Thursday, October 28, 2010

Thoughtful Thursday--My Thoughts on Halloween

I wasn't sure what to post, but I guess this is as good a topic as any.  After all, we are almost to Halloween, aren't we?  My daughter misses out on her classroom activities tomorrow because she caught my cold from last week, and she still  has a pretty high fever.  She should be better at least by the weekend.

When I was growing up, I always celebrated Halloween.  My earliest recollection is my mom dressing me up as a witch.  When I wanted to do that again, she said it was wrong of her to let me do that, and she wished she hadn't done it the previous year.  I can still remember not feeling comfortable in preschool when they invited 2 witches to our classroom, and I refused to participate in the activities.  I'll never forget that.

Now, as I grew up, things really seemed to change with Halloween.  I'm not saying there were not any ghoulish decor or costumes, but it was much less prevalent than it is today.  And there were not near the decorations nor Halloween specials that there are today.  All there was on TV was "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."  Some of the other TV shows did little innocent celebrations, but it was not anything too offensive.

This year, the Halloween specials have seemed to rule the airwaves.  The Halloween ads seems to get more and more offensive. And I don't take my daughter trick-or-treating because it's not safe.  There are Halloween blow-ups, and some people have entire graveyard scenes in their front yard.  Adults wear racy costumes.  Little kids dress up like the scariest, most foul character possible.  Whatever happened to little kids being little kids rather than idolizing people like Lady GaGa and Lil Wayne?

I understand the origins of Halloween are pagan.  Yes, I get it.  There were a few years I refused to have anything to do with it.  But if I accept some of the pagan traditions of Christmas but don't carry it too far, I can't see the harm.  We have our own limits, and we still have some of the fun of the season.

My daughter is going to be a female pirate this year.  She already got to wear her costume once.

So that's my thought for the week.  So glad the weekend is almost here!

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