Hallow-Harmless

Ever since I was a child, Halloween and everything that surrounded it filled my little heart with excitement and anticipation. The pumpkins, the apples, the changing leaves, the cooling weather...I've always loved fall and I've always loved the coming of winter.

Trick-or-treating rated right up there with Christmas. Every year, my cousins Kenny, Steve, Michael and I would meet at Grandma's house, donned in our spectacular costumes (they were always some sort of superhero or Simpson's character and I, of course, was some form of royalty), and Grandpa would make us stand there for hours and take pictures. I see now that it probably would have been mere seconds, had Kenny cooperated and kept his eyes open. I firmly believe he cheated me out of handfuls of candy...

We filled pillowcases. Forget those stupid pumpkin pails; those were for amateurs. PILLOWCASES, my friend. Then when we were finished in Grandma's neighborhood, we would drive to a rural part of our little town where the real treasures were. No one knew of this treasure trove; a remote area of Linden Rd. waited for their lone trick-or-treaters every year, to fill our sacks with King-sized snickers, Reese's peanutbutter cups, and the likes. Then we would go home, watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," and inspect each little piece of candy for any signs of tampering. I never found one.

Even my church hosted a halloween party at my youth leader's house. I remember being 8 or 9, and going to his house to play games, go on a haunted hayride, bob for apples, and play Smear the Queer (yes, that was a harmless football game in the 80's that was not derrogatory towards homosexuals). It wasn't until later that I learned that Halloween was (gasp) a satanic holiday that should be shunned by all Christians, and all those who participate in such a tradition should be spat upon by all Christians.

Check it out, folks. I don't care about the history of Halloween. Besides, it's irrelevant, because Christmas also began as a pagan holiday. Have your doubts? Compare the stories. Check out the links here and here. If you're honest with yourself, Christmas began more as a pagan holiday than Halloween. Read the stories. There is nothing about sacrificing children or killing people involved in Halloween. That aside...

People don't like Halloween because it involves witches and we shouldn't blend the wickedness of sorcery with the innocence of child's play. This is also why Christians are in an uproar about Harry Potter. If this is truly your conviction, then fine. But be consistant. I had better not go into your house and find Snow White, The Wizard of Oz, or any such fairytale adorned on your shelves. They all involve witches as well, and I'll go so far as to say the Wizard of Oz is the worst one of all. "There are good witches and bad witches" is the most erroneous quote I've ever heard regarding witchcraft. Let your children use their imagination! Have you ever read Harry Potter?! Those books are ingenious. They are clean and contain nothing blasphemous. It's a battle of Good vs. Evil, and isn't that the most basic outline of any story? And isn't Good victorious in the end? How much closer can you get to the image of Christ? Don't be ignorant; don't argue about subjects you know nothing of. Pick up a book and read it before casting your stones.

I grew up playing imaginary games that involved the destruction of witches, participating in all forms of Halloween, and watching all the movies that involved witches as the bad guys. And may I be bold enough to say that I turned out okay. And let me also say that I took my boys trick-or-treating last week and I'm excited for them to form the same traditions and memories that I have of Halloween.

People need to just chillax.