Halloween and Paranormal Activity

[KathyW]

Hi Andrea,

That is just how I feel as well, what a great time now eventually for our kids to enjoy and take memories into their adult hood.

Not everything leads to bad, as long as your Christian home life and background keeps them aware and safe. They do not have the fears and anxieties that affects us Adults in everything we do, say or hear.

Yip we also have a Santa up North of the River in Perth, and last year I actually just had tears watching these kiddies and wished that my now teenagers were able to have enjoyed this in their youth days, but at least with them going out and about now, I am still more confident that they will be OK!!

[matman]

MY 2 C...

Love your reply Andrea - hats off to you - just what I wanted to say (although you did it with much more grace....)

Jenny - my kids went trick or treating on Saturday - it was a blast. This is how it works - a letter was sent out to the homes in the neighbourhood saying that if you wished to partake in it please to put a balloon at your front gate, so those who wanted to hand out lollies did and those who didnt, didnt. We all dressed up - even dad - and took to the streets at about 5pm, kids came home with bulging bags, exhausted and happy.

Cant wait for next year.

This is an excellent idea - will remember this for next year - we live on an estate and it was a bit of hit & miss in terms of visiting houses on Sat.

The kids took it all in good fun and did not seem to really care if a person did or did not have lollies - in fact it was part of the fn to see people go scurrying for the lolly or cookie jar.

We even had some people offering money "which we declined" but promised next year to be ready for Halloween. Part of it was educating people on the history of Halloween. many people did however have a lolly and loved the way the kids were dressed up.

Similalry we did come across some houses where they just said "We dont observe Halloween" which was not an issue - we respected their wishes - thanked them and moved on

I like the idea of notficaiton and a balloon outside - will remember that for next year

Rgds

Matman

[cristel]

Hi there !

Im in Geraldton, Regional WA. Im also one of the less conservative people , and because my son bugs me every time we enter a shop with Halloween stuff, I thought ok, lets celebrate it ! Why do the sell it if its not celebrated in Aus ?

I invited my fellow Saner friends, and then oh goodness, was I bombarded by the good Christians with emails !

I also say, lets have fun. Let us all dress up and trick or treat. I didnt say lets kill cats and drink their blood !

I am a christian, and no one holiday is gonna change that. Like you said, the kids dont know about Halloweens past, and they dont care. Just because people was stoned thousands of years ago, Im not banning stones from my yard !

I say do what you please, ignore these Christians with their Holier than thou attitude. You can be a Christian and have fun !

And for God's sake, stop banning everything thats 'foreign' to our way of living, and embrace the change.

Just remember, even Liewe Heksie was labelled satanic by some !

[Serendipity]

I gave up reading after the first few posts . . . way to much for my 9 year old to handle who for her

ITS ALL ABOUT THE SWEETS AND DRESSING UP

Thats all the children see - nothing more, nothing less.

Its the adults that are the ones who turn it on its head.

As for me - ITS ALL ABOUT THIER SMILES!

[Gravy]

Can't believe some of the nonsense being spoken (typed) here. Perhaps some people are just not suited to Aus. Each to their own.

[Taegan]

My only thoughts on reading some of these posts are that some people are going to be having a very long and hard road adapting to Australia with the myriad of cultures here - which have nothing on the so called 'rainbow nation' in SA.

Mind you, saying that - a friend of mine here said that her church she attends (in Oz) were also against Halloween and the entire service the week before was about what to say when the kids arrived at thier door. So if you are of the conservative view, you will still find like minded people if you look for them.

Can you imagine those little kiddies faces when they were expecting to get a sweetie but instead got a barrage of the evils of Halloween

[CandiceM]

Halloween is not a tradtional Aussie holiday. Sure its become more popular in the last couple of years, but I don't think that if you choose not to celebrate it that you will struggle to adapt to Australian life. Personally I choose not to acknowledge Halloween because of my Christain faith, and that should be OK...shouldn't it since we should ALL be respectful and tolerant each others views.

Candice

[EricaC]

Oh dear...here we go again...OK kiddies, each to your naughty corner...

We all have differing opinions, which we are completely entitled to have, we just have to remember that other folks are entitled to theirs as well.

I, for one do not have a problem with halloween, do not have young kids so I do not go trick or treating, however, I always ensure that I have sweets for the kids that knock on my front door. To the kids it is just a fun thing, about the same as going to a fancy dress party, I say let them enjoy themselves.

I do, however, respect the opinions of friends that are against it, that is their choice.

Now I see we have moved from to 'trick or treat' all the way to the ability of English SA's that are unable to speak Afrikaans. Trust Cyberdeth to open another hornet's nest!

Any mud slinging that is now going to start will definitely close this post very quickly!

Have only JUST read this post now!!

Oh, Mara, you did give me a much needed laugh! Too good!!

lol! so agree with you

Erica

[BasinOzson]

Halloween is not a tradtional Aussie holiday. Sure its become more popular in the last couple of years, but I don't think that if you choose not to celebrate it that you will struggle to adapt to Australian life. Personally I choose not to acknowledge Halloween because of my Christain faith, and that should be OK...shouldn't it since we should ALL be respectful and tolerant each others views.

Candice

Ditto Candice

That was what the post was all about. Some of the guys are really disrespectful to people that do not share their sentiments.

If you do not like a post start your own one with your beliefs!!!

Blessings

[The Ferreiras]

HI Basin,

I agree with your sentiments in your last post but I also just want to say that when you start stating that something (like Halloween) is a plot hatched by Satan himself to corrupt our weak willed little minds, etc, then you should expect to have others have their say....... I could say the same re the disrespect from ppl like yourself about a celebration that you know very little about but have plenty to say about (in my humble opinion).

Blessed Be.

[KathyW]

Ag for goodness sakes now, I think this is getting totally out of hand To those that point fingers at others Please remember you have 3 pointing back. I think it would be appreciated especially from my side that the Hosts just delete this topic now, it just seems to confirm in my mind that no wonder some of our Teenagers find it hard to be accepted for who they are at certain Religious institutions.

Shame really......, that we have to get to this point in a Forum that is here to help each other in hard situations.

I have been a member for nearly 3 years now, and just wonder why do certain people join a Forum like this if they have their own point of view on certain things.

I had an e-mail from a friend who joined and could not believe how a certain topic can turn into a Religious issue.

So to those who have said what they had to say, good on you, see you around hopefully when your little one's are teenagers I will certainly like to see your topics then.

[justD]

Ag for goodness sakes now, I think this is getting totally out of hand To those that point fingers at others Please remember you have 3 pointing back.

I really seem to be missing the point here!! It seems to me that the people who are talking about pointing fingers are the ones actually doing the pointing. The OP had an opinion and shared that opinion. He didn't say you were going to burn in hell if you don't share his opinion. He said "If you are one of them, let us know".

The only finger pointing I've seen is from the other side. If you say that the OP should allow you to have your own opinion, please do the same and allow him his opinion without judging him for it!

Personally I don't agree with the OP. I am a Christian, but I don't think there's any harm in Halloween, not even remotely. To the contrary, I think that a lot of these man-made rules puts Christians into unnessasary "bondage" (I hate that word, but it fits here) and puts us in a negative light with the people around us. Purely my own opinion.

So, my point is that I strongly oppose the OP's point of view, but I don't judge him for it, I just choose not to agree with him.

regards,

Dirk

[MelG]

We were not home (in CT) for Halloween this year, but may I tell you my story from last year which I remember like it was yesterday:

My kids (6 & 3) dressed up and we didn't go walking around the neighbourhood. I had bought some treats which the kids got great joy handing out, in their dress-up, to the other dressed up children. I got out the video camera and as I saw what I was filming I was horrified - my kids standing behind the gate, passing treats through the bars to the other children and not being able to reach them or look up and down the street. It broke my heart. I put the camera away, we left our guests to entertain themselves and my husband and I walked our kids around the neighbourhood.

Wow, there were so many children everywhere. I never knew there were so many kids that lived in our streets - which is odd because our area has 3 primary schools, a high school and about 10 daycares so I guess it must be obvious. But it was awesome to see, it was a flashback at how we were when we were kids. My kids got so excited when they saw other children they knew. And some of the houses were so beautifully decorated it made the whole evening so exciting. Especially the few adults that had dressed up to hand the sweets out, that was a treat in itself to the kids.

The children were just beaming with smiles and happiness.

And isn't that what it's all about. To me that evening highlighted the sense of community that is missing in our South African suburbia. We have so many open area's in our neighbourhood and I tried to get it all going, that we should organise a street braai, etc. Those neighbours that I know (about 30% - sad hey!) were keen but it just never got off the ground, and we go on with our busy little lives in our prison houses.

If a holiday like Halloween, which for us in the Southern Hemisphere could rather be a celebration of the coming of summer can bring so many people who live on eachother's doorstep together then I say Amen to that!

I read all these posts with interest and joy at the celebrations of holidays in Aus. Can't wait for my kids to be part of it all!

So while so many of us are still in SA now for much longer than we anticipated, perhaps we should focus on making it a fun memory for the kids to take with them. And if holidays like these can help do that then grab them with both hands. Focus on the Light and the Love. God speaks to us all in many mysterious ways. None of them the only way (IMHO).

Edited: typo's

[KathyW]

I really seem to be missing the point here!! It seems to me that the people who are talking about pointing fingers are the ones actually doing the pointing. The OP had an opinion and shared that opinion. He didn't say you were going to burn in hell if you don't share his opinion. He said "If you are one of them, let us know".

The only finger pointing I've seen is from the other side. If you say that the OP should allow you to have your own opinion, please do the same and allow him his opinion without judging him for it!

Personally I don't agree with the OP. I am a Christian, but I don't think there's any harm in Halloween, not even remotely. To the contrary, I think that a lot of these man-made rules puts Christians into unnessasary "bondage" (I hate that word, but it fits here) and puts us in a negative light with the people around us. Purely my own opinion.

So, my point is that I strongly oppose the OP's point of view, but I don't judge him for it, I just choose not to agree with him.

regards,

Dirk

Who on earth is OP? I never saw anything about burning in hell

Please hosts just close this topic..............

[justD]

Sorry, OP is original post or in this case original poster.

[Wax Wolff]

Who on earth is OP? I never saw anything about burning in hell

Please hosts just close this topic..............

Getting a little 'hot' here for you is it..? I suggest you move along then...

[kobus2]

hierdie posts is altyd goeie entertainment

[KathyW]

Sorry, OP is original post or in this case original poster.

Thanks for that, oh okay now I see ha! ha!

[KathyW]

Getting a little 'hot' here for you is it..? I suggest you move along then...

You are obviously a new member....... shampies........ I am hot anyway....

[The Ferreiras]

Kathy - For someone who requested this topic be closed you sure like to keep it going. Your do know that sarcasm IS the lowest form of something...dont you? Dont you think YOUR comments are out of line? Does someone have to be an "old" membr to make a comment on your responses? Is it a priviledge that us newbies havent earned yet? Is there an initiation we dont know about. My goodness

[Mara]

I am closing this thread now, it is going nowhere except to end up in a slanging match, and halloween is over and forgotten!