Is it to early to argue about Christmas??

[bbyrd009]

Huh? Oh, wait, no, I mean
"Um."

[Titus2woman]

We've been looking at churches on the internet before we go check them out... Surprising to me how many have up big colorful ads for their Halloween celebrations... Trunk or Treat, Hallelujah parties, Fall festivals... all including costumes, candy, etc. Just be real and call it HALLOWEEN!

It has made it easy for me to see how a holiday that was outlawed by the Puritans (Christmas) because of it's pagan origins and sinfull practices eventually crept into the Christian culture. We just refuse to be denied anything at all...even evil spirits, ghosts, gobblins, witches, monsters, blood and guts aplenty... Nope, it the next door neighbor kids have it no one will deprive MY children... uh-uh! As a matter of fact we'll just have it at the chruch and call it... OUTREACH!

[houston]

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

We've been looking at churches on the internet before we go check them out... Surprising to me how many have up big colorful ads for their Halloween celebrations... Trunk or Treat, Hallelujah parties, Fall festivals... all including costumes, candy, etc. Just be real and call it HALLOWEEN!

It has made it easy for me to see how a holiday that was outlawed by the Puritans (Christmas) because of it's pagan origins and sinfull practices eventually crept into the Christian culture. We just refuse to be denied anything at all...even evil spirits, ghosts, gobblins, witches, monsters, blood and guts aplenty... Nope, it the next door neighbor kids have it no one will deprive MY children... uh-uh! As a matter of fact we'll just have it at the chruch and call it... OUTREACH!

Yes. Christian contradiction. Imagine that.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

We've been looking at churches on the internet before we go check them out... Surprising to me how many have up big colorful ads for their Halloween celebrations... Trunk or Treat, Hallelujah parties, Fall festivals... all including costumes, candy, etc. Just be real and call it HALLOWEEN!

It has made it easy for me to see how a holiday that was outlawed by the Puritans (Christmas) because of it's pagan origins and sinfull practices eventually crept into the Christian culture. We just refuse to be denied anything at all...even evil spirits, ghosts, gobblins, witches, monsters, blood and guts aplenty... Nope, it the next door neighbor kids have it no one will deprive MY children... uh-uh! As a matter of fact we'll just have it at the church and call it... OUTREACH!

Well, our church is one of the guilty ones. I think the idea behind it is to provide a safer, wholesome alternative for the neighborhood kids. Our church isn't in the nicest area of town, and I would hate to think of some of these kids going door to door around that area. I don't personally care if my kids get candy or not, or whether or not they get to dress up. Our pastor does stay consistent with the wholesome theme, and stipulates no scary, bloody, gory or evil costumes.

I realize there are cynics (like you, obviously ), but it really was done with the community in mind. Our kids never participated in Halloween until our church launched Trunks of Treats (or whatever it's called--I can't ever get it straight), so we didn't do it for them. Other parents who did participate in Halloween now complain because they want to take their kids to other neighborhoods. Others opt out altogether. Those who stay in the parking lot with their trunks up and hand out candy ARE the ones who are interested in interacting with the neighborhood. In fact, most of them are older people who don't even have children at home.

Personally, Halloween is my LEAST favorite holiday. It doesn't even belong in the "least favorite" list because I don't like it at all. I don't see anything Christian about it whatsoever. However, I don't think it's right to refuse to hand out candy to kids, either. I don't think they "get" that it's a principled thing, so what's the point? They just think it's mean. The only people who get the statement are other Christians. Are they the ones to whom we're supposed to be making "principled statements?" Other Christians?

Whether or not we participate in Trunks of Treats, we have always handed out candy from our door. If someone knocks and asks, they are going to receive, to the best of my ability. It doesn't matter to me if it's Halloween or any other day.

To me, this is no different than my Dad's behavior around Christmas when I was growing up. He was staunchly opposed to Christmas. Wow, talk about a Scrooge. Hum a Christmas song and you'd get a lecture a mile long. However, he also tried to make sure that we did something as a family during the Christmas holiday. We'd go to Silver Dollar City or Eureka Springs, AR, or SOMETHING. IMO it's okay to try to offer alternatives so your kids don't feel left out or resentful. I can tell you, there were a couple of things that happened because of Christmas when I was growing up that I did resent. My Dad overreacted, and it really was NOT that big of a deal. Unless someone is going to end up in hell over it, I say live and let live.

[Truthseeker]

You dad was a good man.

[ILG]

According to my neighborhood store, who has their Christmas stuff up, it's NEVER too early.

[ILG]

We always took our kids out for ice cream on halloween.

[Titus2woman]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Well, our church is one of the guilty ones. I think the idea behind it is to provide a safer, wholesome alternative for the neighborhood kids. Our church isn't in the nicest area of town, and I would hate to think of some of these kids going door to door around that area. I don't personally care if my kids get candy or not, or whether or not they get to dress up. Our pastor does stay consistent with the wholesome theme, and stipulates no scary, bloody, gory or evil costumes.

I realize there are cynics (like you, obviously ), but it really was done with the community in mind. Our kids never participated in Halloween until our church launched Trunks of Treats (or whatever it's called--I can't ever get it straight), so we didn't do it for them. Other parents who did participate in Halloween now complain because they want to take their kids to other neighborhoods. Others opt out altogether. Those who stay in the parking lot with their trunks up and hand out candy ARE the ones who are interested in interacting with the neighborhood. In fact, most of them are older people who don't even have children at home.

Personally, Halloween is my LEAST favorite holiday. It doesn't even belong in the "least favorite" list because I don't like it at all. I don't see anything Christian about it whatsoever. However, I don't think it's right to refuse to hand out candy to kids, either. I don't think they "get" that it's a principled thing, so what's the point? They just think it's mean. The only people who get the statement are other Christians. Are they the ones to whom we're supposed to be making "principled statements?" Other Christians?

Whether or not we participate in Trunks of Treats, we have always handed out candy from our door. If someone knocks and asks, they are going to receive, to the best of my ability. It doesn't matter to me if it's Halloween or any other day.

To me, this is no different than my Dad's behavior around Christmas when I was growing up. He was staunchly opposed to Christmas. Wow, talk about a Scrooge. Hum a Christmas song and you'd get a lecture a mile long. However, he also tried to make sure that we did something as a family during the Christmas holiday. We'd go to Silver Dollar City or Eureka Springs, AR, or SOMETHING. IMO it's okay to try to offer alternatives so your kids don't feel left out or resentful. I can tell you, there were a couple of things that happened because of Christmas when I was growing up that I did resent. My Dad overreacted, and it really was NOT that big of a deal. Unless someone is going to end up in hell over it, I say live and let live.

I'm a live and let live girl myself. I just have to do what is right for me and mine We simply told the kids that Halloween was not OUR holiday, like Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. They had some Jewish friends and some black friends, so that seemed to work for us.

My son, who is not a Christian, despises the myth of Santa Clause because he considers it lying. He tells his kids that under most Santa costumes is a fat bum who is probably homeless because he only works two weeks a year, and that toys are made in China not the North Pole. My grandsons are 5 and 6 and have always known it this way. They are not the least bit sad about it. They do presents but not decorations... Grandma doesn't do either but she cooks great and makes pies and tells the Jesus story all year. I don't consider that they are missing anything.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Titus2woman

I'm a live and let live girl myself. I just have to do what is right for me and mine We simply told the kids that Halloween was not OUR holiday, like Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. They had some Jewish friends and some black friends, so that seemed to work for us.

My son, who is not a Christian, despises the myth of Santa Clause because he considers it lying. He tells his kids that under most Santa costumes is a fat bum who is probably homeless because he only works two weeks a year, and that toys are made in China not the North Pole. My grandsons are 5 and 6 and have always known it this way. They are not the least bit sad about it. They do presents but not decorations... Grandma doesn't do either but she cooks great and makes pies and tells the Jesus story all year. I don't consider that they are missing anything.

I do agree with your son about Santa Claus. We've never lied to our kids about Christmas. Personally, I think the true stories and even legends read as precisely that (simply legend) are much more charming.

I got an angry phone call from another Mom when my middle daughter was in pre-K. Her daughter and mine got into an argument over Santa Claus and of course my daughter had known forever that Santa Claus wasn't real. (Other than being the blown up caricature of a particularly generous Catholic priest.)

However. That said, I do understand that some parents see this as playing a pretend game with their kids, albeit extended. Eventually all children discover that it was a game and that their parents were actually the gift-givers. I'm not a fan of the idea, but I do stop short of calling parents liars.

[Cindy]

I like Christmas and presents and decorations etc. But most of all I love having all our family together.