The Great Halloween Debate

I guess one way to know that you’re getting older is when you tend end your conversations with the phrase, “Things sure aren’t like they used to be?”  I find myself saying that a lot lately, usually surrounding more of the mundane aspects of life.  Take Halloween for instance.  I remember when (another catch phrase for “fuddy duddys in training” I’m afraid), Halloween was a harmless little holiday that encouraged little kids to use their imaginations in deciding “what they were going to be” and to work diligently in creating their costumes, often with the odds and ends that their moms had lying around the house.

From my kindergarten year in 1968 through second grade in 1970 my school, in a small city in southwest Indiana actually allowed Halloween parties and costumes at school.  In kindergarten I went as the television character, The Flying Nun.  My mother still talks about the momentary panic that set in when she tried to figure out how she was going to fashion the “wing-like” hat for that outfit.  But I have to give her “mad props”; using only a white cardboard box and a healthy dose of motherly ingenuity, “Moms” pulled it off.  In first grade I went as a witch, ironically both the school Halloween party and the one sponsored by my Sunday School at our local Missionary Baptist Church (where I ironically won “Prettiest Costume” probably because my witchy ensemble was accessorized with a pair of my grandmother’s elbow length black silk gloves).  Finally, in second grade I went as Frito-Lay’s animated corn chip spokesperson, “The Frito Bandito.”  But by third grade in 1971, both the “Frito Bandito” and Halloween costumes at school had apparently both been deemed too politically incorrect to continue in polite society and were both unceremoniously banned for life.

Nearly 40 years later the “Great Halloween Debate” continues, with Evangelical Christians of the Pat Robertson variety, predicting dire consequences for Christians who allow their children to participate in Halloween activities.  In a 2009 Huffington Post article, Robertson charged that even the candy was “evil” because it had been “dedicated and prayed over by witches.”  Seriously, Pat?  Really?

But to be fair, I think the folks on the “pro-Halloween” side of the controversy may be going a little overboard as well.  “Back in the day” I can remember my sisters and me making our costumes out of clothes from our “dress up” box and handcrafted accessories.  My mother could work absolute magic with a cardboard box.  In addition to my “Flying Nun” headgear I recall her making a surprisingly realistic “cardboard sword” to complete my little sister’s swashbuckling pirate costume.  But today, Halloween decorations appear in the stores just after the 4^th of July and seasonally operated “Halloween Stores” open for business.  Despite the still flagging U.S. economy, iCharts.net indicates that American consumers have spent $1.8 billion dollars on Halloween candy, $1.6 billion on decorations and a whopping $2 billion on costumes (for adults, children, and pets combined).  That’s nearly $5.5 billion for a minor, one day celebration.  Are any of these Halloween “holiday shoppers” are among the same group that is complaining bitterly about President Obama’s pricey stimulus plan?  Why throw money around on trifles like improving the highways, preventing the failure of the auto industry and financial institutions when we could be spending our money on all manner of inflatable lawn decorations and tons o’ fun-sized Three Musketeers bars?

Both sides need to take a step back and “get a grip”, quite frankly.  To Evangelicals of the extreme variety I would ask them to consider perhaps doing a bit of research, from a variety of sources regarding the origins of Halloween.  For example, ChurchYear.Net features an article indicating that All Hallows Eve first gained popularity as a prelude to a decidedly religious holiday known as All Saints Day where Christians feasted in order to pay homage to all of their Saints and Martyrs (sort of like the modern day consolidation of Washington’s Birthday and Lincoln’s Birthday into the more generic “President’s Day”).  The website asserts that, “Many customs of Halloween reflect the Christian belief that on the feast’s vigil we mock evil, because as Christians, it holds no real power over us.”  So, if there is any validity in that definition wouldn’t it make sense for Christians to embrace Halloween activities as a sort of “take that Satan!” kind of thing?

And to the big spending Halloween enthusiasts I would say, “Have fun, show a little restraint.” If you’ve been laid off since November of 2008, your 401K is in the tank and your house is about to be foreclosed upon you do not need a mechanical zombie on your front porch and a Halloween light display choreographed to spooky music playing outside your house (and running up your utility bills in the process) for the entire month of October. 

Personally, I don’t think that Halloween represents either the downfall of human kind but neither should it be treated like a “high holy day” rivaling Christmas, Passover, Ramadan or any other religious celebration (unless perhaps you are a follower of Wicca but that’s a whole ‘nother topic!  Halloween doesn’t have to represent yet another “great divide in our society” as long as people on all sides just use a little more common sense.

References

About the solemnity of All Saints

http://www.churchyear.net/allsaints.html

Leo, A. & McGlynn, K. (2009). Christian Broadcasting Network warns against “demonic” Halloween candy.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/29/christian-broadcasting-ne_n_338738.html

http://www.icharts.net/myicharts/app?service=external&sp=Y3vRzytD&page=TeamChartDetail