I hate Halloween!

[keista]

I also dislike Halloween but that is more based on the origins of the day. I don't like the celebration of evil.

Sorry Andy, I don't know where you get your information from, but the origins of Halloween are not evil. They are based on Northern European (attributed to Celics, but other cultures have the same/similar Holiday), pre-Christian practices. Since Halloween was a multifaceted celebration and deeply rooted in ppl's lives and cultures, Christians adopted/adapted to more easily foster conversion. Eventually declaring Nov 1 as "All Saints' Day" to honor Saints and martyrs, making October 31st, "All Hallows Eve" or Halloween for short.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Sorry Andy, I don't know where you get your information from, but the origins of Halloween are not evil. They are based on Northern European (attributed to Celics, but other cultures have the same/similar Holiday), pre-Christian practices. Since Halloween was a multifaceted celebration and deeply rooted in ppl's lives and cultures, Christians adopted/adapted to more easily foster conversion. Eventually declaring Nov 1 as "All Saints' Day" to honor Saints and martyrs, making October 31st, "All Hallows Eve" or Halloween for short.

Keista -
Better get your facts straight, too. Its a murky enough subject that generalities only make it worse.
It wasn't "Christians" who accepted/incorporated pagan religeous practices... it was the Roman Catholic Church. Not exactly the same thing. (and it wasn't just Halloween.) These practices were adapted and accepted, because they couldn't find any way to stamp them out, so they turned them into "something else" (on the surface).

Halloween isn't necessarily evil, depending on which traditions you come from.
But it isn't part of MY culture, and I refuse to practice someone else's religion.

Current political correctness and push for "acceptance" of other cultures and beliefs, has stretched to the point that one is actually mistreated for NOT participating. Anyone else see a red flag?

 

[Andy]

All Saints Day is a day recognized by our church. However, Halloween has always been a time of mischief making: One legend has it that: "All Hallow's Eve provided one last chance for the dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving onto the next world. To avoid being recognised by a soul, Christians would wear masques and costumes to disguise themselves, following the lighted candles set by others to guide their travel for worship the next day. Today, this practice has been perpetuated through trick-or-treating."

It has been traditionally been a time to play stupid jokes such as one of the older of throwing eggs and other such vandelism. It seems the one day were evil reigned.

If we could put the emphasis on All Saints Day instead of the "warding off the supernatural" it would be a more positive thing.

Anyway, for the most part around my town, the parents have worked for years and years to keep it as a fun costume make-up time for the kids.

One thing the older kids through adults do is a "Zombie Crawl". This is not done on Halloween night but might be something for Marg's village to look into to do on Halloween night since the older kids are causing problems. Research it though - All I know about it is that older kids (teens and up) dress up as Zombies and walk through town. I bet the trouble makers would enjoy redirecting their attention to something like this. It takes adults to organize but to have materials and make up and a location where the kids - adults can spend getting their "costumes" on. At a certain time send everyone to walk through town and meet on the other side for a refreashment. Maybe have some games set up to use that "need" to throw eggs (throw eggs into a bucket) and bob for apples?

I don't know a lot about the Zombie crawl - I think the local theater is behind getting it going in our town and it has become a fun event for those into that sort of thing.

 

[keista]

I guess it's the perception of "evil" that stuck a nerve for me, but I do understand your perspective, Andy

Ah, redirecting troublemakers - the bane of our existence, isn't it? I guess I will consider myself lucky since I haven't even witnessed a TP'd house since I left NY (12 years).

I also recall being asked for ID to buy eggs one year. I was a young adult and Halloween wasn't even on my radar. Was living in a small community so it was probably local directive to ban sales of certain items (eggs, TP, Nair, Vaseline) to kids under 18.

 

[Andy]

Yes, it is all in the preception!

ID's for buying eggs! Yep, you know a town has problems when that steps is brought out. Eggs are hard to clean off.

I hear the older generation talk about watermellon raids.

Pumpkin smashing was not that many years ago either and most likely continues though I haven't seen any around town this year. (something else that can be structured to have a designated spot and authorized pumpkins?)

 

[Marguerite]

Our local store insists on ID to buy eggs in the weeks before Halloween. But some idiot parents just buy extra eggs because they know their kid will take them anyway and they don't want to be caught short.

The zombie crawl would not work. Pity. It involves dressing up, and here the dressing up is pitiful and restricted to very young children. It would also give these boys a sense of safety in anonymity.

I do like the idea of a pre-emptive strike and organising a street patrol of interested parents. I've found in years past that if I drive around with a very obvious digital camera (these days, iPhone) then the problem kids will scatter when they see me taking photos.

The FaceBook thread is continuing (spasmodically) even from the kid who apologised yesterday (he posted a derisive "hahaha" after a previous post of "go away, u old ladie") so I don't think much of his apology. And yes, I am sending another copy to his parents. Or at least ringing his mother. I've posted a new thread, this one has wandered a bit!

Thanks for the ideas though. I suspect the problem will still be an issue next year.

Marg