Halloween Confession
OK, as a mom, I've never been a big fan of Halloween.
I'm not a crafty mom, so a home-made costume better be simple and inexpensive. But I am a mom who proudly snaps photographs and displays any dress-up moments, not just on Oct 31st, but throughout the year --whether it be a new school uniform, a scout uniform, a team uniform, a dance recital costume or a dress or tux for a prom.
I'm not a maker of candied apples or home-made chocolates, but I am a chocoholic who delights in making sure our goodie pantry is well-stocked with the family favorites when special occasions come around.
I'm not a mom who feels comfortable letting my child knock on a stranger's door for "trick or treat." In fact, I have never done so--"only the neighbors we know." But I am a mom whose door is open to others, and countless years I have met children of neighbors whom I've never met.
I'm not a happy mom as I witness our culture's descent into glorifying the gory, the base, the crude, the rude, the criminal, the occultic or the somewhat pornographic costumes and images that are "given a pass" during the Halloween celebration, all in the name of "fun" and "getting into the spirit" of it. But I am a mom who welcomes the Catholic notions of All Saints and All Souls Days, and I do believe that the Holy Spirit longs for us to have fun and recreate with one another, enjoying the sweetness of the harvest season.
So, that's about it. A few grips about Halloween, it true. But in our house, we keep it simple, and decorate with a few pumpkins, and increase the candy supply.
Honestly, we pump up the volume on holiday celebrations when it comes to Christmas and Easter. Those are the highlights of the year for us, as well as family birthdays and milestone moments like sacraments or graduations. Those have enduring value to us, and those get our full attention down to the smallest detail. And the kids notice where, and on what, we put emphasis on.
Halloween is just another blip on the radar screen. Here today, gone tomorrow.
I'm not a crafty mom, so a home-made costume better be simple and inexpensive. But I am a mom who proudly snaps photographs and displays any dress-up moments, not just on Oct 31st, but throughout the year --whether it be a new school uniform, a scout uniform, a team uniform, a dance recital costume or a dress or tux for a prom.
I'm not a maker of candied apples or home-made chocolates, but I am a chocoholic who delights in making sure our goodie pantry is well-stocked with the family favorites when special occasions come around.
I'm not a mom who feels comfortable letting my child knock on a stranger's door for "trick or treat." In fact, I have never done so--"only the neighbors we know." But I am a mom whose door is open to others, and countless years I have met children of neighbors whom I've never met.
I'm not a happy mom as I witness our culture's descent into glorifying the gory, the base, the crude, the rude, the criminal, the occultic or the somewhat pornographic costumes and images that are "given a pass" during the Halloween celebration, all in the name of "fun" and "getting into the spirit" of it. But I am a mom who welcomes the Catholic notions of All Saints and All Souls Days, and I do believe that the Holy Spirit longs for us to have fun and recreate with one another, enjoying the sweetness of the harvest season.
So, that's about it. A few grips about Halloween, it true. But in our house, we keep it simple, and decorate with a few pumpkins, and increase the candy supply.
Honestly, we pump up the volume on holiday celebrations when it comes to Christmas and Easter. Those are the highlights of the year for us, as well as family birthdays and milestone moments like sacraments or graduations. Those have enduring value to us, and those get our full attention down to the smallest detail. And the kids notice where, and on what, we put emphasis on.
Halloween is just another blip on the radar screen. Here today, gone tomorrow.
posted by Pat Gohn at
10/31/2005
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