Don't worry Christina. I think it sounded fine. Thank you for articulating exactly why I don't celebrate anymore. And for the advice. I was once pagan and into witchcraft. I also dabbled in occult practices (on my own mostly). Yes, it is a very important holiday for pagans.
I come from a “cradle” Orthodox background, and my parents are from Brazil, where until about 20 years ago, Halloween wasn’t ever mentioned or celebrated. During my childhood the closet things I did for “celebrating” Halloween wasn’t dressing up for school (Catholic) and getting to pass out candy to the trick or treaters. There was a part of me that felt left out having never gone trick or treating. Overall my experience with it was “innocent”. The only “scary” movie I was allowed to watch was ET because my parents like that movie. As I got older I didn’t dress up anymore and some years if we had some candy sitting around I would give it out. I never went to or was invited to a Halloween party, sexy or not. Most of my peers at church (a Russian one) did stuff and dressed up. I would feel confused because the church would tell us not to celebrate it but then many of my peers (both Russians and not) and their families did. I totally agree that Halloween has started earlier, gotten scarier, and more sexy for kids. I can’t wait for it be over. I don’t like people (Orthodox and not) who make it their personalities. I know an orthodox person who named their kid after Sabrina the teenage witch. And not from the 90s show version, but the Netflix one. I can’t stand too watch or be around much horror. My husband is a convert and grew up celebrating Halloween since he was baby, but his family is conservative Protestant and with time they stopped celebrating. We don’t have kids yet, but we plan not to “celebrate” it either. Maybe an innocent costume at school, but that might be the extent of it. Many schools don’t do much for Halloween from what I understand. When I worked as a preschool teacher we had a Halloween party and it was done “well” and not scary at all. Whenever I visit family and friends in Brazil, they ALWAYS ask about Halloween.They ask if it’s celebrated like they see in movies and tv shows. It’s a “holiday” there now, Halloween parties (mostly for adults and in English classes at school), and even trick or treating is slowly becoming a thing. Looking back I’m glad I never fully “celebrated” and that my parents were strict about what I watched; I know kids in 1st grade who have seen R rated horror films!
I was with some Greeks visiting form Greece yesterday and they started asking me about Halloween right away. They did not understand anything about it, but they also mentioned it is starting to show up in Greece as well. I guess American culture has been spreading through the world for some time. Yes, the poor children now are exposed to so much disturbing images. Even if they aren't watching R rated horror movies, many know about them. God help them. Thanks so much for sharing your perspective.
We didn't celebrate Halloween last year because I started feeling convicted about it, and that was prior to our conversion to Orthodoxy. It is still something I struggle with though, because so many Christians say it's not a big deal and it's so ingrained into our American culture. This video helped clarify and point out reasons why I don't think our family should participate in Halloween anymore, thank you so much.
Thanks so much so listening and commenting. It is an encouragement to me too. It is hard to go against the grain, but there is a lot of freedom and joy in it too! God bless you!
A really common reason Christians give for celebrating I've seen is that it was originally a Christian holiday. Whether that is true I don't know, but growing up secular/atheist I never got even the slightest hint that it was a christian holiday. It always seemed to be a celebration of death/darkness/horror/fornication. Growing up in the late 90s early 2000s, I would actually watch the more greusome movies with my family, even as a very small child. Movies like Saw and Hostel. I remember feeling disturbed by it, even physically shaking and shivering, but it was just considered normal so I would ignore how I felt and continue watching. In the Secular/non christian world that was pretty standard, my husband had the same experience. And I remember seeing the 'sexy' adult costumes as a little girl, and aspiring to it and trying to replicate it as best I could, even as young as 7 years old. Perhaps people think they can celebrate it in an innocent way, and I can sympathize with that. But because of what I experienced growing up, and all the things I know are going on that day, I don't want to participate. Like you said too, it is a big day for those in the occult, and the spiritual reality of that and all the ways people unknowingly contribute to that spiritual reality is real. It is scary to imagine too that things are probably even worse now than they were when I was growing up.
Yes, I should have thought of the reason about it being connected to Christianity. I guess when I hear that, I sort of correct it in my mind, that it is connected to Catholicism and by extension Protestantism. I haven't ever heard of it being connected to Orthodoxy. It never felt Christian to me either growing up culturally protestant. I think even a lot of Christian are into horror. Maybe because we are desensitized, we allow the children to see it, idk. Horror movies have all been very upsetting to me. As a child if I saw something scary I had trouble sleeping. I even had a pretty irrational fear of the dark into my late teens. The sexy costume thing... little girls aspire to be the "beautiful" ladies they see in the media all around them. No wonder they are more sexualized at a younger age, we told them being sexy was beautiful. I think you are right. There are a lot of good meaning parents who are trying to celebrate Halloween in an innocent way and I too sympathize with that.
@OrthodoxFamilyLife surprisingly, I have heard a lot of Orthodox say that because it originated in Catholocism, it is Christian, and therefore fine. They feel like they are reclaiming it. That's funny you mentioned an irrational fear of the dark, I had this to some level too. I think pagan cultures have always done their equivalent of horror movies too, with their stories of fairies and spirits and things that would take children and lure people to destruction, etc. Particularly in the night. It makes sense, with night time being symbolic of death, that those without a deep abiding faith that God has conquered death along with all those malevolent beings that lurk therein, that they would be very scared of the darkness. This can lead to a pathological preoccupation with the things of darkness, as a maladaptive way of trying to come to terms with it or feel some feeling of control over it... That is so interesting the idea of conflating 'sexy' and beautiful. This is so ingrained in our culture. I don't think I had even properly separated these things myself at a deeper level. It's only natural for girls to want to be beautiful, which should ideally lead to a desire to be internally beautiful. The issue is that we conflate selatious sexiness as beauty is the real problem
Sorry for the terrible audio quality. I have a new set up that I am still learning. I will try to fix it after Halloween and repost for next year.
Don't worry Christina. I think it sounded fine. Thank you for articulating exactly why I don't celebrate anymore. And for the advice. I was once pagan and into witchcraft. I also dabbled in occult practices (on my own mostly). Yes, it is a very important holiday for pagans.
@@TatianaF-c2l thanks for sharing that Tati, it is so important for people to hear from those who really know. Thanks also for all your support!
I come from a “cradle” Orthodox background, and my parents are from Brazil, where until about 20 years ago, Halloween wasn’t ever mentioned or celebrated. During my childhood the closet things I did for “celebrating” Halloween wasn’t dressing up for school (Catholic) and getting to pass out candy to the trick or treaters. There was a part of me that felt left out having never gone trick or treating. Overall my experience with it was “innocent”. The only “scary” movie I was allowed to watch was ET because my parents like that movie.
As I got older I didn’t dress up anymore and some years if we had some candy sitting around I would give it out.
I never went to or was invited to a Halloween party, sexy or not. Most of my peers at church (a Russian one) did stuff and dressed up. I would feel confused because the church would tell us not to celebrate it but then many of my peers (both Russians and not) and their families did.
I totally agree that Halloween has started earlier, gotten scarier, and more sexy for kids. I can’t wait for it be over. I don’t like people (Orthodox and not) who make it their personalities. I know an orthodox person who named their kid after Sabrina the teenage witch. And not from the 90s show version, but the Netflix one. I can’t stand too watch or be around much horror.
My husband is a convert and grew up celebrating Halloween since he was baby, but his family is conservative Protestant and with time they stopped celebrating. We don’t have kids yet, but we plan not to “celebrate” it either. Maybe an innocent costume at school, but that might be the extent of it. Many schools don’t do much for Halloween from what I understand. When I worked as a preschool teacher we had a Halloween party and it was done “well” and not scary at all.
Whenever I visit family and friends in Brazil, they ALWAYS ask about Halloween.They ask if it’s celebrated like they see in movies and tv shows. It’s a “holiday” there now, Halloween parties (mostly for adults and in English classes at school), and even trick or treating is slowly becoming a thing.
Looking back I’m glad I never fully “celebrated” and that my parents were strict about what I watched; I know kids in 1st grade who have seen R rated horror films!
I was with some Greeks visiting form Greece yesterday and they started asking me about Halloween right away. They did not understand anything about it, but they also mentioned it is starting to show up in Greece as well. I guess American culture has been spreading through the world for some time.
Yes, the poor children now are exposed to so much disturbing images. Even if they aren't watching R rated horror movies, many know about them. God help them.
Thanks so much for sharing your perspective.
We didn't celebrate Halloween last year because I started feeling convicted about it, and that was prior to our conversion to Orthodoxy. It is still something I struggle with though, because so many Christians say it's not a big deal and it's so ingrained into our American culture. This video helped clarify and point out reasons why I don't think our family should participate in Halloween anymore, thank you so much.
Thanks so much so listening and commenting. It is an encouragement to me too.
It is hard to go against the grain, but there is a lot of freedom and joy in it too! God bless you!
A really common reason Christians give for celebrating I've seen is that it was originally a Christian holiday. Whether that is true I don't know, but growing up secular/atheist I never got even the slightest hint that it was a christian holiday. It always seemed to be a celebration of death/darkness/horror/fornication. Growing up in the late 90s early 2000s, I would actually watch the more greusome movies with my family, even as a very small child. Movies like Saw and Hostel. I remember feeling disturbed by it, even physically shaking and shivering, but it was just considered normal so I would ignore how I felt and continue watching. In the Secular/non christian world that was pretty standard, my husband had the same experience.
And I remember seeing the 'sexy' adult costumes as a little girl, and aspiring to it and trying to replicate it as best I could, even as young as 7 years old. Perhaps people think they can celebrate it in an innocent way, and I can sympathize with that. But because of what I experienced growing up, and all the things I know are going on that day, I don't want to participate. Like you said too, it is a big day for those in the occult, and the spiritual reality of that and all the ways people unknowingly contribute to that spiritual reality is real. It is scary to imagine too that things are probably even worse now than they were when I was growing up.
Yes, I should have thought of the reason about it being connected to Christianity. I guess when I hear that, I sort of correct it in my mind, that it is connected to Catholicism and by extension Protestantism. I haven't ever heard of it being connected to Orthodoxy. It never felt Christian to me either growing up culturally protestant.
I think even a lot of Christian are into horror. Maybe because we are desensitized, we allow the children to see it, idk. Horror movies have all been very upsetting to me. As a child if I saw something scary I had trouble sleeping. I even had a pretty irrational fear of the dark into my late teens.
The sexy costume thing... little girls aspire to be the "beautiful" ladies they see in the media all around them. No wonder they are more sexualized at a younger age, we told them being sexy was beautiful.
I think you are right. There are a lot of good meaning parents who are trying to celebrate Halloween in an innocent way and I too sympathize with that.
@OrthodoxFamilyLife surprisingly, I have heard a lot of Orthodox say that because it originated in Catholocism, it is Christian, and therefore fine. They feel like they are reclaiming it.
That's funny you mentioned an irrational fear of the dark, I had this to some level too. I think pagan cultures have always done their equivalent of horror movies too, with their stories of fairies and spirits and things that would take children and lure people to destruction, etc. Particularly in the night. It makes sense, with night time being symbolic of death, that those without a deep abiding faith that God has conquered death along with all those malevolent beings that lurk therein, that they would be very scared of the darkness. This can lead to a pathological preoccupation with the things of darkness, as a maladaptive way of trying to come to terms with it or feel some feeling of control over it...
That is so interesting the idea of conflating 'sexy' and beautiful. This is so ingrained in our culture. I don't think I had even properly separated these things myself at a deeper level. It's only natural for girls to want to be beautiful, which should ideally lead to a desire to be internally beautiful. The issue is that we conflate selatious sexiness as beauty is the real problem