Here's an interesting feature of Halloween: we may get dressed up scary — but we don't actually want to scare anybody. So why do we do it? Read more

The light party was organised by Stratford's MountainView Vineyard Church as a family-friendly alternative to Halloween. Continue reading

People are encouraged to "dress as something funny, friendly or fantastic" and have a happy time with family, friends and their community next Monday, from 5-8pm.

Alex Tracey, the Botany church's children and family ministry leader, says: "We don't want our kids to go out and get lollies from strangers. Continue reading

The Education Ministry in the region in north-western Russia stated that Halloween is "incoherent to basic traditional values and causes a negative influence on fragile minds".

Russians began - unofficially - celebrating Halloween after the collapse of the Soviet Union, as Western influences became more acceptable.

However, officials remain suspicious of the holiday, stating that it turns young people into "extremists" and that Halloween is "propaganda of the cult of death".

Earlier this month, the Russian Orthodox Church in Siberia's Krasnoyarsk region called on local authorities to ban Halloween.

Priest Maxim Zolotukhin told local television that children may get depressed after Halloween because they do not understand the difference between make-believe and reality, and so evil will enter their souls.

Two years ago, regional legislators in Siberia's Omsk region banned Halloween celebrations in all schools, saying Russian children had to be protected from "dangerous and morally corrupt US cultural influence".

Other Russian officials have called for the banning of zombie and monster costumes from toy stores, citing harm to children.

In 2013, St Petersburg lawmaker Vitaly Milonov ordered police to break up a Halloween celebration in a park in the city's Kupchino district.

After he had broken up the celebrations, which included singing, dancing and pumpkin-carving, Milonov wrote on his blog: "We have managed to stop the witches' orgy . . . . We are defending the cross."

Sources

• The Telegraph
• Image: History.com

A conference of exorcists in Rome last weekend warned of the danger to young people at Halloween.

This is a time when there is an increase in occult activity, the warning noted.

International Association of Exorcists director Fr Aldo Buonaiuto said Halloween is the antechamber of something dangerous, not innocent fun.

The IAE receives hundreds of calls during the Halloween period, especially from parents who fear their child has been drawn into the occult, he said.

"There are always more evil rituals, animal sacrifices, desecrations of cemeteries and thefts of sacred bones at the time of the 31 October."

It is also the best time of year for sects to attract new members, he noted.

The Catholic Church in Italy has now launched the initiative "Holyween", he added.

"While most people are steeped in zombies and horror we put on our door or windows a light or an image evocative of the saints.

"And then there will be Masses, prayer vigils and worship to celebrate the saints and victory of good over evil."

Children would dress up as saints for Holyween, some reports say.

The Vatican officially recognised the IAE in June and about 300 exorcists attended the Rome conference.

The conference focused on the impact of the occult and satanism on modern men and women.

In a message to delegates, Pope Francis said: "Those who perform this particular ministry, in conjunction with the bishops, must work "with love and kindness from the Church towards those who suffer because of the Evil One."

Psychiatrist and IAE spokesman Dr Valter Cascioli told Vatican Radio the number of people who turn to the occult or are fascinated by satanic cults and rituals "is constantly increasing".

He said this "worries us" because it appears to coincide with "an extraordinary increase in demonic activity".

Sources

• The Tablet
• National Catholic Reporter
• Daily Mail
• Image: Brandeis University

Some of these changes are small and understandable - we are becoming a much smaller world, after all, with everyone being constantly connected.

Some are nonsensical, such as the image of Santa looking ready for a blizzard in the middle of our summer, or teachers accepting school work with Americanised spelling because that's often what autocorrect defaults to.

Others, such as the increasing "celebration" of Halloween, are pointless and should be wholly discouraged.

Halloween always reminds me of the scene in ET where Elliott takes the titular alien out trick-or-treating, and his friend recognises Yoda from Star Wars.

It's parents taking kids out, an entire community getting involved and doing something communal.

All I've ever seen here in Hamilton is kids trying to skive free lollies from the neighbours with their parents' approval - and it annoys me.

I realise my image is skewed by my love of the very media I mentioned in the first paragraph, and I know Halloween originated with the Celts.

But now it has become this homogenised excuse to dress up and bug people for candy.

In a city where you are accosted for free stuff in the CBD all the time, it doesn't look great to be instilling that mindset in a new generation.

In fact, it goes against the incredibly important lesson we all teach our kids about not taking lollies from strangers.

Here we see people actively encouraging it.

I've watched as kids are sent out to harvest treats, and I think it's wrong.

In a city where high fences and privacy are highly prized, what will allowing kids to scab lollies end up doing to the communities we have here? Continue reading

Source

• Paul Barlow in Stuff

Paul Barlow is a writer and Film & Stage Crew member based in Waikato.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The origins of Halloween are, in fact, very Christian and rather American. Halloween falls on October 31 because of a pope, and its observances are the result of medieval Catholic piety.

It's true that the ancient Celts of Ireland and Britain celebrated a minor festival on October 31-as they did on the last day of most other months of the year. However, Halloween falls on the last day of October because the Solemnity of All Saints, or "All Hallows," falls on November 1. The feast in honour of all the saints in heaven used to be celebrated on May 13, but Pope Gregory III (d. 741) moved it to November 1, the dedication day of All Saints Chapel in St. Peter's at Rome. Later, in the 840s, Pope Gregory IV commanded that All Saints be observed everywhere. And so the holy day spread to Ireland.

The day before was the feast's evening vigil, "All Hallows Even," or "Hallowe'en." In those days Halloween didn't have any special significance for Christians or for long-dead Celtic pagans. Continue reading.

Fr Augustine Thompson, O.P., is an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia.

Source: uCatholic / Catholic Parent magazine

Image: Fanpop

"There are some who object because they think Halloween is Pagan, but for most people candy is a pretty big drawcard for the holiday. We're a child-orientated society and the kids do love it," he says

But there are those who still remain firmly against the Halloween becoming a tradition in New Zealand. Several groups around Christchurch plan to hold alternative, "safe" celebrations.

The Neighbourhood Trust is running a Light Party at St Albans Baptist Church as a "positive alternative" to Halloween.

Trust spokeswoman Kim Button said she started the event last year because she "did not feel comfortable" with Halloween.

Last year about 800 people attended the event, where guests are invited to dress up in "non-scary" costumes and enjoy free activities.

"It's an American tradition and I didn't think it was very Kiwi. I'm a mother and I don't like the idea of children wandering the streets," she said.

Light parties are also planned for Halswell and Waimakariri.

"Halloween" is a name that means nothing by itself. It is a contraction of "All Hallows Eve," and it designates the vigil of All Hallows Day, more commonly known today as All Saints Day.

Source

• The Press
• About.com
• Image: Sunbridgeroadmission.org.uk