thing1

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/10/15/hal....ap/index.html

I find it both unbelievable and hilarious that people (bible thumpers) would have such a problem with Halloween landing on a Sunday. I'm surprised those same people don't just ban the holiday entirely because it is considered a pagan/heathen holiday by many with hard core christian beliefs.

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised by a quote from a Grand Rapids, MI policeman considering how hugely conservative this city tends to be (two christian colleges and a church on just about every city block). But I was surprised because I hadn't heard anything locally about trick-or-treating taking place on Saturday night (October 30th) instead.

Would folks in England throw a fuss like the one mentioned in the article over Guy Fawkes Day landing on a Sunday? Do Jewish parents not allow their children to trick-or-treat if Halloween lands on a Saturday being that is their Sabbath?

I like this quote from the article:

Moving it, that's like celebrating Christmas a week early," said Veronica Wright

thing1

doctor scrumpy

Guy Fawkes is still seen as an anti Catholic ceremony in some parts of of the UK. They burn effigies of the Pope in E.Anglia still.

anotherlimey

And Anthea Turner in the South East.

-tom

Manc

happy birthday thing!

dbark

Yep. Around here we are apparently "celebrating Halloween" on the 30th. But we also had our July 4th firework display on July 3rd, because, to quote our local paper "many folks will be in church on July 4th, praying for our troops."

And as Manc said,

Ash UK/US

I don't think jews celebrate iy do they? Jews esp orthodox Jews have very strong believes probably more than most religions.

Ash

Celtic_Angel

OMG dbark!! you can't be serious?!

when i landed in U.S i was amazed how many relious fanatics there were and what worse is they expect you to live the way they do!! Everybody goes on about the Zelots in the middle East bah America's crawling with them....thankfully they're not violent or we'd be gonners

Englishmum

We have a huge Jewish population in our town (and the surrounding ones) and from my observation they seem to be the most enthusiastic supporters of Hallowe'en!

As Hannukah (usually in December and a candle is lit each day for a week and the children get small gifts) is generally more low-key than how us Gentiles celebrate Christmas, I do think that the local Jewish parents and their children really go to town on decorating their houses and wearing fancy-dress costumes for Hallowe'en.

Naturally the Ultra-Orthodox Hassidic Jews (where the men wear the 18th Century dress code - the ones with the Homburg hats, long sideburns and stocking to their knees and women wear the wigs) would never acknowledge Hallowe'en. I do know of some Orthodox families in our town - as opposed to the 'Reform' Jews - who do celebrate Hallowe'en.

It does seem to be the trend in the UK for people to go to the large organised Bonfire night displays rather than have one in their backyard....even if Nov 5th falls on a Sunday it's very popular for the bonfires to be lit and fireworks to go off on a Saturday night (rather than have sleepy kids going to school on a Monday morning).

Lothianlad

America is one real weird country! If the 5 November falls on a Sunday it makes no difference at all.....everything still goes off with a bang. The UK is not held to ransom by self seeking Christian fundamentalists who are denying people freedom of action and interfering with the way they want to live their lives within the law. They want to restrict such freedom, or so it seems from this end, so America really is not a free country. It seems like a "fire and brimstone and burn in hell for ever more" society.

The Americans I met at uni all seemed to be strangely prudish, no kidding. They were amazed at what they saw on Brit TV which puzzled me.

Just Jenney

Those who think celebrating Halloween is the same as "celebrating the devil" are hypocrites anyway -- because notice that they're NOT protesting against Halloween in general, only against celebrating it on a Sunday.

From the article:

It's a day for the good Lord, not for the devil," said Barbara Braswell, who plans to send her 4-year-old granddaughter Maliyah out trick-or-treating in a princess costume on Saturday instead.

So little Maliyah will be celebrating the devil if she trick-or-treats on Sunday, but not if she does it on Saturday? Give me a break.

The ironic thing is that the kids are probably crossing their fingers that Halloween will be celebrated on both Saturday AND Sunday this year, because that means a chance to collect twice the candy. I know I would be!

~ Jenney

DaveC

That's fair enough because it moves the celebration closer to the date when independence was actually declared - on July 2nd 1776.

NC Penguin

If Christians or anybody has a problem with their kids 'Trick or Treating' on a Halloween that happens to fall on a Sunday, I would suggest:

1) don't send the kids Trick or Treating that year
2) don't send the kids Trick or Treating at all if it conflicts with their personal "religious" beliefs.

Halloween in the US appears to have morphed into a marketing and retailers bonanza. Costumes that are far beyond witches, ghosts and scary monsters. Kids dressed as superheroes, adults dressed a doctors, medieval folk and the character from Gilligan's Island? How about a Halloween costume for the pet pooch?

I don't understand why somebody just doesn't dress up as Jesus for Thanksgiving. That'd be an outfit one could make at home...




NC Penguin

tinaflorida

This is ridiculous.

You wouldn't celebrate New Year's Eve on December 30th, would you?

The Christian right needs to stop sticking its nose where it doesn't belong.

thing1

Thanks Manc and dbark for wishing me a happy birthday!

thing1

My husband and I were watching an Ep of Red Dwarf and they showed a naked butt. I have to admit to spontaneously saying "Oh my!" We americans just aren't used to seeing nudity ion our TV programs...especially sitcoms. But we are used to seeing loads of violence. My "oh my" was a complete knee jerk, unconscious reaction to what I saw and my husband took pleasure in teasing me mercilessly about it. I've never considered myself prudish, but I suppose I am a product of my environment and I didn't even know it. LOL