(Newswire.net — October 30, 2015) — Halloween allows people to dress up, enjoy parties culminating in the activity of trick or treating, bringing neighbors out and about in this tradition. While Halloween offers fun and festivities, each year some people decry the holiday as an evil tradition with its roots in the occult.
In our world of work, work, work, Halloween is a night that gets communities together for parties and trick or treating. This gives neighbors a chance to visit and socialize in our otherwise chaotic world. Seems a chance to have kids going from house to house dressed up isn’t such a bad idea from any way one looks at it. Besides, what’s so bad about being frightened a little here and there?
Halloween offers a chance to get a little scared, something that has actually been proven to be a good thing. Jeremy Adam Smith, in his article for the publication “Greater Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life,” quoted UC Berkeley psychologist Dacher Keltner who said, “we need holidays like Halloween because they ritualize our fears, mainly of death. Halloween rituals turn horror into play, death into levity, gore into laughter.”
That’s not such a bad thing.
Some people remain convinced, however, that Halloween is nothing more than a way to celebrate the occult. ChristianAnswers.net seems to be convinced nothing positive can come out of Halloween. In an article simply entitled, “Should Christian participate in Halloween?” Paul S. Taylor writes, “Halloween has strong roots in paganism and is closely connected with worship of the Enemy of this world, Satan. It is a holiday that generally glorifies the dark things of this world, rather than the light of Christ, the Truth.”
Taylor goes on to suggests instead of Halloween parties, harvest festivities are more appropriate activities for Oct. 31.
Either way, Halloween will continue to be celebrated as a kick off of the holiday seasons. Some will enjoy the bags of candy picked up by children going door to door, while others will continue to find the holiday nothing more than a way to give praise to the Devil.
Halloween or a celebration of the harvest, Oct. 31 will remain a day of parties and socializing. This alone seems to be a win-win.