How Will I Be Celebrating Halloween?

Hi Everyone!

So for today’s post I thought I’d do something a little different & tell you why I won’t be celebrating Halloween this year or any other. This is not meant to be a post preaching my beliefs & I would never want to tell anyone what they should or shouldn’t do. I just thought that, with all the Halloween tutorials & DIY posts & YouTube videos, it might be interesting to share a different side to this festival with you all.

I’ve been brought up without Halloween traditions. My Mum felt Halloween in very bad taste. She was also against knocking on people’s doors to ask for sweets & always maintained that knocking on strangers’ doors Trick-or-Treating was a dangerous thing for children to do un-supervised. Mum felt concern for the elderly people who could be easily frightened in their own homes by the threat of ‘pranks’. I don’t know whether in the back of her mind Mum was also concerned that my sister or I would be given something we were allergic to & then be upset because we couldn’t eat them! Mum has never been one for commercialisation & believes Halloween has become a product of this.

I am a Christian, another reason I have not experienced Halloween traditions. Mum encouraged our awareness of All Souls Day, two days after Halloween, a day in the Christian calendar aimed at the remembrance of those that have died. My local place of worship also discourages the celebration of Halloween, hosting a celebration on All Souls Day for the young people of the parish to come dress up in themed costumes (white cats & angels – that type of thing!), play games & eat party food & light candles.

I’ve been doing some research though, & it would appear (at least from Wikipedia) that Halloween is thought by some scholars to be a Christianized festival, possibly with Pagn origin!

The only Halloween party I’ve ever experienced, was a Brownie meeting. We dressed up – my sister & I were witches, with costumes made by our Mum. We bobbed for apples, which was fun & there were party games & food.

I don’t feel I’ve missed out by not having celebrated Halloween. While I wouldn’t actively look to go to a Halloween party, if I were invited to one I wouldn’t dismiss it outright. I’ve seen some amazing ‘Halloween’ tutorials, including Elsa from Frozen & if I were to dress up for a Halloween event, it would be as something that isn’t directly linked to Halloween.

How will you be celebrating Halloween?

Tania Xx