Halloween Rant

[sophia jane]

Okay so I'm living in a new town, and it's a small town, I admit it. And yes I'm in the middle of the Bible belt again. But for fuck's sake...

We bought costumes for the kids (my oldest is going as the devil- lol) and were all ready for trick or treating on Monday night, only to hear that very few people actually trick or treat in this town. It's a safe town, no reason for poison worries or whatever. It's that the churches do big functions instead, so people just don't go door to door.
Which would be fine. Except the biggest Halloween thing sponsored by area churches advertises that it's for 3-12 year olds (I have a two year old with an adorable fairy costume!) and they shouldn't be wearing "scary or evil" costumes.

WTF????

So I'm not sure what to do. The kids are all psyched for trick or treating. Do I have my oldest get a new costume and go to this thing? Do we try to trick or treat anyway? Obviously we didn't realize all this was going to be a difficulty when we bought the costumes.

Thoughts?

 

[cloudy]

Okay so I'm living in a new town, and it's a small town, I admit it. And yes I'm in the middle of the Bible belt again. But for fuck's sake...

We bought costumes for the kids (my oldest is going as the devil- lol) and were all ready for trick or treating on Monday night, only to hear that very few people actually trick or treat in this town. It's a safe town, no reason for poison worries or whatever. It's that the churches do big functions instead, so people just don't go door to door.
Which would be fine. Except the biggest Halloween thing sponsored by area churches advertises that it's for 3-12 year olds (I have a two year old with an adorable fairy costume!) and they shouldn't be wearing "scary or evil" costumes.

WTF????

So I'm not sure what to do. The kids are all psyched for trick or treating. Do I have my oldest get a new costume and go to this thing? Do we try to trick or treat anyway? Obviously we didn't realize all this was going to be a difficulty when we bought the costumes.

Thoughts?

Are you sure you didn't move to Alabama?

The Walmart here does trick-or-treating in each dept., as well as the stores in the outlet mall, the fire dept., the police dept., etc. Check around to see what your options are.

Good luck.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Okay so I'm living in a new town, and it's a small town, I admit it. And yes I'm in the middle of the Bible belt again. But for fuck's sake...

We bought costumes for the kids (my oldest is going as the devil- lol) and were all ready for trick or treating on Monday night, only to hear that very few people actually trick or treat in this town. It's a safe town, no reason for poison worries or whatever. It's that the churches do big functions instead, so people just don't go door to door.
Which would be fine. Except the biggest Halloween thing sponsored by area churches advertises that it's for 3-12 year olds (I have a two year old with an adorable fairy costume!) and they shouldn't be wearing "scary or evil" costumes.

WTF????

So I'm not sure what to do. The kids are all psyched for trick or treating. Do I have my oldest get a new costume and go to this thing? Do we try to trick or treat anyway? Obviously we didn't realize all this was going to be a difficulty when we bought the costumes.

Thoughts?

Fuck em, go scare the Christians and take your daughter anyway, they won't ask for ID...keep the phone with you in case you need me.

Tell them that the devil is gay too.

 

[dr_mabeuse]

Thoughts?

Yeah. Move.

No, really, I don't know what I'd do. I'm not Christian, so fuck the churches. I guess dressing your kids up as Jesus Christ and Mary Magedalene is out. Those people don't have much of a sense of humor.

Maybe you should dress them up as little televangelists? Now that's scary!

I sympathize, love. Those people scare the hell out of me.

--Zoot

 

[entitled]

i'm with cloudy. Check the local stores (both Fred's and WalMart have trick or treating here), various public offices, etc. Write a letter to the editor of the local paper asking that things like this be advertised well in advance next year - especially the nitpicky things like 'no children under three' so that plans can be made.

You might also want to check other small towns and such in the area. Often there are hay rides and trick or treat get-togethers in smaller towns that are more open than other places.

 

[eric shawn listo]

Geez, hon, you can't catch a break, can you.

Just go around any way. If they don't get treats let 'em perform tricks.

 

[Guest]

You would be much happier in San Francisco. There, EVERYBODY goes out in costume. And not just for Halloween, but much of the last two weeks of October.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

A church setting guidelines for Halloween is redundant and hypocritical. They have a man dying from one of the worst kinds of death as their main symbol.

 

[hugo_sam]

Are you sure you didn't move to Alabama?

The Walmart here does trick-or-treating in each dept., as well as the stores in the outlet mall, the fire dept., the police dept., etc. Check around to see what your options are.

Good luck.

Good advice Cloudy. except....
As a side note, no one in their 'right mind' would want to move here. I know you don't want to be here and I sure as hell don't. SJ seems a nice person, I would not wish that on anyone!!!!!

 

[Stella_Omega]

I made it through one year in a small town in Georgia, and two more years in a small town in PA. I am willing to bear the enormous monetary cost of big-city life, for ever and ever, in order to have my choices of people to know and things to do.
And for keeping the tyranny of churches away from me and mine.

 

[English Lady]

SJ - see if anyone does do trick and treating, ask friends, family, friends of family and just take your kids round people you've asked before hand, so you know you're not going to get into any nasty confrontations on the doorstep.

I don't like halloween, it's a personal thing I know, but I don't. I think it's good the church is doing something fun on halloween for the kids that involves dressing up and party food but doesn't have the horror/violence thing blended in.

Abs -yup Jesus was crucified, it was awful, bloody and violent and a cross is a symbol of that. It is to show the love of our God, not a glorification of the act itself.

I choose love over violence, horror and terror anyday.

thats just the point of view of a crazy Christian type.

 

[impressive]

The schools 'round here banned the "evil" or "violent" costumes a few years back. Even super heroes are frowned upon as glorifying violence.

Trick-or-treating with a child who uses a wheelchair is not fun. Curbs and stoops and porch stairs ... all obstacles. However, we did it year after year. One year, a woman actually closed her door & turned off her porch light when she saw us coming -- rather than greet my son and give him a piece of candy. After we'd passed, she opened up shop again. My younger two kids were just astonished.

A neighbor's child who was a little ways behind us, bless her ornery little heart, just marched right on past that house. When the woman called to her, she shouted, "I don't want your candy. I'm afraid it'll make me mean like you."

Small towns can suck big time.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

A neighbor's child who was a little ways behind us, bless her ornery little heart, just marched right on past that house. When the woman called to her, she shouted, "I don't want your candy. I'm afraid it'll make me mean like you."Give that little angel a candy bar from me.

Abs -yup Jesus was crucified, it was awful, bloody and violent and a cross is a symbol of that. It is to show the love of our God, not a glorification of the act itself.I understand what you mean, but look at the martyrs and saints being the picture of torment....God is love, not pain. I see Jesus as someone I would hang with, someone who was tolerant and loving....like in Dogma, the church needs to change things.....we need a Buddy Christ to remind us, not a barbaric display of man's stupidity.

 

[Stella_Omega]

The schools 'round here banned the "evil" or "violent" costumes a few years back. Even super heroes are frowned upon as glorifying violence.

Trick-or-treating with a child who uses a wheelchair is not fun. Curbs and stoops and porch stairs ... all obstacles. However, we did it year after year. One year, a woman actually closed her door & turned off her porch light when she saw us coming -- rather than greet my son and give him a piece of candy. After we'd passed, she opened up shop again. My younger two kids were just astonished.

A neighbor's child who was a little ways behind us, bless her ornery little heart, just marched right on past that house. When the woman called to her, she shouted, "I don't want your candy. I'm afraid it'll make me mean like you."

Small towns can suck big time.

Oh, what a wonderful little kid!
One of my daughter's dearest friends was paralysed this year, on Memorial day. One wave hit him the wrong way, and he is in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Goddamn it's incredible.
He's going to be a Roman Chariot...

 

[English Lady]

Abs -I understand. the Cross isn't our only symbol, look for the fish, the dove, a flame, bread and wine etc etc. It's just kinda a major point...even the mans stupidity bit*laughs* which i think is why it is such a central symbol

/threadjack!

Sorry SJ!

 

[TxRad]

SJ

Check with the local volenteer fire department... they usually have something going on... hayrides, spook house, or something.... If it's any good it's usually the hub of the community...








edited twice because i'm typeing like Colleen.....

 

[entitled]

Oh, what a wonderful little kid!
One of my daughter's dearest friends was paralysed this year, on Memorial day. One wave hit him the wrong way, and he is in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Goddamn it's incredible.
He's going to be a Roman Chariot...

i like your daughter's friend.

 

[Stella_Omega]

i like your daughter's friend.

I saw him as a future husband- before Dd said "NO mom, he wants to take CARE of me all the TIME!" She's kind of butch too...
Coming to grips with the changes he now has to endure- he was an opera student, and we don't know if his diaphragm will recover its original strength. He's never had sex, and now he has no feeling below the waist... This is the guy who used to run ahead so he could open doors- not only for women, but for his father, too. He was the taker-care-of-er. He and his buddy were going to buy an old hotrod and rebuild it this summer, or maybe a Stanley Steamer.

 

[entitled]

I saw him as a future husband- before Dd said "NO mom, he wants to take CARE of me all the TIME!" She's kind of butch too...

Imagine that...

Coming to grips with the changes he now has to endure- he was an opera student, and we don't know if his diaphragm will recover its original strength. He's never had sex, and now he has no feeling below the waist... This is the guy who used to run ahead so he could open doors- not only for women, but for his father, too. He was the taker-care-of-er. He and his buddy were going to buy an old hotrod and rebuild it this summer, or maybe a Stanley Steamer.

Having to deal with things like that are rough. You can't understand them unless you've been through something similar. There's still so much he can do, though.

If he's still interested in opera, and if it doesn't hurt too much to be around it, there are always the technical aspects. Writing, directing, makeup and costume artists, lights and sound (in some theatres), all sorts of stuff.

There's also very little that would stand in the way of his helping to rebuild a car. He would just need a workbench at the right height and a little more patience with it. Most of the work can be done outside the frame. When it comes to the rest he should be able to do quite a bit of that as well. He'll just have to be underneath the car itself and working from that angle.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

they shouldn't be wearing "scary or evil" costumes.

On the contrary, they SHOULD wear scary AND evil costumes!!! The whole point of dressing up for Halloween is to disguise yourself as something vicious and dangerous, so the real monsters will think you're one of them, but even worse, and leave you alone.

Those religious goody-two-shoes in their angel suits and Cpt America outfits won't stand a chance against the ghouls.

Protect your kids, dress them up as devil and she-devil!!!

 

[Svenskaflicka]

A church setting guidelines for Halloween is redundant and hypocritical. They have a man dying from one of the worst kinds of death as their main symbol.

Now, THAT's an idea! She could glue nails to the kids' hands, paint blood on them, wrap them in loin cloths, and march them down the street dragging huge fucking crosses!

It's scary as hell, but what are the christians gonna do?

 

[MissBri]

 

[CrimsonMaiden]

If they are like the churches here, they don't let you in or make you take off the costume if you are wearing a scary one. I went to my parents' church thing last year and took the kids and an older kid came in with a scary mask and they made him take it off before they'd let him in.

I'm not sure how much actual trick or treating is done around here anymore. I never have any kids come to our door. Area churches all have a "Fall Festival" or "Hallelujah Night". Our mall also does trick or treating on Halloween night.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Now, THAT's an idea! She could glue nails to the kids' hands, paint blood on them, wrap them in loin cloths, and march them down the street dragging huge fucking crosses!

It's scary as hell, but what are the christians gonna do?

I love you.

 

[MissBri]