If you've been reading my site for any amount of time you might call me a little conceited. But I reject that idea. Instead, I propose that I'm more a fanciful blend of obnoxiousness and narcissism. I like to define myself that way for two reasons: A) using big words makes me look cultured and introspective and 2) there might be one or two of you out there who have to look up "narcissism", again pointing out my superior use of the English language. So like I said, I'm not conceited. At all. All that has nothing to do with anything, I'm just saying...October is Halloween Month at Stacy From Louisville!!!!
(cue giddy girly clapping and screaming) (And yes, that's me last Halloween. I went as a character I made up called, "Family Embarrassment".)
Could we let October pass without acknowledging this ridiculous holiday? Absolutely not. There is so much we could discuss, but I need your help. Leave your suggestions here. Let's get crazy with Halloween!
(For those of you who might want to burn me at the stake for celebrating Halloween please be sure to indicate your disdain for me at stuffchristianslike.blogspot.com.)
I think this website sums it up pretty nicely...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.av1611.org/halloween.html.
They also have some wonderfully compassionate, understanding articles on Santa Claus, Christian rock music, and Joel Osteen. I think this Terry Watkins fellow must be one of the most well-liked people in his community.
In actuality, I love Halloween. I wasn't raised in a Christian home, so I never understood why some kids weren't allowed to celebrate it. I still don't. My kid's going as a skunk this year. (It can't possibly be more embarassing or scarring for her than the time I dressed her in a onesie that said "dingo bait" and took a picture of her sitting in a dog food bowl at WalMart. I have never before or since gotten such amazing looks from salespeople.) I think that as long as you don't dress like something evil or repulsive, and you don't intend to harm anyone or their property (a little tp never hurt anyone), it's cool. If you wanna dress like Tinkerbell (or Family Embarassment or Michael Stipe) and eat two pounds of candy in one sitting, all I ask is that you brush your teeth before going to bed. I'm not paying that dentist bill.
Other topics: 1) Was "corning" people's houses and cars a strictly Western PA thing? 2) Those haunted houses that end with terrifying-in-theory-but-horribly-executed (no pun intended) scenes of hell with people screaming, "If only I had listened to Pastor Randy and accepted Jesus, my hair wouldn't be on fire, and hell-hounds wouln't be eating my entrails!!!"
my best costumes?
ReplyDelete"secular": a Rubics Cube in college
"biblical": The Red "C"......
I love halloween, too. I like the parties and seeing everybody's creative costumes. I think this year I'm going as the "Yellow Dello" from homestarrunner.com. If you've ever seen the cartoon, then you'll understand when I say I gotta to work on getting my legs in shape for this costume. I may be thin, but I've let myself go on the exercising... :(
ReplyDeleteOh, and Miss Hannah, you've opened one of my pandora's boxes with that tract link. I think it's funny how some people think that our Americanized version of halloween is so evil, yet the origins of Christmas isn't.
http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content_type=Minisite_Generic&content_type_id=1252&display_order=1&mini_id=1290
That's the history channel's article on the origin of Christmas. It's really interesting. I'm not mad or trying to be a butthead or anything, I just think it's funny(in a dry sense of humor kind of way) :D
When I was 8 mos. pregnant with my 3rd baby, my husband and I dressed in garbage bags for Halloween. Mine said "I'm HEFTY" and his said "I'm GLAD" using the Hefty & Glad logos on our signs.
ReplyDeleteOf course, this only works if one is very-pregnant or is VERY, VERY secure about her 'heftiness' ;)
How about the time I was trick-or-treating with my pillowcase full of candy that also contained my raw eggs to throw at just the right time. I forgot for just a moment that these eggs were in the pillowcase as I drug it along the pavement walking up the hill. Instead of throwing eggs that evening, I ended up washing raw egg off of every single piece of my candy.
ReplyDeleteOh, how about stealing pumpkins off of people's porches and running as fast as you can with them down the middle of the street.
The best part of halloween is the extraordinary lengths we go to so that we can still give out (or get) candy without calling it Halloween
ReplyDeleteAh, All Hallows Eve. How I can't wait. Fall really probably is the best season, isn't it? Well, that or Spring. Anything but winter. No one likes Winter.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to read Halloween posts, but may retaliate if you choose to offend such a great holiday. Just giving you fair warning. :)
Please tell me you will address "Hell Houses." In my mind, that has to be one of the most bizarre Christian responses to Halloween.
ReplyDeleteEven though I grew up in a Christian home, I didn't even realize Halloween was taboo until I was in junior high and my church had a "Harvest Festival" or whatever alternative Halloween party name they chose (if it has silly games that revolve around bean bags, donuts and string, apples and buckets of water, and boxes of gross things in which you stick your hand -- it is still a Halloween party, no matter how you dress it up. Especially if you dress it up in a silly costume).
Halloween was an excuse to dress like a fairy princess (or a fairy ballerina, or a fairy fairy) and get candy. Lots of candy. Not that anyone would see my fairy princess costume that my mother labored months to create because of the required winter coat (I've grown accustomed to assuming that the first below freezing night of the season is October 31st).
Dress up now while you can still embarrass your children. Mine are grown and have gone on to embarrass their own - so no fun for me.....
ReplyDeleteI came from a home with Christian parents and we had a lot of fun during Halloween. My husband's mother refers to it as "Satan's Holiday." Imagine the mixed messages for our kids....
ReplyDeleteWhat about the people who dress up their animals for Halloween? I've seen this to be a growing trend. While I appreciate the cuteness and all, I am NOT stocking up on Milkbones to give away along side the candy.
Also, do you give candy out to people over the age of...13....18....35? Who don't even bother to wear a costume?
Did anyone else have one neighbor who always gave out the awesome full-sized candy bars, while another neighbor always gave out apples?
What about the creepy rumors that would always go around the playground in October about blue-eyed blond children being killed on Halloween. Was that just an Indiana thing?
Burning questions that need to be answered, Stacy!
Oh. My.
ReplyDeletehahahaha.. that picture.. is hilarious!!! all i can say is i feel for your kids....
ReplyDeleteI too love Halloween and excited for Halloween costumes and parties.
ReplyDeleteda mouse, I don't think you're being a jerk. In fact, you supplying the truth behind our Christianized pagan holiday probably had a far less jerky motive than my mockery of ridiculous "ministries."
ReplyDeletekari, I was hoping to be ridiculously, fatly, 8 1/2 months pregnant last year, but my daughter came three weeks early (which was just as well because Andre the Giant had called and said he wanted his feet back). The reason for my wish? The best obviously-pregnant couple Halloween costume idea I have ever heard of: A nun and a priest. So irreverant. So hilarious. We are hoping to find out soon that we're pregnant with baby number two. If we do, I think we might break the news to our family and friends by dressing up as Juno McGuff and Paulie Bleeker this year.