looking for candies, so I think Mum B should be less strict ;) Kisses
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We do some decorating for Halloween and participate in the activities, but I do understand why some people avoid it. I imagine it has to do with religion and culture.
Honestly, I think it can scare little kids. lol
im a halloween freak..so i think everyone should dress up! :)
xoxo
b
my husband grew up not celebrating Halloween either, sad to not dress up, happy to not be surrounded by candy. haha. good choice
I'm all for dressing up for Halloween, not that I do it every year, this is probably only the 2nd time in my adult life that I did it, but I have such fond memories of celebrating as a child. I think it's up to the person really. Some people do have some strong feelings about it whether it be for religious reasons or safety. Whatever floats their boat :)
xoxo
we have always participated in Halloween festivities. Now, whether or not we "celebrate" Halloween would be up for debate, but when I was a little girl we would dress up, carve pumpkins, and eat ourselves sick on candy! I really don't see the harm in the "fun" aspects of Halloween...however, honestly I've never been one to actually decorate for Halloween, I normally just decorate for fall.
I looked it up and Halloween actually originates from Ireland. According to wiki, Halloween has a Christian connection, and many religions are more than happy for it to be celebrated, since it generally is mere harmless fun. I have read the Bible but I guess I missed the part that says it's not allowed since I've never heard/read that.
Halloween is fabulous - I'm definitely going to force my kids to participate, whether they want to or not!
as a kid my parents would throw halloween parties for us and i always dressed up one year i was kermit the frog. ha! my best as an adult was my tooth fairy costume. my husband and i get really into it but not this year. too busy unfortunately
People will have a problem with every holiday. It's a personal choice whether they want to celebrate or not and often times their decision is based on religious views. But really how many people actually celebrate a holiday for it's true meaning? I know people who don't even celebrate Christmas and most who do only celebrate it for the gifts. I celebrate halloween by carving pumpkins, dressing up and treat or treating. I do it because I love holidays and I love being festive and watching my kids enjoy it. I know there's negativity surrounding the holiday but I only show my kids the positive side so that they can enjoy it.
i've seen some kids all dressed up today and they seem to be enjoying the day for what it is...a fun night to get dressed up and join friends in eating lots of candy...and that can't be anything BUT just fun!
I don't think the child of Mom B is lacking anything. I agree with everyone who said that they don't celebrate Halloween due to it's evil origins. I think you have to have a good understanding of the spiritual realm to see it that way. There are evil forces working in the world that can use your little innocent costume and trick or treating and I refuse to subject my child to it now that I know the truth.
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I didn't celebrate Halloween before because it is not popular in Europe, slowly is picking up.
But now that we are in Canada we don't been part of it, not dressing up but just getting candies ready for the kids who come to the door. We didn't decorate the house and maybe we will not invest much in decorations in the future but we will carve some pumpkins for the fun of it :)
We've never celebrated but that's because we grew up and lived in a part of the world that didn't...I'm not sure now that we travel and move so much what we'd do about it when we have children, I'm inclined to still not celebrate...to each his own I guess...
I think it's up to each parent to make a decision on Halloween (and everything else for that matter) that they feel is truly best for THEIR family. We take part in Halloween, and I always did growing up. But we don't CELEBRATE Halloween and the reason that started it all. Since, like most other holidays, it has become so commercialized, I don't think MOST families do celebrate the reason that started it all so long ago. We carve pumpkins and go trick-or-treating... For us, it's just another holiday to enjoy time with family and friends! We get to dress up and be silly or just have fun... and get free candy! It's all in how you look at it, and how you explain the holiday to your children, in MY opinion. Some parents feel very differently and that is okay. My husband's parents didn't let them trick-or-treat growing up and he always (and still does) hated missing out on that. As long as we keep our hearts and intentions good, I don't want my child(ren) to miss on the fun of Halloween that can be perfectly innocent in you make it that way!
we don't really get into it. we have done little things since or son's school makes a big deal of it. we'd never be into the blood and gore of it all. just not our thing. other than that, it's pretty harmless.
wow, i'm really surprised at how many commenters don't celebrate halloween. i grew up with the pumpkin carving & the costume dressing up & the trick or treating every year & it was a blast. we'll definitely be doing it with parker each year!
Definitely celebrated and will raise my daughter celebrating. I mean I have to say that as I've gotten older I haven't enjoyed the dressing up part as much. It's a lot of prep for what is likely an uncomfortable/cold/itchy costume. And really at this age...all I want is a drink. Haha. But for kids I'm all about the cute little costumes!
No Halloween for the Love Birds! I grew up not celebrating it and instead had fun at my church's Hallelujah Night. Never felt left out and frankly found the concept of witches, werewolves etc. very scary as a child mostly thanks to being a product of the 80s and MJ's Thriller!
DH's family dressed up and went TT, but we decided we won't celebrate it with our children. We took our now 14 month old to our church's fall festival last year and this year. She absolutely loved it and it was a wonderful alternative to what I believe is a pagan holiday.
In a culture where anything goes this is something that it's easy to feel like "oh everyone's doing it!" but it really makes me step back and think about the meanings behind why we do what we do (I was a psych major and love thinking about stuff like this!). It's all part of living my life with purpose.
I'm not one to preach to others about how "evil" they are for celebrating Halloween but like many other family decisions it's personal, and I respect others who feel differently.
We never celebrated Halloween growing up ... We were told it was the Devils Day. An evil day to celebrate. Why would anyone celebrate evil? As I have grown up I think people put too much thought into simple things.
I don't "celebrate" Halloween but I like to see costumes, I like to dress up in costumes, I like to give out candy to trick or treaters.
When I have kids I have no idea what I would do. I think letting your children have a real reason that they can't celebrate is better than just saying it's the devil's day. Because to me, it is just another day.
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