Is Halloween too scary?
The following is lifted from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6099008.stm
I felt it was important to give this guy his full say. My comments follow underneath.
"The sinister side of Halloween is being exploited, says one leading church figure, when it could celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Can Halloween go cuddly?
Halloween, Fright Night, All Hallow's Eve. Call it what you will, but it's supposed to be scary... right?
Not according to one cleric, who wants people to come away from Halloween's darker side.
The Rt Rev David Gillett, the Bishop of Bolton, says the "more horrific" of masks prove too scary for many children. With the Mothers' Union - a Christian parenting group - Bishop Gillett is backing a campaign called Halloween Choice to promote the lighter side of the festival.
Child going to trick or treat
A time to have fun?
"The emphasis has become so evil and scary, I've spoken to children and adults who find it too scary," he says.
Bishop Gillett wants a shift away from horror character masks, like Hannibal Lecter, towards the Christian celebration of good over evil. And, he wants an end to the trick or treating-style harassment that brings out extra police patrols and can be a nuisance to some.
Costumes could have a brighter side, he says, and home-made outfits would let people set their own fear factor. Shops could stock up on hair braids, bright balloons, face paints and glow tubes, instead of fake blood and evil eyes.
"Why not lighter costumes? Brighter colours?" he asks. "Face masks that people could paint themselves in a way that sets their own level of spookiness?
"It's not to do with the occult, or asking supermarkets to stop what they are doing. It's saying when children are in a supermarket and asking 'Get me something for a Halloween outfit', they can buy something other than the horrific choices.
Creepy cash
Party-wise, churches have begun to organise alternative events for children around Halloween - parties with songs, games, quizzes and stories. But Halloween's creepy roots stretch way back, to the Celtic feast of Samhain as well as All Hallow's Eve, and in the last few years, selling scariness has been highly lucrative for supermarkets.
Children in Halloween costumes
Is cute Halloween the way forward?
UK spending on Halloween will top £120m this year, says Bryan Roberts from industry analysts Planet Retail. This compares with £12m five years ago. The pumpkin market alone is worth £25m. It is the third most profitable seasonal push in supermarkets after Christmas and Easter, with whole aisles turned over to pumpkin costumes, witches hats and the like.
The make-you-jump thrill is, surely, part of the attraction. Would children trade all this dressing up and trick or treating for a "nice" Halloween?
Halloween chocolates
Or too much commercialism?
At outlets like Angels Fancy Dress, in London, it is standing room only at peak shopping time as workers take their lunch not with a knife and fork but complete with a devil's trident.
But Halloween is not all about "hell and horror", says owner Emma Angel. The choice, to which Bishop Gillett refers, exists already.
Alongside its vampire teeth, scream-style masks and sinister clown outfits, Angels has sold Ghostbusters gear, banana costumes, "mad" doctor's scrubs, and, for children, a pink candy witch. Hardly spine-chilling.
We are already in touch with Halloween's brighter side, she says.
"It's just a great fun time of year for people to dress up, adults and children. Ghostbusters outfits are fun, not evil.
"People don't come in and say, 'I want to be Satan in disguise' or 'I really want to scare people'. They just want to put a pair of vampire's teeth in a funny way." "
Now follows the comments by P1P
TWAT.
I felt it was important to give this guy his full say. My comments follow underneath.
"The sinister side of Halloween is being exploited, says one leading church figure, when it could celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Can Halloween go cuddly?
Halloween, Fright Night, All Hallow's Eve. Call it what you will, but it's supposed to be scary... right?
Not according to one cleric, who wants people to come away from Halloween's darker side.
The Rt Rev David Gillett, the Bishop of Bolton, says the "more horrific" of masks prove too scary for many children. With the Mothers' Union - a Christian parenting group - Bishop Gillett is backing a campaign called Halloween Choice to promote the lighter side of the festival.
Child going to trick or treat
A time to have fun?
"The emphasis has become so evil and scary, I've spoken to children and adults who find it too scary," he says.
Bishop Gillett wants a shift away from horror character masks, like Hannibal Lecter, towards the Christian celebration of good over evil. And, he wants an end to the trick or treating-style harassment that brings out extra police patrols and can be a nuisance to some.
Costumes could have a brighter side, he says, and home-made outfits would let people set their own fear factor. Shops could stock up on hair braids, bright balloons, face paints and glow tubes, instead of fake blood and evil eyes.
"Why not lighter costumes? Brighter colours?" he asks. "Face masks that people could paint themselves in a way that sets their own level of spookiness?
"It's not to do with the occult, or asking supermarkets to stop what they are doing. It's saying when children are in a supermarket and asking 'Get me something for a Halloween outfit', they can buy something other than the horrific choices.
Creepy cash
Party-wise, churches have begun to organise alternative events for children around Halloween - parties with songs, games, quizzes and stories. But Halloween's creepy roots stretch way back, to the Celtic feast of Samhain as well as All Hallow's Eve, and in the last few years, selling scariness has been highly lucrative for supermarkets.
Children in Halloween costumes
Is cute Halloween the way forward?
UK spending on Halloween will top £120m this year, says Bryan Roberts from industry analysts Planet Retail. This compares with £12m five years ago. The pumpkin market alone is worth £25m. It is the third most profitable seasonal push in supermarkets after Christmas and Easter, with whole aisles turned over to pumpkin costumes, witches hats and the like.
The make-you-jump thrill is, surely, part of the attraction. Would children trade all this dressing up and trick or treating for a "nice" Halloween?
Halloween chocolates
Or too much commercialism?
At outlets like Angels Fancy Dress, in London, it is standing room only at peak shopping time as workers take their lunch not with a knife and fork but complete with a devil's trident.
But Halloween is not all about "hell and horror", says owner Emma Angel. The choice, to which Bishop Gillett refers, exists already.
Alongside its vampire teeth, scream-style masks and sinister clown outfits, Angels has sold Ghostbusters gear, banana costumes, "mad" doctor's scrubs, and, for children, a pink candy witch. Hardly spine-chilling.
We are already in touch with Halloween's brighter side, she says.
"It's just a great fun time of year for people to dress up, adults and children. Ghostbusters outfits are fun, not evil.
"People don't come in and say, 'I want to be Satan in disguise' or 'I really want to scare people'. They just want to put a pair of vampire's teeth in a funny way." "
Now follows the comments by P1P
TWAT.
posted by Student at 2:00 pm
5 Comments:
hey... wheres the comments?
I always loved halloween, maybe it's cause my birthday is 3 days after. As a girl I usually dress up pretty or sexy but a year or two ago I was a zombie - ugly as I could be -
I got into carature and kept my mouth full of fake blood ... when anyone would speak to me I would pretend vomit it up and let it run all over me... everyone got really grossed out. I never had so much fun in my life.
I kept it short and sweet.
Sexy Halloween I can live with I just can't deal with the crazy vicar.
It's not really so much of a big thing over here. Fancy dress parties can be good though.
I kept it short and sweet.
Sexy Halloween I can live with I just can't deal with the crazy vicar.
It's not really so much of a big thing over here. Fancy dress parties can be good though.
sorry you guys luck out in the fun ... I love a costume party.
I'm old now...but growing up I had a friend whos mother decided one day she was "religious" and halloween was evil devil worship.
The trick-or-traet battle began.
she did agree to compromise ... they could still do it but only if they dressed as bible caratures... my friends brother was moses 6 years in a row. I still laugh about that.
It's not to say we can't. I never did as a child but there was no prohibition.
I am a bit amused about your friends mother. Devil worship? Time to ease up on the pills love.
Being Moses is the best thing ever! I may go to my next costume party as Moses. Genius.
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