The years as a kid I was able to do Halloween, I enjoyed it. (It's no small feat to trick-or-treat when you live in a rural locale, and there were a few years where my Assembly of God family felt the same way as you do, and I was subjected to embarrassing "fall festivals" to keep me from inadvertently celebrating a sinful holiday.) As a kid, when I did get to participate in an area that had enough people to actually be called neighborhoods, I enjoyed the lead-up to Halloween in terms of figuring out what my costume would be, and spending time with my friends trick or treating.
As an adult I have mixed feelings about the holiday. I really enjoy in our little 20-unit complex the years when we have enough kids to put on a little trick-or-treating within the complex. The kids get to show off their costumes, the adults have a fun excuse to get out and mingle, and it's generally one of the highlights of my year community-wise. (Unfortunately, we were rained out this weekend.)
I'm a bit down on the holiday, when adults seem to get into it a bit too much. I got to run the gauntlet of drunk costumed party-ers this weekend on Chicago's Clark Street on my way to a film. It seemed quite a bit over-the-top for grown-ass adults, but I've seen dumber excuses to party. It seems like for a lot of folks, it's the last hurrah for folks to get their drink on before dealing with the Chicago winter and the upcoming holiday season.
I'm not going to comment on the theological elements of this post, being one of those secular weak atheists who enjoy being scared from time to time. I have pagan friends who REALLY get into the holiday, and I'm not going to begrudge their holiday when dead rise anymore than I'll begrudge the Christians theirs. That said, I'm pretty burned out on Halloween, I'm ready for November to be here and be thinking about putting on my annual Thanksgiving meal.
Not religious here so have no comment on the historical background and like you I am not a big fan of Halloween. There is however one exception....this is about the only time I can walk into any store and buy all the candy corn I want 😊
LoL. It is kind of disgusting I guess, about like eating pure sugar, but I figure I must be in good company to some extent as it keeps reappearing on the store shelves every year. Probably funded by The American Dental Association 😀
I’ll have to weigh in on the side of candy corn (although we called it corn candy as I grew up).
I don’t dislike Halloween but I also don’t disagree with Steve’s points. People do like to be scared and to indulge (or overindulge). To that, I’d that Halloween, like St. Patrick’s Day, has become an excuse for hedonism.
My take is that kids can trick or treat, but let’s keep Halloween as a kid’s candy holiday.
Now my teen daughter and I are off to the church fall festival to administer a jack o lantern matching game.
I liked Halloween as a kid. Not so much since then. It's worse now that my primary activities (if you can call it that) are reading and watching TV and walking a half mile to the mailbox and back.
The years as a kid I was able to do Halloween, I enjoyed it. (It's no small feat to trick-or-treat when you live in a rural locale, and there were a few years where my Assembly of God family felt the same way as you do, and I was subjected to embarrassing "fall festivals" to keep me from inadvertently celebrating a sinful holiday.) As a kid, when I did get to participate in an area that had enough people to actually be called neighborhoods, I enjoyed the lead-up to Halloween in terms of figuring out what my costume would be, and spending time with my friends trick or treating.
As an adult I have mixed feelings about the holiday. I really enjoy in our little 20-unit complex the years when we have enough kids to put on a little trick-or-treating within the complex. The kids get to show off their costumes, the adults have a fun excuse to get out and mingle, and it's generally one of the highlights of my year community-wise. (Unfortunately, we were rained out this weekend.)
I'm a bit down on the holiday, when adults seem to get into it a bit too much. I got to run the gauntlet of drunk costumed party-ers this weekend on Chicago's Clark Street on my way to a film. It seemed quite a bit over-the-top for grown-ass adults, but I've seen dumber excuses to party. It seems like for a lot of folks, it's the last hurrah for folks to get their drink on before dealing with the Chicago winter and the upcoming holiday season.
I'm not going to comment on the theological elements of this post, being one of those secular weak atheists who enjoy being scared from time to time. I have pagan friends who REALLY get into the holiday, and I'm not going to begrudge their holiday when dead rise anymore than I'll begrudge the Christians theirs. That said, I'm pretty burned out on Halloween, I'm ready for November to be here and be thinking about putting on my annual Thanksgiving meal.
"I am not a dentist (I’m glad of that, because I know I couldn’t handle being regularly bitten by children)."
Thanks for making me snort Diet Coke through my nose. :-)
LOL!
Not religious here so have no comment on the historical background and like you I am not a big fan of Halloween. There is however one exception....this is about the only time I can walk into any store and buy all the candy corn I want 😊
I...dislike candy corn...almost as much as hard butterscotch candy found at the bottom of grandma’s purse.
LoL. It is kind of disgusting I guess, about like eating pure sugar, but I figure I must be in good company to some extent as it keeps reappearing on the store shelves every year. Probably funded by The American Dental Association 😀
More candy corn for us!
I’ll have to weigh in on the side of candy corn (although we called it corn candy as I grew up).
I don’t dislike Halloween but I also don’t disagree with Steve’s points. People do like to be scared and to indulge (or overindulge). To that, I’d that Halloween, like St. Patrick’s Day, has become an excuse for hedonism.
My take is that kids can trick or treat, but let’s keep Halloween as a kid’s candy holiday.
Now my teen daughter and I are off to the church fall festival to administer a jack o lantern matching game.
Some people also like pickled beets and liver.
I'll say yes to all of the above, though not necessarily all together of course :-)
I would have to take a hard pass on both of those 😊
I liked Halloween as a kid. Not so much since then. It's worse now that my primary activities (if you can call it that) are reading and watching TV and walking a half mile to the mailbox and back.
Life is scary enough.
I've never liked Hallow'een.