Can we talk about halloween?

[Koalamom]

My kids and I have never celebrated Halloween together, but my 4 yr old dd is talking about it alot this year. I am not ok with the scary side of it, or the loads of candy. Looking for ideas of how to celebrate the holiday avoiding that? I am posting it in this section as I am looking for some religious suggestions/talk. Maybe fun ideas, maybe some serious.

[momtoatds]

We do go trick or treating. We live in a small town and the whole town has a party on main street. Our kids are not allowed to be anything mean or evil. I honestly could totally skip Halloween. DH likes taking the kids trick or treating. Good luck in figuring it out.

Our public (which our kids attend) is doing a Fall Party. There have been other years where the kids hav dress-up at school.

[Wolfcat]

KoalaMom, it would help us give suggestions if you went into more detail.

Are you Christian? Pagan? Jewish?

What about the scary don't you like? What do you consider scary? (it is a matter of perspective, after all)

How much candy would you consider "too much"? I let the kids trick or treat for as much candy as they can get their paws on, but they only get one or two pieces a day until it gets thrown out.

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by Wolfcat 

KoalaMom, it would help us give suggestions if you went into more detail.

Are you Christian? Pagan? Jewish?

What about the scary don't you like? What do you consider scary? (it is a matter of perspective, after all)

How much candy would you consider "too much"? I let the kids trick or treat for as much candy as they can get their paws on, but they only get one or two pieces a day until it gets thrown out.

I am a pagan Christian, a very earthy one. I would also like to hear how others celebrate halloween as a religious holiday, just for learning.

Scary- yes a matter of perspective. Not really into it, but I guess that is what comes with the holiday.

Any candy is too much candy since my kids have loads of food allergies. I would love to do something that doesn't involve candy, or give them candy that is safe without allergens.

[Wolfcat]

Originally Posted by Koalamom 


I am a pagan Christian, a very earthy one. I would also like to hear how others celebrate halloween as a religious holiday, just for learning.
Scary- yes a matter of perspective. Not really into it, but I guess that is what comes with the holiday.
Any candy is too much candy since my kids have loads of food allergies. I would love to do something that doesn't involve candy, or give them candy that is safe without allergens.

This blog post is part of an article coming out in The Witches' Hour e-zine regarding the celebration of the dark of the year. While it doesn't have specific methods of celebrating (I would recommend this book for that), it does talk about what we are supposed to be celebrating on Samhain. It would be a good starting point to create your own traditions.

We go to a pumpkin patch and play the activities, etc., but we don't do haunted houses (my type of empathy causes me to feel what others, even characters, feel, so I don't like scary/horror ANYthing).

I like to go for the humor in Halloween. This year I am dressing up as a "wicked witch", because DD is going as a bee - get it, a witch with a bee ("B"). One year I dressed up as a "wicked witch" and grabbed an old besom broom and a stuffed monkey toy. I was in a costume contest as the witch of east north-east with my flying monkey (cue throwing the toy), and I drove a "compact" (mini-broom).

If the kids want to go trick or treating, let them do it, then "buy" the candy from them for a favored (acceptable) treat or toy. Maybe make a big deal out of donating the candy to a school for their Halloween activities, or to a shelter (since kids in a shelter may not get Halloween candy, it would be a huge treat for them).

[SweetSilver]

The first year I let my girls go trick-or-treating 2 years ago (oldest was 4.5, youngest 3) they went to 3 houses and wanted to head straight home to count their loot.  All of about 6 pieces each!  Last year they went to 4 or 5 houses, a little more candy but not much.  My oldest has allergies, so we trade the off-limits candy for ones she can eat.  They usually forget about the candy after a few days and a fair amount gets thrown out.  

We've checked out library books with stories relating to the history of Halloween that were fun, but we have kind of ignored it this year. The story of the Jack of the Lantern was the favorite.  It's a great jumping off point because pumpkins have replaced turnips as the jack o'lantern and that story is definitely North American.  We have yet to study Samhain, though I'm sure we'll get to that one day.  

Halloween is probably our most steadfastly pagan holiday, though I'm sure that before the commercialism it was probably observed by relatively few (and in a completely different way, I'm sure!).  It's just loads of fun.  And very catchy--my sister was stationed in Kitzingen years ago, and all the German kids came swarming by the hundreds to trick-or-treat from the Americans.  This was pre-9/11 and I don't know that they would allow that now.

I don't know what the fascination is with the scary things, but my oldest tries to be the scariest thing out there.  I suppose the reason for it is the same reason that people danced to ward off those scary things centuries ago-- to feel powerful against that which scares the daylights out of us.  So, in a way, Halloween is exactly about that scary stuff you are trying to avoid.

[Aeress]

Our homeschool group is holding a candy free event, where the kids can dress up, play games and get small prizes. We are handing out bouncy balls that are orange, green, purple and black, stickers, and playdough. I think this type of event is not only fun for the kids, but we are also having a potluck dinner.

We are making a pinata in the shape of a pumpkin.

I think someone is doing a pin the face on the pumpkin game.

We also participate in the local events of the season that focus more on "safe" "silly" "scary" hay rides and such.