posted on October 15, 2003 01:20:09 PM new
Skeletons, witches, ghosts, etc., are slowly being replaced with princesses, ballerinas, and tv characters. What's scary about those people?
Traditional holidays, like Halloween, are becoming a thing of the past and are being replaced with cheap, unscary costumes and cheaply made candies - all of which cost a fortune.
Last year, our tv station interviewed about a dozen women, asking them why they thought the traditional ghosts and goblins costumes weren't as popular as action heroes, etc. Most said the death aspect of Halloween was too much for young children to handle.
When you were a child, did you ever think of death on Halloween? Are we pc-ing our way out of perfectly fine, left the way they were, occasions?
posted on October 15, 2003 01:26:59 PM new
I hope not. Also gone is the trick aspect when you are not treated which as a kid was the most fun thing.
Republican, the other white meat!
posted on October 15, 2003 01:34:25 PM new
The wind is unreal today, Near. I think I'll take a quick ride on my broomstick and see if I can get my karma back in sync. Yeehah!!
posted on October 15, 2003 03:13:42 PM new
what? what? I was gone for awhile
karma? in sync? (there is one word I can't stand, karma, but OK )
Kraft, I don't believe you ride a broomstick. I never thought of you that way. 'k?
Ok about Halloween getting too PC... YEAH it is. There is a community up here, maybe some have heard this 'controversy', but some guy goes all out on all holidays... ok he puts a noose up (I've seen those before, and fake graves and stuff in yards for Halloween) anyway, the neighbors are freaking out... they say its..... get this... RACIST...
because, when it is dark, some say it looks like an African American..... HELLO..... they closed up on it on TV, its a fake, 'freaky' monster... its GREEN with bloodshot eyes, bloody mouth, you know, the 'monster' face.
Yeah, if parents are afraid the kids are going to 'have issues' later seeing all this stuff out there on Halloween night, then DO NOT TAKE THEM OUT... take 'em to Chucky Cheese or something... and protect them from anything 'bad' out there... just remember what your doing, just in case your kids move out when they are adults and have to deal with anything 'bad'!!!
No Halloween was always supposed to be scary, like watching a scary movie, but you get to participate. Geez I wonder what goes on with people sometimes. Big deal! It will probably be outlawed one day, so enjoy while you still can!
yeah, the 'trick' part of trick or treat, now thats the part I grew up with and ya just can't do that kind of thing anymore...
Well I'm having Mike put a monster mask on to SCARE kids at the door on Halloween. And we have outdoor speakers, and put some really scary sounds on, like screams and stuff, heck its HALLOWEEN people!
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
posted on October 15, 2003 04:44:23 PM new
Well, I don't object to scary characters for Halloween. But I can understand why the neighbors are objecting to that one.
A noose is designed to strangle....leaving the victim with bulging eyes and twisted mouth, hanging from a tree. That immage of the traditional use of a noose is too awful to associate with traditional Halloween decor.
posted on October 15, 2003 04:48:07 PM new
I think for the most part Halloween is on its way out
I recall growing up and all the schools celebrated it - Halloween Carnival with bobbing for apples, children dressed up at school, decorated the classrooms and bulletin boards...not any more.
My little boy's school does absolutely nothing to celebrate it for the children. I asked his teacher about it last year, and she said the school district here had done away with it due to "religious differences".
Boy, things sure are changing...
"Be kind. Remember everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Harry Thompson
"I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it." - A Few Good Men
posted on October 15, 2003 05:16:55 PM new
Oh come on Helen! Haunted Houses are ok? when was the last time you were in one, there is DEATH DEATH DEATH in most of them... walking through, people are stabbing people.. monsters coming out at those innocent children and scaring them. THEY WERE FUN! When I was younger they did have them. I think I was in my teens, but they were totally intended to try and scare the sh*t out of you. And they usually did
The guy who has the monster hanging from a nooose, they interviewed him, he was laughing at the negative reaction, and said, well, I think the monsters wife and kids are going to be hanging here real soon.
(meaning he could give a damn whether people thought it UN PC or not)
your right 12 PC IS ruining everything
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
posted on October 15, 2003 05:19:06 PM new"...well, I think the monsters wife and kids are going to be hanging here real soon."
ROFLMAO!!
"Be kind. Remember everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Harry Thompson
"I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it." - A Few Good Men
posted on October 15, 2003 05:45:33 PM new
Near - It WAS really windy today - like an all day tornado! I was just trying to stay with the Halloween theme with my broomstick story... of course it's not true.
posted on October 15, 2003 08:12:35 PM new
I took Halloween verry seriously when I was young- spent weeks designing my costume and creating it. I was more interested in showing off my costume than I was in getting candy, I sort of think.
I did witches with seaweedy hair, goblins, a cockroach- I never did cute ballerinas or princesses. My kids are the same, now, and they really stand out from the crowd, which is in cheap storebought costumes. Because they use "real" things, their costumes don't look Halloweeny, because it isn't a real halloween costume unless you can identify it instantly- because it has SPIDERMAN printed across the front.
They have been werewolves, spiders and scorpions, and my old standby, the Cockroach.
"And All Shall be Well, and All Shall be Well, and All Manner of Things Shall be Well"
posted on October 15, 2003 11:22:09 PM new
Oh, a lot of the schools in my area celebrate Halloween. The kids get dressed up & everything. But since the only thing hey are allowed to dress up as is a famous person, it's just not the same.... Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there --Clare Booth Luce
posted on October 16, 2003 05:55:50 AM new
Halloween has been walmartized, just like Easter, St. Valentine's, and Christmas. I don't think it'll go away, unless the christian rightists who fear it's some sort of devil worship have their way. It'll just continue on as a cheapened version of itself.
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In this world of sin and sorrow, there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican. -- H.L. Mencken
posted on October 16, 2003 07:18:54 AM new
The title of this thread, "Is Halloween Over" reminds me of a little Chinese boy who knocked on my door at about 3PM to ask, "When does Halloween start?"
posted on October 16, 2003 09:09:00 AM new
I've noticed that in the last few years Halloween has begun to seep across the border into northern Mexico. There was little importance paid to All Saint's Eve, which is really what it is. Older people often go to Mass, but that's about it until recently. Now you're starting to see the same overpriced, tacky crap for sale in bigger cities' stores. I expect it will eventually take over the Day of the Dead celebrations (Nov. 2, All Souls Day) which are so much more spiritually important...or maybe it wil just get incorporated into a longer holiday. What is Halloween like in Canada?
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In this world of sin and sorrow, there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican. -- H.L. Mencken
posted on October 16, 2003 09:31:55 AM new
While reading this thread I tried to recall what Halloween was like when I was a child.[in the dark ages ]. You know, I can't ever remember dressing up, going trick-or-treating, etc. I remember both my sisters, who are 10 and 11 years younger than myself doing so...but not me. Strange. My sons both did from their very first Halloween.
posted on October 16, 2003 09:58:05 AM new
I went to Catholic parochial school (oh the horror! ) I remember they did things like putting carved pumpkins up and things like that.
But as far as trick or treating, now this was in the 60's, before my mom passed on, she made our costumes, but they were ALL SAINT costumes... we hated it of course, while everyone else was something 'cool'
She decorated the house for Halloween, gave candy out, but those Saint costumes, I didn't like them at all. (she was very devout Catholic, but still! )
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
posted on October 16, 2003 11:14:22 AM new
Near, you are correct, Nov. 1 is All Saints' Day, or as it was called in past times in England I think, "All Hallows Day", which is where we get Hallows Eve, the night before, or Halloween. I was speaking of All SOULS' Day, which is November 2. In Mexico it is called El Dia de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. If you remember your catechism, All Saints is a time to glorify heaven, and the Saints. It is a time to pray to them for intercession and to give them thanks. All Soul's Day, on the other hand, is a day to honor and pray for those close to us who have passed away, many of whom, if Catholic, will be stuck in Purgatory while their souls are cleansed of sin, before going to heaven. It is a time to honor and pray for souls of the common dead, not the saints. I don't hear much about All Soul's being observed among non-latino US Catholics, and I'm not even sure it's an official Holy Day, but it is the most important holiday to many in Mexico and Central America. It's observance coincided with a belief that the indigenous people had that on one day each fall the spirits of the dead were allowed to return to earth to visit with their still living loved ones. The newly christianized indians in Mexico combined the two holidays into one. It's a happy time, not a scary or gory one. Sorry to be so wordy...
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In this world of sin and sorrow, there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican. -- H.L. Mencken
[ edited by profe51 on Oct 16, 2003 11:15 AM ]
posted on October 16, 2003 01:10:27 PM new
Wordy? I was hoping you would explain the whole process with the laying out of the foods and the midnight processions to the graveyards. A couple years ago I attended a Day of the Dead celebration with a friends family and had a fantastic time. It's an incredible celebration but all most americans know of it are the the skelton figures and art that are inspired by it....
Tell us the story Prof....
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on October 16, 2003 01:34:27 PM new
Linda, you can't even remember a single time you went out? Maybe you blocked those years out because they were too scary for you.
That's interesting, Prof. I feel sorry for Catholics because no matter how good they are, they can never escape the punishments of sin, even in death.
posted on October 16, 2003 01:39:55 PM new
KD - Either that or Alzheimer's is quickly settling in. I do remember carving pumpkins in celebration, but not trick-or-treating or dressing up.
