Trick or Treat

West Ender · 31-10-2005, 20:40

My granddaughter has been out trick or treating tonight (with her mum and 2 friends). She was dressed up as a female devil, complete with horns and a trident, and her friends were both witches. Most of the neighbours had sweets in readiness for the kids and entered into the fun of the occasion. There were 4 lots going around and I had my own little store to give to them. There's also a few parties going on (I can hear the fireworks).

There's a church in our village, though, that believes Halloween is evil. They sent leaflets to the school inviting children to a "light party" tonight as an alternative. One leading light of this church, about 20 years ago when my daughter knocked on his door dressed in a bin-bag and a witch's hat, shouted at her that she was "messing with the occult" and told her she was putting herself in "great danger".

My daughter is Brown Owl at the local methodist church Brownies and they proposed a "Harry Potter" evening, early this year. Parents of Brownies who attend the "other" church objected and said Harry Potter is evil, so the evening was cancelled.

Personally I think the "evil" is in the minds of that congregation who seem to be a load of silly, superstitious idiots. What do you think?

grego · 31-10-2005, 20:46

I think children see it as a fun time to dress up and get lots of sweets, I dont think they think any deeper than that, dont care for the attitude of your church much!

West Ender · 31-10-2005, 20:47

Hey it's not MY church.

SPUGGIE J · 31-10-2005, 21:07

Its for the kids so the church should hold its tongue. Maybe I should complain about the next harvest festivel because some starving African Kid could be offened.

Doug · 31-10-2005, 21:15

I totally agree with you West Ender…..These people from the church must understand and adapt to what is a modern world. The stringent attitudes of church goers of 40 or 50 years ago have no bearing on matters pertaining to today’s commercial and want, want minded society.

The Occult is a real and dangerous area of interest, but only if you let it, or those promoting it, rule your life. In reality the only real danger is you being conned out of your worldly hard earned cash.

Master Potter is the fragment of an especially talented mind and is little different and certainly no more dangerous than classics like Peter Rabbit or Whinny the Poo. What these people should remember is that their own religion in Britain was born out of the assignation and amalgamation of Romano Celtic beliefs, gods and sites. Light and Darkness are both sides of the same coin, outside of the natural realms evil exist only in the minds and eyes of the ignorant, that is to say that the occult isn’t itself evil, evil is born out of those that use it for their own ends by creating wars, hatred and other such manifestations and in my mind that includes those who seek to use it to promote fear and mistrust like that person who shouted at your daughter.

Evil exists in many varied degrees. The scum that Broke into Paul’s home where no less evil than that a*** hole who let selfish stupidity bring about the death of a horse today with fireworks, and certainly no less evil than scaring a little girl by creating unnecessary fear of something that she doesn’t understand…….If these people want a witch hunt they should start by looking under there own cassocks.

Doug · 31-10-2005, 21:15

I don't know how that happened.

Hey, two for the price of one.

Gayle · 31-10-2005, 21:20

I have to admit I'm not that fond on the trick or treat idea. Not because it's worshipping the occult or anything but because we spend the rest of the year telling our kids not to talk to strangers and then here we are telling them it's ok to go knock on strangers doors.

We did apple bobbing and went for a spooky walk instead. I'll also quite happily keep a pile of sweets next to the door for anyone who knocks but I'm just not encouraging my two to do it.

West Ender · 31-10-2005, 21:24

Laura and her mum only went to neighbours on our street. As we've lived here for 30 years there's not much danger that they might run into strangers.

Gayle · 31-10-2005, 21:29

That's fine but we got quite a few coming to our door that didn't know us from Adam.

Margaret Pilkington · 31-10-2005, 21:46

I think that modern life is stealing all the fun of childhood......and with attitudes like that it is no wonder the churches are empty.....OK, so Halloween is a pagan festival, but it pre-dates Christianity.....it should be viewed in the light of a cultural thing. Having said that, I don't ever remember doing trick or treat when I was a child.....we were too busy collecting bonfire wood, making dens, stopping other kids from raiding our bonfire stocks......and collecting pennies for the guy.

West Ender · 31-10-2005, 21:54

I must admit the first time I came across trick or treat was when we lived in Whitby in the 60s. My husband worked at Fylingdales early warning station and there were a lot of USAF people there. The American children used to come round, all dressed up, and we got used to it. I don't think we did much at Halloween when I was a child in West End but Bonfire Night was a much bigger event then.

Margaret Pilkington · 31-10-2005, 22:01

Yes, the focus was always on bonfire night. We used to make up raiding parties and go and pinch wood from other gangs bonfires.....we had a garage and all the wood was stored in the garage.....except for the few days before bonfire night. Dads used to help us build the bonfire.....we rigged up all kinds of things so that we would know if our pile was being raided.
Mums used to make parched peas, spud pie, parkin, treacle toffee and toffee apples. The whole of Marsden Street in Accrington used to get together and it was like a street party.....we would put potatoes into the fire and then we would get some brave adult to rake them out for us.....we must have eated almost as much wood ash as potato.....it never seemed to do us any harm.

Doug · 31-10-2005, 22:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Yes, the focus was always on bonfire night. We used to make up raiding parties and go and pinch wood from other gangs bonfires.....we had a garage and all the wood was stored in the garage.....except for the few days before bonfire night. Dads used to help us build the bonfire.....we rigged up all kinds of things so that we would know if our pile was being raided.
Mums used to make parched peas, spud pie, parkin, treacle toffee and toffee apples. The whole of Marsden Street in Accrington used to get together and it was like a street party.....we would put potatoes into the fire and then we would get some brave adult to rake them out for us.....we must have eated almost as much wood ash as potato.....it never seemed to do us any harm.

We use to have some cracking bonfires on the pens at the end of Miller Fold, anything up to 15 or 20 foot depending on how much wood we could nick.......

West Ender · 31-10-2005, 22:21

There was gang warfare in West End over bonfire wood being nicked.

Doug · 31-10-2005, 22:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by West Ender

There was gang warfare in West End over bonfire wood being nicked.

There would have been about ten or twelve of us up our end, we would roam for miles looking for the stuff, gates where a favourite because we could pick them up and run with them, but we only ever did that when we had exhausted all other supplies. That would include anything left unattended in someone’s back yard….