I don't know why I have to explain this, but maybe I should in case someone is looking at me differently now since my post on Thursday. We did take Aaron trick-or-treating last night. We took him to my aunt and uncle's house, and we walked around their neighborhood. We avoided the houses with headstones in the lawn, witches on the porch, ghosts hanging from the trees; we just walked by them. Did I look at those houses and think the occupants were evil for their decorations? No; Katie and I just decided a long time ago that we A) didn't want Aaron scared and B) didn't want him to be completely submerged in witches, goblins, ghosts, etc. Again, if this is your Halloween decoration, that is 100% all right with me.
I had an e-mail sent to me on Friday afternoon that scolded me for letting my children participate in such a pagan holiday as Halloween, and how I could be a born-again Christian and allow my children to celebrate such a horrible holiday. Thus, I felt the need for an explanation. My grandfather was a minister. He did not allow his children, including my father, to have any form of a Halloween. He was angry, at first, when my father allowed his children to trick-or-treat. When I was growing up, Halloween was dressing up and getting free candy. That was it; the extent of the evening. We didn't participate in any 18th century pagan ritual. We didn't even understand, care, or even know the history of the holiday. All we saw was free candy, and the opportunity to spend a couple hours collecting it.
My son doesn't understand the history of Halloween. He doesn't need to know really. He just sees free candy. He just sees the opportunity to have childhood fun for a couple hours. That's why we let him trick-or-treat.
I'm not going to write a name for who sent the e-mail message, and truthfully, it's all right. I understand that Halloween is a very controversial day. I just felt the need to explain myself. Perhaps I didn't have to, but it might have been needed. If having my child walk around collecting candy last night changed your views or opinions of me or my family, I'm sorry.
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3 comments:
JB, I thank you for explaining yourself even though you owe us nothing. Our family has come to the same conclusion as you on the trick-or-treating issue. We take our boys to our small town's downtown corridor where the town merchants hand out candy from the business doors along the main thoroughfare.
Our boys enjoy receiving free candy. They usually dress up as the jobs they dream of having some day. We've done firemen, a teacher, a train (ok, so he won't grow up to be Thomas the Train, but maybe a conductor!),a mechanic, and even a pastor! No "dark" costumes are allowed, but dressing up is fun for kids.
I also know many Christians who are opposed to Halloween. If that is their conviction, then they need to follow it. But, I also know that Christians can waste a whole lot of energy arguing amongst themselves over worldly things, when that energy could be better employed reaching out to a hurting world.
You allow us a glimpse into your world through this blog. Thank you for responding graciously to people who react to the musings that they are "eavesdropping" on!
Just have to make a comment on this subject.
#1...I don't know you personally, but I don't think there is anything that would ever change my mind about you being a responsible parent and having your child's best interest in mind.
#2....my friend who works in a factory just told me about one of her co-workers who dressed as Jesus last year on Halloween and drug a heavy cross through the factory. They could only dress up during their lunch hour and he chose to do this as a witness to his fellow employees. She said it was the most awesome scene she had ever witnessed and everyone talked about it for days.
Yep, God can take any situation or holiday and make something good come from it. We just have to be bold enough for him to use us to get it done! This employee couldn't have done such a thing on any other day!! To God Be The Glory once again....
JB....ditto Dawn. Although my husband and I have chosen not to let our children trick-or-treat, we realize that decision is purely for our family only. Our job as Christians is not to try to convice other Christians to take on our own convictions, but to realize that God leads everyone differently for different reasons.
And I love the fact that, in taking Aaron trick-or-treating, he gets the opportunity to go to the same neighborhood you did, visit your aunt and uncle the way you did, even choose the same costumes you did! Those are really special memories.
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