Guest guest Posted October 31, 2006 Report Share Posted October 31, 2006 Some nice comments from the public at the bottom..... Boo! Is Halloween too scary? By Claire Heald BBC News Magazine The sinister side of Halloween is being exploited, says one leading church figure, when it could celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Can Halloween go cuddly? Halloween, Fright Night, All Hallow's Eve. Call it what you will, but it's supposed to be scary... right? Not according to one cleric, who wants people to come away from Halloween's darker side. The Rt Rev David Gillett, the Bishop of Bolton, says the "more horrific" of masks prove too scary for many children. With the Mothers' Union - a Christian parenting group - Bishop Gillett is backing a campaign called Halloween Choice to promote the lighter side of the festival. A time to have fun?"The emphasis has become so evil and scary, I've spoken to children and adults who find it too scary," he says. Bishop Gillett wants a shift away from horror character masks, like Hannibal Lecter, towards the Christian celebration of good over evil. And, he wants an end to the trick or treating-style harassment that brings out extra police patrols and can be a nuisance to some. Costumes could have a brighter side, he says, and home-made outfits would let people set their own fear factor. Shops could stock up on hair braids, bright balloons, face paints and glow tubes, instead of fake blood and evil eyes. "Why not lighter costumes? Brighter colours?" he asks. "Face masks that people could paint themselves in a way that sets their own level of spookiness? "It's not to do with the occult, or asking supermarkets to stop what they are doing. It's saying when children are in a supermarket and asking 'Get me something for a Halloween outfit', they can buy something other than the horrific choices. Creepy cash Party-wise, churches have begun to organise alternative events for children around Halloween - parties with songs, games, quizzes and stories. But Halloween's creepy roots stretch way back, to the Celtic feast of Samhain as well as All Hallow's Eve, and in the last few years, selling scariness has been highly lucrative for supermarkets. Is cute Halloween the way forward?UK spending on Halloween will top £120m this year, says Bryan Roberts from industry analysts Planet Retail. This compares with £12m five years ago. The pumpkin market alone is worth £25m. It is the third most profitable seasonal push in supermarkets after Christmas and Easter, with whole aisles turned over to pumpkin costumes, witches hats and the like. The make-you-jump thrill is, surely, part of the attraction. Would children trade all this dressing up and trick or treating for a "nice" Halloween? Or too much commercialism?At outlets like Angels Fancy Dress, in London, it is standing room only at peak shopping time as workers take their lunch not with a knife and fork but complete with a devil's trident. But Halloween is not all about "hell and horror", says owner Emma Angel. The choice, to which Bishop Gillett refers, exists already. Alongside its vampire teeth, scream-style masks and sinister clown outfits, Angels has sold Ghostbusters gear, banana costumes, "mad" doctor's scrubs, and, for children, a pink candy witch. Hardly spine-chilling. We are already in touch with Halloween's brighter side, she says. "It's just a great fun time of year for people to dress up, adults and children. Ghostbusters outfits are fun, not evil. "People don't come in and say, 'I want to be Satan in disguise' or 'I really want to scare people'. They just want to put a pair of vampire's teeth in a funny way." Add your comments on this story, using the form below. Halloween is over commercialised, and trick-or-treaters are annoying. It's predominately an American secular celebration of commercial greed, the third largest such event in the western world today. For me, today is the far older celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-ain), which was celebrated by the Celts as new-year, and is also observed as such by many Pagans today. It's not a light celebration, it's about the start of the dark season from now until Beltaine in the spring, sixth months from now. The death of summer and the coming of winter. The reverend seems to miss this point, he also seems not to understand that light and dark are a natural balance and have nothing to do with evil and good. Faye, Leeds, UK Halloween is supposed to be scary. Some of my best memories as a child are of when I was scared. They can have their fluffy bunnies at Easter, and their cutesy reindeers at Christmas. But let's keep Halloween as it's meant to be and scare the bejeezus out of them. It's fun.Julian Burrett, Gloucester Halloween has been banned in our house. Trick or treaters scare the wits out of my daughter. I don't see the fun side of witches. My hometown in Zimbabwe has had bad experiences with witches/witchcraft. I don't see the fun side. We all have our limits, and some things are just not fun, no matter how they are dressed up.A. Booyse, Stevenage Halloween's supposed to be scary. The pagans (and many others) believe it's the night of the year when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is at its thinnest, and the souls of the dead walk the earth. It was never supposed to be fluffy, warm and cuddly!Michelle, London Halloween is now just another event in the retailers' calendar. Shops are making a fortune from the consumers and somehow persuading them that they really DO need to spend £20 per family member on a mass-produced costume? Why do we need 'Happy Halloween' cards? Dressing up as a ghost can be traced back to the origins of Halloween, but sending a card? Rampant commercialism! Alan, Glasgow I don't answer my door on Halloween, I don't agree with trick or treating - it's tantamount to begging and I will not have that on my doorstep.Emma, Newbury I love all the scary stuff - and, hey, it only comes once a year. I do notice now though the lack of scary films associated with the time of year. I miss the previous Halloween nights where I watched horror after horrorAdrienne, Oxford The best costumes are the ones that we create ourselves. Face painting encourages children to be creative and also gives them something unique that no other child would have. We should be encouraging this - it is a lot cheaper and a lot more fun!Anand, Fareham I am a British person now living in the USA, and here Halloween is a fun night where the kids dress up and go trick-or-treating around the neighbourhood. Every house will give a small piece of candy, so just treats, no tricks. Yes, is has become commercialised here, but I would not miss the looks on my kids' faces and seeing the fun costumes from all the other kids. Lighten up. Happy Halloween!Justine, Boston, USA Here in Mexico there is a similar tradition called Dia de Muertos (The Day of the Dead), which is a mixture between Christian traditions and ancestral Aztecs traditions. It is celebrated the 1st and 2nd of November. The problem is that each year is more mixed with the Halloween celebration, but I suppose it's just a natural evolution. The original belief is that the dead return to visit friends and family so you have to build an altar with their favourite food and drinks. It's also an opportunity to remember them and eat traditional food with family and friends. Carlos, Mexico Halloween is a great time of year. You're always going to get your typical cynics, but why let them spoil all the fun? I love watching the scary movies. Our office is so messed up today - ghost, vampires and all sorts are running around. You can't help but smile.Mert, Glossop Halloween may be celebrated, but trick or treat should be banned. It is tantamount to a veiled threat and should not be tolerated.Gillian McNally, London When I was a little kid in Scotland (I'm only 25) we went guising, not trick or treating. We had to do a turn - sing or dance or say poetry - in order to get sweets. We made our lanterns from turnips, and bobbed for apples and ate hanging treacle scones! The point of dressing up on Halloween is to blend in with the evil spirits who are abroad - that's why they have to be scary! Halloween isn't just too commercial, it's too americanised. We have our own Halloween traditions but they're being forgotten in greed and laziness!Ruth, Lancaster, UK I spent three hours last night carving pumpkins. Every year I make sure the window is better than the last. The kids and adults come from all over to see it. I think the reverend needs to lighten up and get himself a carving kit!!Terry, AshingtonPeter H Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 31, 2006 Report Share Posted October 31, 2006 Hi Peter Surely there is no evil involved in Halloween, there certainly isn't in Samhain. It is just a night where we think of/contact our dead loved ones/ancestors. Why would that be evil? Jo - peter VV Tuesday, October 31, 2006 5:31 PM Re: Boo! Is Halloween too scary? Some nice comments from the public at the bottom..... Boo! Is Halloween too scary? By Claire Heald BBC News Magazine The sinister side of Halloween is being exploited, says one leading church figure, when it could celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Can Halloween go cuddly? Halloween, Fright Night, All Hallow's Eve. Call it what you will, but it's supposed to be scary... right? Not according to one cleric, who wants people to come away from Halloween's darker side. The Rt Rev David Gillett, the Bishop of Bolton, says the "more horrific" of masks prove too scary for many children. With the Mothers' Union - a Christian parenting group - Bishop Gillett is backing a campaign called Halloween Choice to promote the lighter side of the festival. A time to have fun?"The emphasis has become so evil and scary, I've spoken to children and adults who find it too scary," he says. Bishop Gillett wants a shift away from horror character masks, like Hannibal Lecter, towards the Christian celebration of good over evil. And, he wants an end to the trick or treating-style harassment that brings out extra police patrols and can be a nuisance to some. Costumes could have a brighter side, he says, and home-made outfits would let people set their own fear factor. Shops could stock up on hair braids, bright balloons, face paints and glow tubes, instead of fake blood and evil eyes. "Why not lighter costumes? Brighter colours?" he asks. "Face masks that people could paint themselves in a way that sets their own level of spookiness? "It's not to do with the occult, or asking supermarkets to stop what they are doing. It's saying when children are in a supermarket and asking 'Get me something for a Halloween outfit', they can buy something other than the horrific choices. Creepy cash Party-wise, churches have begun to organise alternative events for children around Halloween - parties with songs, games, quizzes and stories. But Halloween's creepy roots stretch way back, to the Celtic feast of Samhain as well as All Hallow's Eve, and in the last few years, selling scariness has been highly lucrative for supermarkets. Is cute Halloween the way forward?UK spending on Halloween will top £120m this year, says Bryan Roberts from industry analysts Planet Retail. This compares with £12m five years ago. The pumpkin market alone is worth £25m. It is the third most profitable seasonal push in supermarkets after Christmas and Easter, with whole aisles turned over to pumpkin costumes, witches hats and the like. The make-you-jump thrill is, surely, part of the attraction. Would children trade all this dressing up and trick or treating for a "nice" Halloween? Or too much commercialism?At outlets like Angels Fancy Dress, in London, it is standing room only at peak shopping time as workers take their lunch not with a knife and fork but complete with a devil's trident. But Halloween is not all about "hell and horror", says owner Emma Angel. The choice, to which Bishop Gillett refers, exists already. Alongside its vampire teeth, scream-style masks and sinister clown outfits, Angels has sold Ghostbusters gear, banana costumes, "mad" doctor's scrubs, and, for children, a pink candy witch. Hardly spine-chilling. We are already in touch with Halloween's brighter side, she says. "It's just a great fun time of year for people to dress up, adults and children. Ghostbusters outfits are fun, not evil. "People don't come in and say, 'I want to be Satan in disguise' or 'I really want to scare people'. They just want to put a pair of vampire's teeth in a funny way." Add your comments on this story, using the form below. Halloween is over commercialised, and trick-or-treaters are annoying. It's predominately an American secular celebration of commercial greed, the third largest such event in the western world today. For me, today is the far older celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-ain), which was celebrated by the Celts as new-year, and is also observed as such by many Pagans today. It's not a light celebration, it's about the start of the dark season from now until Beltaine in the spring, sixth months from now. The death of summer and the coming of winter. The reverend seems to miss this point, he also seems not to understand that light and dark are a natural balance and have nothing to do with evil and good. Faye, Leeds, UK Halloween is supposed to be scary. Some of my best memories as a child are of when I was scared. They can have their fluffy bunnies at Easter, and their cutesy reindeers at Christmas. But let's keep Halloween as it's meant to be and scare the bejeezus out of them. It's fun.Julian Burrett, Gloucester Halloween has been banned in our house. Trick or treaters scare the wits out of my daughter. I don't see the fun side of witches. My hometown in Zimbabwe has had bad experiences with witches/witchcraft. I don't see the fun side. We all have our limits, and some things are just not fun, no matter how they are dressed up.A. Booyse, Stevenage Halloween's supposed to be scary. The pagans (and many others) believe it's the night of the year when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is at its thinnest, and the souls of the dead walk the earth. It was never supposed to be fluffy, warm and cuddly!Michelle, London Halloween is now just another event in the retailers' calendar. Shops are making a fortune from the consumers and somehow persuading them that they really DO need to spend £20 per family member on a mass-produced costume? Why do we need 'Happy Halloween' cards? Dressing up as a ghost can be traced back to the origins of Halloween, but sending a card? Rampant commercialism! Alan, Glasgow I don't answer my door on Halloween, I don't agree with trick or treating - it's tantamount to begging and I will not have that on my doorstep.Emma, Newbury I love all the scary stuff - and, hey, it only comes once a year. I do notice now though the lack of scary films associated with the time of year. I miss the previous Halloween nights where I watched horror after horrorAdrienne, Oxford The best costumes are the ones that we create ourselves. Face painting encourages children to be creative and also gives them something unique that no other child would have. We should be encouraging this - it is a lot cheaper and a lot more fun!Anand, Fareham I am a British person now living in the USA, and here Halloween is a fun night where the kids dress up and go trick-or-treating around the neighbourhood. Every house will give a small piece of candy, so just treats, no tricks. Yes, is has become commercialised here, but I would not miss the looks on my kids' faces and seeing the fun costumes from all the other kids. Lighten up. Happy Halloween!Justine, Boston, USA Here in Mexico there is a similar tradition called Dia de Muertos (The Day of the Dead), which is a mixture between Christian traditions and ancestral Aztecs traditions. It is celebrated the 1st and 2nd of November. The problem is that each year is more mixed with the Halloween celebration, but I suppose it's just a natural evolution. The original belief is that the dead return to visit friends and family so you have to build an altar with their favourite food and drinks. It's also an opportunity to remember them and eat traditional food with family and friends. Carlos, Mexico Halloween is a great time of year. You're always going to get your typical cynics, but why let them spoil all the fun? I love watching the scary movies. Our office is so messed up today - ghost, vampires and all sorts are running around. You can't help but smile.Mert, Glossop Halloween may be celebrated, but trick or treat should be banned. It is tantamount to a veiled threat and should not be tolerated.Gillian McNally, London When I was a little kid in Scotland (I'm only 25) we went guising, not trick or treating. We had to do a turn - sing or dance or say poetry - in order to get sweets. We made our lanterns from turnips, and bobbed for apples and ate hanging treacle scones! The point of dressing up on Halloween is to blend in with the evil spirits who are abroad - that's why they have to be scary! Halloween isn't just too commercial, it's too americanised. We have our own Halloween traditions but they're being forgotten in greed and laziness!Ruth, Lancaster, UK I spent three hours last night carving pumpkins. Every year I make sure the window is better than the last. The kids and adults come from all over to see it. I think the reverend needs to lighten up and get himself a carving kit!!Terry, Ashington Peter H Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 Hi Jo >Surely there is no evil involved in Halloween, there certainly isn't in Samhain. It is just a night where we think > of/contact our dead loved ones/ancestors. Why would that be evil? Ah - that's down to the church. They don't like the idea of people being able to commune with those who have passed on, so they twisted the nice concept of sharing a meal with dead loved ones into a festival of ghosts and ghouls in order to frighten people away from the idea. Then it got commercialised, and the church got stuck with a festival designed to frighten people! Can't personally say I find it particularly frightening, anyway. I find it quite nice being able to walk down the street and see people wearing spooky outfits without worrying that they're nutters! BB Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 Hi Peter Very true. This year in our local village there were about five groups of kids dressed as witches and monsters, and skeletons. It looked like fun. As you know, we never get anyone call on Halloween as we are too far out. BBJo - Peter Kebbell Wednesday, November 01, 2006 3:51 PM Re: Boo! Is Halloween too scary? Hi Jo >Surely there is no evil involved in Halloween, there certainly isn't in Samhain. It is just a night where we think > of/contact our dead loved ones/ancestors. Why would that be evil? Ah - that's down to the church. They don't like the idea of people being able to commune with those who have passed on, so they twisted the nice concept of sharing a meal with dead loved ones into a festival of ghosts and ghouls in order to frighten people away from the idea. Then it got commercialised, and the church got stuck with a festival designed to frighten people! Can't personally say I find it particularly frightening, anyway. I find it quite nice being able to walk down the street and see people wearing spooky outfits without worrying that they're nutters! BB Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 i've noticed here that: a. kids start earlier and earlier b. not as many kids in the city as in the burbs i guess its a safety thing... when i was a wee fraggle...it just wasn't done to go trick er treating before the sun goes down... now..i'll be going home from work and see scads of kids in costumes going door to door hmmm..is anyone even home yet??? there was a large haunted house set up about three doors down from us yesterday...lotsa people lined up to get in saw it as was heading out fer the night... jo Nov 1, 2006 10:04 AM Re: Boo! Is Halloween too scary? Hi Peter Very true. This year in our local village there were about five groups of kids dressed as witches and monsters, and skeletons. It looked like fun. As you know, we never get anyone call on Halloween as we are too far out. BBJo As nightfall does not come at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there's a twilight where everything remains seemingly unchanged, and it is in such twilight that we must be aware of change in the air, however slight, lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness. William O. Douglas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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