Saturday Halloween... Anyone here doing this, or is their city doing this?
I'm having grand ol' fun with halloween. I spent a bunch at Home Depot on Friday for stuff to turn into decorations. I'll probably be hitting the thrift stores several more times.
I got a posable wire tree I think I'm going to turn into a Whomping Willow.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
quote: I got a posable wire tree I think I'm going to turn into a Whomping Willow.
You're going to terrorize trick-or-treaters!
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
Sunday is the Sabbath? Huh?
Oh, and I'm going out on Saturday. We're having a conference here on campus with students from all over the province so with the extra manpower we're going out "Trick or Eating" for canned goods. If we waited till Sunday all those extra bodies would be gone.
Posted by Boris (Member # 6935) on :
My hometown did this. Didn't bother anyone that I remember.
Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :
Silly Teshi. Terrorizing Trick-or-Treaters is what Halloween is for.
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
In my house, we hide fish heads just beneath a thin layer of candies for our trick-or-treaters.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Our ward Halloween party is on Saturday night, but I'll still be home handing out candy on Sunday as well. This is the first year I've gotten to do both, and I'm pretty excited.
Posted by Katarain (Member # 6659) on :
I lived for several years in a community that had a very high population of Seventh-day Adventists. The town would regularly reschedule events that took place on Friday night or Saturday (Sabbath hours). It really didn't cause any problems and solved the Sabbath issue.
I don't have a problem with Sunday worshippers doing it... even if it's not *really* the Sabbath.
-Katarain
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
I don't have a problem with people not doing Halloween on Sunday if it offends them to do so, or not doing Halloween at all, if that's what they believe their religion demands. I do, however, have a problem with people trying to make the rest of the community change the holiday just to accomodate them, which is what I understand a few people in my community have tried to do this year.
You see, the Chamber of Commerce and the city here where I live hosts a Halloween costume parade and trick or treating downtown as an alternative to trick or treating in the neighborhoods. This year they plan to hold the event on Sunday, the actual holiday. However, some folks are trying to make the city change the event to Saturday. I think this is a little disingenuous, considering the fact that I know some of the people who are trying to make the city change the date belong to churches who hold their own alternative "Harvest Celebration" events because of their philosophical/religious disapproval of any Halloween observance. I don't understand why they can't just go and have their own event and let the people who want to celebrate Halloween on Halloween alone.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
Our town usually does halloween on friday or saturday night if at all possible, so kids aren't doing it on a school night.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
Our town has a daytime business district event that is held from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm on the Saturday prior to Halloween. This year it's the 30th. Official trick or treat hours here are 3:30 until 7:00 on the actual date, presumably to give school children a chance to get home, even though they are already in costume because they have a school parade and class party during the day. I haven't lived here long enough to encounter a Saturday Halloween so I don't know what they would do about the business district event in the case of a Saturday the 31st.
I discovered today that Navy Pier is having trick or treating every weekend from yesterday through the 31st. We were there today for a members-only preview event of a new exhibit at the Children's Museum. Next weekend is the Indiana camp, and then Halloween.... I'm so swamped!!!
Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
quote: "You just don't do it on Sunday," said Sandra Hulsey of Greenville, Georgia. "That's Christ's day. You go to church on Sunday, you don't go out and celebrate the devil. That'll confuse a child."
Make sure you tell your kids that Saturday is Satan's day, not Sunday. We don't want to confuse them.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
We're having our Halloween celebrations on Saturday, too.
My wife and I are activities chair people in our ward, and we've got a Halloween festival all planned out-- some carnival games, a chili cookoff, and a costume parade. Then, Trunk or Treat.
Good times.
Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
Scott, are you also taking your kids trick-or-treating on Sunday?
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
I don't know-- depends on how long they want to dance around the bonfire we'll be making from the bones of our Christian neighbors.
Seriously, we haven't decided yet. Probably.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
If people show up at our doorstep on Saturday night expecting to find candy and lit pumpkins, they will be disappointed. Halloween is on Sunday, and candy shall be provided on Sunday to those who are capable of reading a calendar.
This is not to say that structured Halloween parties cannot be held on other days -- and, in fact, should be, to enable people to attend multiple parties. But I shall be forced to assume that any six-year-old child who turns up Saturday night is in fact a victim of child abuse.
Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :
I'm torn between mocking them and laughing at them.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
Our town has official trick or treat hours, set by the city council every year. If Halloween falls on a Friday, trick or treating is on Thursday. (I’m really not sure why.) If the high school football team has a game on the 31st, trick or treating will be the day before. (That’s because no one would be home to hand out treats.) This year it’s on Saturday, from 5:30-7:30, but it’s not a big deal to anyone that it’s changed, since it happens for so many reasons.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I haven't bothered to check, but I'm pretty confident that a lot of people in this community (Utah County) will be celebrating on Saturday, not Sunday. I'm pretty much a grinch concerning holidays, but I'll still give out candy on Saturday night. I won't have my light on Sunday night, though.
quote: the town would regularly reschedule events that took place on Friday night or Saturday (Sabbath hours).
When exactly does sabbath take place for SDE? Is Friday evening part of it? If so, shouldn't Saturday nob be part of it? Or does it last more than 24 hours?
Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
I think it's sun down Friday to sun down Saturday, but it's been a few years since that information has been relavent to me.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
If that's the case, what's the problem with having stuff on Saturday night?
Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
it doesn't say Saturday night, it says Saturday. Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
My new hometown of Hanover, PA, has some strange Halloween traditions. Apparently they regularly move trick-or-treat night to the seemingly random Tuesday before Halloween. (Or at least it's Tuesday this year and was told it was on a Tuesday last year, too).
Then on Thursday the have a town parade. Last year the parade lasted over 3 hours!
I don't mind the change at all. This year I have a party to attend on that Friday and another on that Saturday and would be unable to give out candy on those nights. This way I get to give out candy AND party all weekend.
Every community I've lived in has moved trick-or-treating to another night if Halloween was on a Sunday.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Doh! Posted by celia60 (Member # 2039) on :
KarlEd, you'll find the areas around you all have different nights to trick-or-treat on. When we were living in East York, it wasn't uncommon to go out 3 or 4 different days to different areas. No wonder I was such a chunky kid!
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
"You go to church on Sunday, you don't go out and celebrate the devil"
humpf!
Celebrating Halloween is celebrating the devil? I love how people fall all over themselves to show their ignorance at this time of year.
Posted by dabbler (Member # 6443) on :
I don't remember ever going trick-or-treating on a day other than Halloween. I'm from a fairly religious area in Virginia (Newport News). I think our trick-or-treat hours were something like 5:30 - 8 pm, but I was always out till at least 9 with my mom. Once in a while, someone would just dump the rest of their bowl into my bag because they were done for the night
My next door neighbor didn't like answering doors, so she'd leave a little basket of toys at her door. I always went there first, so I knew there would be toys left. She'd have stuff like hackey sacks and balsa wood airplanes.
I love halloween. It's a great time of year, and I adore the smell of jack o' lanterns. I'm not so big into the creepy, gross, scary stuff. But the right ambiance is fun.
Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
Karl, this is what kills me.
quote: "It's a day for the good Lord, not for the devil," said Barbara Braswell, who plans to send her 4-year-old granddaughter Maliyah out trick-or-treating in a princess costume on Saturday instead.
The mother thinks it's for the devil, but she's going to let her daughter trick-or-treat anyway. It's OK to have a day for Satan, just as long as it's not on Sunday. Does she not realize how riduculous that sounds?
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
That was my thought too. I can understand not wanting to trick or treat on Sunday because you go to church activities on Sunday night, or consider it “family time,” or for several other reasons. But if your reason is that you think Halloween is somehow too immoral for Sunday, then you ought to be considering why it’s okay on any other day.
Posted by AmkaProblemka (Member # 6495) on :
But consider that some religions have far stricter observances of the Sabbath than others. Judaism and Mormonism being two good examples.
I can't give many details on Judaism, I'm sure rivka or Ela could do that.
But LDS people should not shop on Sunday, shouldn't have parties on Sunday (though you may find family dinners, or in singles wards an after church dinner), shouldn't go out to do amusement type activities, etc. We shouldn't work on Sundays either, though it is recognized that this is sometimes necessary. Even for dinner though, we are counselled to make it something that is simple to prepare. Generally, we should devote the day to activities that are geared towards developing a relationship with God. Learning, reflection, spending quieter time with family, etc.
Halloween is not considered an appropriate activity on Sunday, but that does not put it in the immoral category. Grocery shopping is also inappropriate on Sunday, but is certainly not immoral.
Tom said:
quote:Halloween is on Sunday, and candy shall be provided on Sunday to those who are capable of reading a calendar.
The thing is, Tom, you are punishing the children for something that their parents are responsible for. It is them you'll be disappointing. What is the point of that?
Now, a combination of wards at our building is having a Trunk-or-Treat on Sunday. Everyone in the neighborhood is invited. We've also done this on every Halloween in Oregon, since people in our congregation are scattered throughout neighborhoods. So we didn't trick or treat at houses on Saturday. But we did get trick or treaters on both Saturday and Sunday.
We'll provide candy on Sunday as well, though we'll probably only have a couple of kids come to the door. Like I said, why disappoint the children simply because the parents aren't 'going with the flow'?
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Um. . . if you don't want trick-or-treaters, I thought the accepted protocol was just leave the porch light off?
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
Saturday has always been Trick-or-Treat day. Packer games are on Sunday.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
Amka, I would include Sabbath restrictions under the “several other reasons” I mentioned. But saying that you can’t have Halloween on Sunday because it “celebrates the devil” is quite different than saying that Sunday is reserved for a set of specific activities, and trick or treating isn’t among them.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
"The thing is, Tom, you are punishing the children for something that their parents are responsible for. It is them you'll be disappointing."
Maybe they'll grow up and reject their parent's faith, then. Evangelical agnostic, remember? *wicked look*
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
The fun thing about Halloween is that it IS one holiday that you don't have to know the true meaning behind. You dress up, you get candy, and you've properly celebrated Halloween. I suppose there are people who do put more significance into the holiday. Maybe I shouldn't be so ignorant. But for me and my house, it's just a fun day and a chance to dress in drag (did I say that?).
That said, it would be AWESOME to have Halloween Sunday at church. Imagine everyone in costumes for services. Now that's religion!
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
EDITED because I figured I may have crossed a line somewhere.
Honey vs. vinegar? Duh. . .
Most likely, the kids will remember the mean old guy that didn't give us any candy, rather than the fact that Mom and Dad went trick or treating on the wrong day.
Your evangelical skills need honing, Tom-san.
[ October 18, 2004, 12:46 PM: Message edited by: Scott R ]
Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
For college students, the only reason to have Halloween on a Saturday is to avoid the problem of being massively hungover in class on Monday. However, as I have only one class on Monday, I can go to both Halloweens.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Our church is having a fall festival on Sunday afternoon.
I'm in charge of the booth that is handing out stuffed animals. I will be very popular - every other booth is handing out candy, but I get to hand out toys.
Most of the towns in the area have moved trick or treating to Saturday night.
I have no problem with that, it is better, I think, for it not to be on a school night. And many people do have Sunday night services.
Posted by Arthur (Member # 4026) on :
On Saturday there are party's and trick or treating at the malls and at out local park. The official Halloween trick or treating is on Sunday from 5 - 11 PM.
Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
What happens if you go trick-or-treating outside of the official times? By saying what the official trick-or-treating times will be, is the government condoning and legalizing tricking?
[ October 18, 2004, 02:38 PM: Message edited by: zgator ]
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
If some tricycle motor rings my doorbell after 11 (!), he deserves whatever trick I deem appropriate. It doesn't help that, save the young children next door, the rest of the neighborhood kids are the bratty 'gimme candy' variety. They even try to come back a second time, like I don't remember it when you are a jerk TWICE.
TheTick, Halloween Grinch
Posted by littlemissattitude (Member # 4514) on :
Okay, I'm really going to sound like the old curmudgeon now.
I don't believe that any holidays should be moved, ever. I'm old enough to remember when we had all holidays on the designated day. And, you know, it never hurt anyone not to have three day weekends, or to not have the day off of work or school if the holiday happened to fall on a Saturday or Sunday. I mean, back then, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington each had their birthday celebrated on their actual day of birth, instead of having some artificial "President's Day" so that people get a 4-day holiday in the middle of February.
And, re: Halloween, I have to say that I have the same memory as whoever else said that they never remember trick or treating on any day but October 31. I never heard of moving Halloween if it was on a Sunday until maybe five years or so ago. Of course, I never was told I was supporting Satanic baby-killing by wearing a Halloween costume until a couple of years ago - yeah, someone actually told me that. Sheesh.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
I think 4th of July was on a Sunday this year too, or some time recently at any rate. And there were fireworks displays on Saturday most places in Utah. So Satan isn't the only holiday figure that get's bumped from the sabbath. Unless you believe America is "The Great Satan". Oddly, if Christmas falls on a Sunday there is usually a modified shorter program But that darned Easter Bunny keeps moving his holiday so that it only and always falls on Sunday. We are thinking of kicking him out of the imaginary rabbit union.
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You're going to terrorize trick-or-treaters!
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