|
As a partly neo-pagan (who would celebrate Halloween himself if he was even the least bit interested in it), it is nevertheless fascinating to observe this modern curiosity which has the lenient denominations seeing nothing unchristian about participating in this glamorized, pagan holiday. I still don’t get it.
It is what makes some outsiders who find it difficult to fathom this glaring overlapping of faith question the sincerity and depth of certain religious convictions, and what has often led to the would-be convert of principles and integrity to seek out and ultimately choose the more conservative churches over the nominally identified: those with arguably very little spiritual boundaries and so watered down by worldly influences to the point of their being practically indistinguishable from practicing secularism.
I did not realize that Halloween is not all that popular in (parts of) Europe. This to me is rather surprising, considering the continent’s largely Celtic origins.
What I never understood as a youngster raised into a rigidly religious community was how it would have been a no-no for one of us to don even the most neutral of Halloween apparel; say, that of a bear or a bunny. What was so devilish about these costumes? The reason was, like Christmas and Easter, it was pagan-originated, thus unchristian, despite the sugar-coating.
That grown-ups get into this otherwise childish holiday is nothing to be astonished by. It happens. Some of them even wear a costume to work on Halloween day! This may be hard for some to believe but it’s true. A friend of mine told me of one colleague of his, a forty-something fellow, who came into work on Halloween dressed as a nun, from head to toes. He was not out after candy but, quite apparently, the attention. This man not only looked the part of a nun but played it up. The entire day he spent speaking in a high-pitched woman’s voice and waddling about the office. (It turned out this guy was a lapsed Catholic, who got off, at least for one day, on mocking his former faith.)
|