Can we please do something about all these holidays?

What does your family do for Halloween?  I know some folks who consider it Samhain, and don’t celebrate the traditional route of costumes and candy, but rather acknowledge and give thanks for the harvest.  I know some folks that are fiercely evangelical Christian that won’t even consider it a special day.  I also know a lot of people that do the costumes, decorate the house, hand out candy, and really get into it.  One of my best friends has a pretty complicated situation.  She has three kids from her first marriage, and they don’t acknowledge Halloween at all.  Her husband has three kids from his first marriage, and they do the works.  They have a baby together, and he has already told her that when the baby’s big enough, she’s going to do Halloween.  What would you do?  I think I would try to find some middle ground.  No trick-or-treating and maybe dressing up as things that are not ghosts and goblins, with music, popcorn, and movies.

 

I know I would dress Knitbaby up if he were old enough and take him trick-or-treating because I just don’t see a great deal of harm in it.  I don’t agree with dressing up like devils, angels, or Bible characters, though, because we are taught to have no graven images.  I think dressing up like a firefighter or superhero is pretty harmless.

 

My old church has a party on Halloween night with Christian rock music, food, and dressing up like Bible characters.  I don’t really know how I feel about that.  I mean, It doesn’t really explain to kids the reasoning that Halloween is bad, it just replaces one activity for another, and still celebrates the day.  Seems like it could be hypocritical, if one is not careful.

 

So, where do you stand?  Judgment free zone here, just asking because I’m curious.

On Getting Together with Friends.

I can’t really claim to be a person who has very many friendships, but I often want to be friends with people I meet.  Given my background I feel an almost obsessive need for people to like me.  My dad’s a minister for the Wesleyan church, and if there’s a church that needs a new minister the district will contact anyone that might be a good fit, then that person has to “make a bid” for the church.  They have to show up one Sunday, preach a sermon, and stay to meet the board members.  If the board likes you best, you get the job.  Well, let me tell you, it’s not just about being a good minister.  My parents were offered one church only on the condition that they wear no jewelry, including wedding rings.  My parents had three young children at the time, and needed the money, so off came the wedding rings.  They are still in my mom’s dresser, tied together on a white ribbon.  Another church told my dad they wouldn’t be hiring him because he wore a beard and a colored tie.  Oh, yeah.  You can’t make this stuff up.  So obviously, when it comes to meeting new people I don’t really know how to be myself.  Do I really laugh as loud as I want to?  Should I crack that joke?  Are my clothes modest enough?  Trendy enough?  Am I rich enough?  Poor enough? 

I have started hanging out with some people I met on Ravelry.  We meet on Mondays, get drinks and knit for awhile.  I decided this time around to just be myself.  If it works, that’s great.  I hope it does.  I really like these girls.

PCP (Pretty Cool Podcast) of the moment: Brown Eyed Mom.

She is totally down-to-earth, and we share a lot of similar values.  It’s also very interesting to hear from someone on the other side of the country!  I hope she keeps up this great podcast.