Ok, so we don’t “do” Halloween…
Now before you get all stressed out that I am depriving my kids of fun (or candy) I am just a “stick in the mud” or that I am somehow condemning or judging those who do choose to observe Halloween…take a deep breath & RELAX. 🙂
- I really have no opinion on those who observe Halloween in any way they choose (with the exception of doing evil or immoral activities that harm others). Dress up, don’t dress up. Go to a Halloween party or don’t go to a party. Call it a fall festival or Trunk or Treat…I have no comments or judgements at all….really! It is just something that we have chosen to basically ignore as part of our family life.
- Do not worry that my kids feel deprived or like they have missed out on something special. Those that know us well…know that the Lambdin household is one ongoing party and that there are multitudes of opportunities for fun! We dress up many times throughout the year (Daniel has been a cowboy for a month) and in fact we have half of a closet completely devoted to dress up clothes. There is also plenty of good eating going on in this house (too much if you judge it by my waistline) We even watch “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown”.
- I love the fall season – our house is fun & festive with decorations, we eat yummy soups, breads & baked goodies like pies, apple & pumpkin dump cakes, cookies, popcorn balls & more! We go to Apple Hill & the Pumpkin Patch for special family outings. Since a “picture paints a thousand words” – look at the fun – these kids don’t look deprived!
Ok, maybe I am a “stick in the mud” for wanting to pass on the stress, cost, time & work of arranging costumes & schedules (I can see how costuming can be fun I just need my creative juices for other endeavours), the temptation and rules to enforce that come with having WAY too much candy in my home the week after Halloween, fighting the crowds at the church festivals & trying to keep track of my little ones & play games while really wanting to just chat with the adults there, passing out candy to kids with fake blood coming out of their mouths (although I love seeing the cute costumes!) or those who look like they are in their late teens & not even in a costume (or maybe it was a “gang banger” costume)…to name a few of the things I get to avoid by just not participating.
And for those inquiring minds, yes Dan and I do have personal ideological views on Halloween that have been the foundation of why we choose to ignore this particular holiday. (and I am more than willing to share that with you if you are interested) How we observe Halloween is just like most Christians observe religious holidays like Ramadan, Yom Kippur, Vesak or Maha Sivaratri, they simply are not a part of their family life. Or you could compare it to how most Americans do not celebrate other countries national holidays (nor do they even know them for the most part). Halloween is just a another day in our home.
That said…I do feel most people do not know much about Halloween other than the basic – dress up in costumes, trick or treat, or adult Halloween parties. (by the way when did Halloween become such a HUGE adult thing??….back in “the day” it was mostly a kid holiday with a few side adult features…not so much anymore…but I digress)
Halloween, which should be correctly said as “All Hallows Eve” is the night before All Saints Day, an important day to Christian Catholics, when they pray for those who have passed on from this life. (like Christmas Eve is the night before Christmas day, All Hallows Eve is the night before All Saints Day). For Christian Protestants today is Reformation Day. The Reformation began on October 31, 1517, when German monk Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Castle Church door in Wittenberg, Germany. This was one of the most influential events of the past 1,000 years.
Martin Luther made a translation of the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into German. Soon all the countries of Europe followed his example by translating the Scriptures into their languages. For the first time in history, the recently invented printing press made the Word of God available to all the people.
So….
- to my Christian Catholic friends…Blessed All Hallows Eve & All Saints Day!
- to my Christian Protestant friends…Blessed Reformation Day!
- and to all Christians (especially those of us who enjoy living in free countries) may you celebrate with great thanksgiving the fact that the Word of God is in print and as close as your bookshelf, bedroom or computer and that you can read it anytime you choose. Why not take some time to open up that life changing book and do some reading today and everyday?
Inspire Ministries 
For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
WONDERFUL, Beth – thanks for sharing!!
Probably the most moving for me so far is the end of O Holy Night. The progression is awe inspiring! I was listening with the earbuds the first time and it literally took my breath.
Was that George Strait in the family pic? Or handsome hubby? What a beautiful family!!!
Dawn
Hi Beth! Thank you for this wonderful post. Guess what!! We are adoption from Ethiopia! We are so blessed! Just thought I would let you know so you could be praying for our family. Here is our adoption blog… http://www.safelytoarriveathome.blogspot.com
Blessings and keep those post a comin’. I love to read them!
~Cynthia, Jennifer’s big sister
You’re SO right when you say your children aren’t deprived because “it’s always a party at the Lambdin house,” it has certainly always seemed that way, I have always appreciated how you’ve always found a way to take the time to have some good clean fun with the family, even in a day and age that good clean fun is getting hard to find… I KNEW you’d know as much about Halloween as even I did (I was an acolyte of the Lutheran church when I was young, like NOBODY I know knows that it was THE big day in modern Christianity… except you… well, and me, but that’s only ’cause I was an acolyte, I HAD to know 😉 as well as any other “holiday” and have your reasons for choosing if and how and why things were celebrated the way they are celebrated at the Lambdin house, but I enjoyed reading your version of that story in your words, i really enjoyed knowing that there’s someone else out there that KNOWS… I’m sure you had a fun day, I’m so glad you did, loved your post, thanks for sharing… take care, Beth 🙂
Thanks for sharing. My thoughts exactly, but couldn’t have said as well as you did. God Bless ~ Carole