The thing that's funniest about all the freaking out about Halloween, particularly the "demonic" trick-or-treating, is that not only do the practices have Christian roots, trick-or-treating itself is a civil rights success.
See, back in the first part of the twentieth century, Americans celebrated Halloween by having parties. And juveniles celebrated "Mischief Night", where they went out and did pranks like pushing over outhouses.
Well, in the south in particular, Mischief Night started being a cover for other more nefarious activities, particularly race-baiting activities. The violence kept ramping up over the years until lynching was possible.
The community leaders at the time thought that the best way to prevent these activities would be to flood the streets of people. Various organizations including the Boy Scouts came up with the idea of trick-or-treating. Boy Scouts would lead groups of kids around the neighborhood, going from house to house.
Weird, huh? Anyone who says that trick-or-treating comes out of older history ignores the fact that it's an American thing-the only places it has any currency at all are places with long American presence.
Besides, I think people should be left alone in their beliefs if it hurts nobody else. After all it's not exactly a good "christian" holiday. I'm pagan and I actually agree with that.
I remember there was usually one teacher (or a few) that became favored targets of our own small-town mischief. One, a science teacher, happily told us about the traps he'd set for anyone who came around his house and that toilet paper in his trees could be twirled like spaghetti via a rake and occasionally put to its original use later.
This was a teacher whose favorite Halloween costume was Freddy Kruger, complete with metal chemical scoops taped to a leather glove.
See, back in the first part of the twentieth century, Americans celebrated Halloween by having parties. And juveniles celebrated "Mischief Night", where they went out and did pranks like pushing over outhouses.
Well, in the south in particular, Mischief Night started being a cover for other more nefarious activities, particularly race-baiting activities. The violence kept ramping up over the years until lynching was possible.
The community leaders at the time thought that the best way to prevent these activities would be to flood the streets of people. Various organizations including the Boy Scouts came up with the idea of trick-or-treating. Boy Scouts would lead groups of kids around the neighborhood, going from house to house.
Weird, huh? Anyone who says that trick-or-treating comes out of older history ignores the fact that it's an American thing-the only places it has any currency at all are places with long American presence.
Reply
This is news to me.
Besides, I think people should be left alone in their beliefs if it hurts nobody else. After all it's not exactly a good "christian" holiday. I'm pagan and I actually agree with that.
Reply
This was a teacher whose favorite Halloween costume was Freddy Kruger, complete with metal chemical scoops taped to a leather glove.
Reply
Leave a comment