Do You Celebrate Halloween

[JaredC]

Wow. After reading this it seems people really need to lighten up. My wife's parents wouldnt let her celebrate Halloween or believe in Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny or the tooth fairy. She feels like she was cheated out of sacred parts of childhood. Get a grip people. Halloween trick or treaters no more grow up to be devil worshipers than kids who play video games grow up to be killers because they did it on a video game.

Kind of sucks, because my wife likes to go crazy on every holiday. She loves Halloween, and dresses up every year and we find some adult party to go to. Just got home from one tonight. The part that sucks is that I hate holidays in general, I think its stupid and would rather stay home. Im talking every holiday, Christmas, Valentines, St. Patricks etc etc etc. Theyre so comercialized its dumb. Anyways, I partake because my wife enjoys it to an extent. When we have kids Im sure we will be out trick or treating like I did when I was kids and my dad did. If teenagers act even dumber than normal on Halloween, who cares. As long as no one gets killed or any terrible vandalism is done, let them be kids for petes sake. Lord knows I egged and toilet papered my share of houses, and I think I remember someone having a wigi board one year. Surprise surprise, I turned out to be a responsible, productive and yes even church going adult. None of my school aged friends turned out to be terrible people either.

Cliff Notes Version: Relax.

 

[cowzrul]

Cliff Notes Version: Relax.

Good Cliff's Notes. Applies to me, OP and all the other repliers. I am a little passionate when people think that "there is a one size fits all" stereotype that is best to "run" a household. I have 6 children of which 3 are adults and none of them have complained to me or anyone else that I know of about how they were raised. We don't celebrate Halloween, Santa or Easter for various reasons. We do have christmas lights and exchange gifts, celebrate Thanksgiving, Birthdays, own guns and carry King James Bibles. I am the one that determines what is and isn't acceptable in my home since I am the head. I am not the most eloquent in speech or type but my point is simple, why does anybody think they have the right to judge a family on whether they celebrate a particular holiday or not? I have healthy happy children that are being raised in a good loving home. Isn't that what truly matters?

 

[Blinocac200sx]

Ronald Dart is a preacher who has a show run on KTOK on Sunday mornings called "Born to Win." I love what he had to say about Halloween this morning. Take advantage of the fact that kids like to dress up, and teach them lessons about righteousness and goodness. Halloween should be seen as an opportunity by Christian parents.

 

[hipshot]

I have in past years saved up all of my extra condiment packages from the drive-thru's and with some stealth put these in the bags of "past trick-or-treating" age teens.

I imagine their surprise when they get home and learn their booty is comprised of LJS tartar sauce packets and ketchup in various forms, manufacturers and stage of deterioration.

Thanks for the idea, I love it!!..
Now, I never really did much at halloween but I did take my kids trick or treating every year. JB is right, Childhood is short and no parent should screw it up for the kids, Let them go trick or treating and for GOD'S sake let them have a Christmas with Santa and the elves!!!!
Someone mentioned that the razor blades in apples and such were made up... Nope, My sister got an apple with a razor blade which cut her lip when she was about 6-7 yrs old (she is 53 today) so there were a few scumbags around a long time ago.
One year in the town where I lived in Texas there was a rumor that someone was going to kidnap a blonde headed blue eyed kid and sacrifice him\her. I took my kids (which fit that description) trick or treating with my trusty .45 at my side. NO problems!

 

[JaredC]

Kids grow up fast enough. Let them be innocent and dress up like ghosts and goblins and put their teeth under their pillows and hunt for Easter eggs. Under some of you guys' logic kids should never watch a cartoon because it isnt real or hug and take pictures with Cinderella at Disneyland because thats fantasy. Maybe they should just watch the news and Law in Order SVU only, sense after all thats how it is in the "real" world.

Its funny the guys who say they wanted their kids to be able to trust them and not ever lie to them. Its fantasy, its make believe, its fun. I havent heard of a kids childhood being ruined yet because they believed in Santa. But I know plenty that feel cheated from not being able to.

My mom simply said when I was old enough to start asking questions then she would tell me the truth. I think I was 7ish when I began questioning how one man makes it to every house in the world in one night. Lol. I still remember the conversation. I also remember how much fun it was helping my little brother set out cookies for him and sleeping in the living room trying to catch Santa in the act and helping my Mom put out all the Santa presents out once my brother fell asleep. Good memories. Its never once crossed my mind that my mom "lied" to me.

 

[SoonerATC]

Dressing up like the devil or a demon is not "innocent". It's not about what's real, it's about what is appropriate. Dressing up like a princess isn't real, but I would have no problem with that.

And to me, the problem with Santa isn't the fact that he's fake, it's the fact that kids equate Santa to presents, therefore equating Christmas to presents. Kids need to be imparted with the real meaning of Christmas, not with some materialistic view.

When my wife and I have kids, they're only going to get 3 presents, because that's what Jesus received from the Wise Men. And from the beginning, they're going to know the presents came from us, not from Santa.

 

[Danny Tanner]

I would think the average age window of kids believing in Santa is 4-10. 6 years of equating Christmas with the joy of waking up to opening presents around the Christmas Tree is pretty harmless, in my opinion. Kids have the rest of their lives to have their innocence sucked from them.

 

[SoonerATC]

Materialism and greediness = innocence?

 

[JaredC]

I had friends who were raised so super strictly religous when I was a kid. By the time we were in high school they always threw the best parties and were wilder than any of us. Let them be kids when they are little. Sure instill morals and ethics and teach them the real meaning of Christmas, by no means am I saying let them be heathens. But good grief let them be little. Eventually they will find their own way. In my experience the ones that were taught and had beliefs forced upon them like what is mentioned here in this thread, went hog wild once the ever so strict eyes of their parents couldnt watch them 24 hrs a day.

Kids in Europe grow up drinking wine with dinner, and to them alcohol is just another beverage. In Europe underage drinking and alcoholism waaaaaayyyy lower than in the US. They arent enamored with alcohol once they get a little freedom.

 

[JB Books]

Materialism and greediness = innocence?

No, it usually equals a good time.