Halloween

October 31, 2020

I decided to take a walk around the hood tonight. I left my candy on a table on the front porch. Still there, and I’m sad. I truly don’t need to eat it.

I only passed three groups of trick-or-treaters. One was a group of three teenagers. The other two were little kids with parents. And though I passed some decorated houses, it was just so quiet.

But, you know what I heard that made me happy? Little voices shouting “thank-you” as they walked back to the street where their parents waited. It reminded me, in the words of TAB, “There’s hope for sure”.

The Avett Brothers

Throwback Thursday – Past Costumes and thoughts stirred up

Since costumes are on many minds today, thought I’d go back to my kids’ costumes – one from 1987, the other from around 1997 or so. In the first photo, they are posing with some of the neighbor kids (the clowns), Daniel and Twila. Ben and Kat had the privilege (lol) of homemade costumes. I think Kat was some sort of princess. A sort of lame princess, but maybe she didn’t think so. Ben was an Indian – complete with red tennis shoes. Drew had the good fortune of having cool Superman PJs. In the second photo, Leah is wearing a borrowed costume.

What does all this mean? Well, for starters you can tell I never spent much on costumes. When I was a kid (groan, here we go again), I never remember a store bought costume. Maybe a mask or two. Usually I was a gypsy – decked out in Mom’s hand-me-downs and costume jewelry, or a hobo. Neither one politically correct now, I know.

I love the idea of dressing up and having fun. I hate the idea of Halloween. And now there is the newish idea of Trunk-or-Treat. For those of you who don’t know, Trunk or Treat is when trick-or-treating is done from parked car to parked car in a local parking lot, often at a church, so parents are able to keep a more watchful eye on their children. (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_Trunk_or_Treat)

 I don’t like this idea so much because of the thinly veiled attempt at recruiting new visitors to the church. It just seems wrong. Plus, it confuses me. How is the option between a trunk or a treat? The expression just does not work out.

 I truly wish this fun time was not associated with pagan rituals. Yes, I know most kids have no clue about that. Anymore than many kids who don’t associate Christmas with Christ. It also has pagan roots.

 Bottom line – do I celebrate Halloween? Not really. Do I give out candy? Yes, I do. Do I celebrate Christmas? Yes, I do. Do I hate its pagan roots, combining a sacred night with Santa Claus? Yes, I do. I will continue to enjoy Christmas with my family and friends. My prayer is that at Christmas, someone might hear the Gospel of Christ and learn of His love.

 But, I don’t delude myself that people will hear much Gospel out of the back of a trunk in a church parking lot.