#!Parentsroom Weekly Poll Results - Is Halloween harmless fun, or is it dangerous and/or satanistic, not to mention too full of sugar?
Don't forget to answer this weeks Poll
Is Halloween harmless fun, or is it dangerous and/or satanistic, not to mention too full of sugar?
I was glad to see this week that MOST people still believe Halloween is basically harmless fun. I find it sad that in the past few years there's been this backlash against halloween. As most people taking this weeks poll seemed to believe, Halloween is what you make of it, be it good or bad.
Here are the results in more detail: (Please note: the numbers won't add up to 100% this week, as people were allowed to give more than one answer.)
- 10% said, Halloween is Dangerous
- 80% said, Halloween is Harmless
- 10% said, Halloween is Satanic
- 25% said, Halloween has too much Sugar involved
- 20% said, had Differing Opinions
The following are some comments we received:
- I think halloween is a fun time for kids. I don't really like the idea of all the candy, but we manage to dole it out one or two pieces a day, so it's not too bad. I don't particularly like having to get costumes and stuff ready, but I'm not very handy at sewing!
- I think halloween can be harmless if parents make it that way. We need to get away from costumes that are evil and represent anything evil and keep it light hearted and fun. Make it more of a neighborhood costume party for children. As for the candy parents need to supervise the amount they eat and when.
- Halloween is how you take it, to each their own opinion. It can be all of the above depending on your personal perspective of this particular evening. And yes, it is full of too much sugar. I go through the goodie bags after my kids return and limit what they can have and when.
- I personally think that halloween is harmless, unless of course you make it satanic. We make Halloween a fun time with the kids, pumpkins, ghost and scarecrows!!!! I suppose some people do try to turn it into a satanic day, but if you just make it fun then it's okay.
As for the sugar, you just have to moderate what your children have.
- Halloween has long been a bone of contention between various factions. I realize that there are people who view it as a sacred holiday and practice their rituals then, but because I let my children trick-or-treat it does not mean I am one of "them". Also, it does not mean that I am unwittingly opening my kids up to a world of satan worship.
Halloween is what you, as the parent, make it for your kids.
- Contemporary Halloween is just "Harmless Fun" as the children and obviously many adults don't seem to understand the original concept. Holloween or "All Hollow's Eve" was the night that evil spirits were allowed to roam free. To believe this evening is tied in with satanism, ties christianity with satanism. Without evil how can there be good!
- A few years ago, I learned that Halloween is a satanic holiday and as a newly-educated Christian I decided that my family will NOT participate in Halloween activities. Yes, it probably is harmless to smaller children who just view it as a reason to dress up in their cute little costumes and get candy. But
I prefer not to start the tradition so that when my children are old enough to understand why we don't celebrate it, I will avoid the commotion in breaking the habit.
As an alternative, we do participate in autumn festivals and our church is having a "Hallelujah Festival" on the 31st with games, food, etc. The general idea is not to steal the kids fun but to give them a clean, positive celebration theme.
- Halloween is harmless fun! But it can be harmful if not supervised. As long as it is supervised I don't see a problem with it. It's scary to think someone could taint your child's candy. So just switch it for candy you have bought. That's how I handle it.
- I think Halloween is a lot of fun for kids. Too much is read into this being a celebration of Satan. My kids always have or go to some one else's party, then they all go trick o' treating together. It's fun for them to get dressed up in costumes and figure out who is who. As for being full of too much sugar, Miss Billie, our neighbor, always gives out travel size tubes of Crest with her goodies. Smart lady :-)
- Halloween is only dangerous if you don't take precautions and make sure someone is with them while they are out trick or treating and by taking them to people and places you know.
- As with any topic or experience, it is all in the attitude that the parents take. I think that if you take a reasonable and rational approach, your child will be semi-reasonable and maybe half-way rational about the experience.
- I think that Halloween is a great way for kids to express their creativity by allowing them to help with their costumes. My child is now only six months old, but when old enough to go trick or treating the way that I will beat the candy war is by allowing my child to pick out five pieces of candy that he wants to keep and having him give the rest to the " Halloween Fairy" who in turn gives him a bag of fun toys and nutritious snacks. I will make a game out of this by having him leave the candy on the doorstep before he goes to bed and having him wake up to his surprise bag of goodies on the porch.
- As long as parents stay close and check all the goodies to make sure they are wrapped correctly. Go to well lit areas, and preferably stick with people you know, I see no harm in it. Parents need to interact with children and I believe it is good to have some "harmless fun" sometimes.
- I don't agree with the older kids(teens) going out trick-or-treating though. Trick-or-Treating is for the young children. The older children and people could have Halloween parties or something.