Happy Halloween

Halloween is next week.

I don’t love Halloween.  I could probably live without it altogether.  I hate the grisly decorations that some of my neighbors set up in their yards.  I don’t like the gory Halloween shops that pop up in abandoned storefronts every year. I blush at the slutty costumes that women and even girls are expected to wear.  I am concerned about how tolerant we become of depictions of evil and of the occult.

Still, our family celebrates Halloween.  Despite my objections, I don’t see anything wrong with dressing up in a costume and collecting candy from the neighbors.  I can put up with some decorations, too, as long as they fall within certain guidelines.  I want my children to have fun with their friends even while I put limits on how we will celebrate.

Here is a list of what I consider acceptable decorations:

·        Spiders

·        Cats

·        Bats

·        Spider webs

·        Full moons with dark clouds in front

These decorations are spooky without being evil.  I do not allow witches, ghosts (with the exception of one very cute candleholder), or dead bodies emerging from the yard. Obviously, I have no problem with harvest-time décor such as leaves, Indian corn, pumpkins, and scarecrows.

I have similar rules regarding costumes.  I will not allow anything wicked, gruesome, or too scary.  We generally limit ourselves to pretty or funny costumes.  This year, Laura plans to be a detective, and Caroline wants to be a purple fairy.  Juliet intends to dress Goth—she’s hovering on the edge of what we will permit.  I will never, ever allow my daughters to dress as prostitutes on any occasion—certainly not for walking the streets collecting candy.

 

Just another week.  Then we can move on to move on to more wholesome holidays.