Current Events > Did your parents forbid you from celebrating Halloween due to it being 'Satanic'

(+) Yeah! (+)

Sort of a follow-up to my earlier "Hell Houses" topic. It's less than a week away!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H36dMUfdfQ

It is satanic and your all devil worshipers! Viva la France!

Maybe when my sister and I were really young because my mom was very religious, but I think she eased into it by the time I was 6 or something. We grew up in military housing around nothing but young families, so the other parents probably talked her into taking us trick or treating. I do remember a few anti Halloween books being around the house

Like I posted in that topic, growing up Methodist our local church had the basement done up like a haunted house for the little kids. No longer practicing a Christian faith but it was pretty cool.

My parents had no problem with me trick or treating but I also had to go with them so they could supervise where we went. Dad offered us more freedom in that we could walk part of the route in our own (one street circled around in a low hanging 9 shape.) The only year I got to go with my friends was the last year I trick or treated. Looking back I wish I did one more but in your early teens the urge to grow up and leave childish pursuits beyond is a strong one. Alas.

My church totally bought into the Satanic Panic craze but never had issues with celebrating Halloween.

my mother didn't really forbid me from celebrating it but I lived with her and she would put up trash bags on the windows and never decorated since her dad had been killed on halloween. I started going to my dad's house to at least give out candy and watch some scary movies.

Halloween was something strange that USA had instead of All Saints Day.

no. My parents weren't dumb.
It's only dumb people who can ruin modern Halloween. It's a holiday for everybody who likes eating candy, or watching fun movies, or dressing up or, observing costumes. So like, happy people.
That is all.

No. My parents are right-wing nuts, but at least they aren't that far right. They see Halloween as just a fun holiday, despite being Republican and catholic

No, I was lucky enough to be raised in a non-religious household.

Serious_Cat posted...

My church totally bought into the Satanic Panic craze but never had issues with celebrating Halloween.

I had friends whose church was into the Satanic Panic thing and they couldn't celebrate Halloween. Any kid who came by their house trick or treating got Chick pamphlets.

IIRC, their house got TP'd a lot. A whole lot. AFAIK no one ever was caught or claimed responsibility for it.

Free candy isnt satanic

My parents prevented me from celebrating because they did not want to give out candy.

My parents were hardcore against it until I was around 10 or so. Instead they just used to buy me candy and put on kid friendly scary movies at home. After that I went out with friends and their families, but my parents never accompanied me or my little sister

Southern Baptist parents for reference

No but they disapproved of it for being an American thing.

brestugo posted...

Any kid who came by their house trick or treating got Chick pamphlets.

I have so many questions

Chick pamphlets?

No.

We have never bothered with Hallowe'en in my family. We think it is just a complete waste of time and as children my mum forbade us from going guising (as it is called here in Scotland) as she thought it was too much like begging for items.

CassandraCroft posted...

We think it is just a complete waste of time

Well, from a psychology perspective Halloween is one of the times of year for people to have a cathartic release of pent up emotion. Most societies recognize the value of that and have some sort of holiday or festival for that purpose. Even if it isn't Halloween specifically.

Very happy that I grew up in a non-denominational household

No.

Mother is catholic, but thankfully wasn't overkill.
Father was never religious.

spikethedevil posted...

Chick pamphlets?

Jack Chick, the guy responsible for making parents believe Dungeons and Dragons was brainwashing kids into worshiping Satan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Chick

spikethedevil posted...

Chick pamphlets?

(Jack) Chick tracts

Little miniature comic books that are designed to convert people by showing the "evils" of indifference or disdain towards the Christian faith.

My grandpa got a couple from the VA hospital when he was alive.

No, my parents are atheists.

spikethedevil posted...

Chick pamphlets?

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/3/5/AAcJoVAAE-cP.png

brestugo posted...

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/3/5/AAcJoVAAE-cP.png

That must have been what Luanne read on King of the Hill except she said the Jewish. It's amazing how damaging and long standing misinformation can be.

No. Where's the poll?

no

My mother was a nurse in the 80s and 90s. Several of her co-workers didn't allow their kids to participate in Halloween. I only had one friend as an adult who was anti-Halloween.

No, my mom dressed up too.

I got caught in the crosshairs of "Halloween is Satanic" and "Don't accept candy from strangers." I eventually got to go trick-or-treating twice. I dressed up like a Ninja Turtle one year and a pirate another year. That was it for me.

(Best Turtle Donatello, btw.)

No and even the religious people never viewed it as satanic. Only backlash it got was hellions using trick or treat to vandalize or cause trouble, and even that got sorted with the "if there isn't a pumpkin outside the house they ain't playing move on" system

No

Indeed, the only thing I've seen that does think Halloween is Satanic is...Hobby Lobby of all things. At least the one in my area.

No, my Dad wasnt religious at all. I have to say though I didnt participate in many Halloweens because my dad considered it for young children and it wasnt long before he thought I was too old to go out and ask for candy. I think my final year was around 7 or 8 years old.

Several years ago, in my area, churches started having "fall festivals" during Halloween and using that as a way to hand out candy. Trick-or-Treat in unofficially banned here.

Come to think of it the only hassle I got was a chinese house were the mom was just confused but the kids freaked out and tried to attack us

pedro45 posted...

That must have been what Luanne read on King of the Hill except she said the Jewish. It's amazing how damaging and long standing misinformation can be.

Luanne was always the brains on that show.

Nope. My folks are Christian, but they're not extremists.

brestugo posted...

Luanne was always the brains on that show.

That show is so consistently good and long running, it's hard to not relate life events with it.
I can't meet a Bobby without thinking in Chang's voice "Booby Hill". Who hasn't ever said "THAT'S MY PURSE! I DON'T KNOW YOU!"?
The roe v wade and article 9 jokes are depressing hard hitting these days.

Yup, my dad stole my childhood and missed out on so much. My toddler is happiest during Halloween. Pumpkins, movies, candy, costumes, community events.

My dad kept me and my siblings in the basement and made us watch duck hunting documentaries and would tell trick or treaters that rang the bell that "we don't celebrate halloween" in an asshole tone.

On a related note, he didn't allow us to watch Harry Potter, joke about doing magic, and reluctantly let us watch pokemon.

Yup, never allowed to go trick or treating. My mom also volunteered at my school and turned our halloween parties into harvest ones, lmao. We still all dressed up, though, and got candy so whatever.

Kind of funny, that my neighbors who are even more conservative Christians than my mom were allowed to go trick or treating. At least I was still given candy and did go to some church events that were fun and definitely not hell houses or anything like that.

I honestly kind of hate Halloween as an adult since I missed out on it as a kid. I just ignore it now since I don't have any kids or anything. I'd let them participate if I ever have any, of course.

Bass posted...

Yup, never allowed to go trick or treating. My mom also volunteered at my school and turned our halloween parties into harvest ones, lmao. We still all dressed up, though, and got candy so whatever.

Kind of funny, that my neighbors who are even more conservative Christians than my mom were allowed to go trick or treating. At least I was still given candy and did go to some church events that were fun and definitely not hell houses or anything like that.

I honestly kind of hate Halloween as an adult since I missed out on it as a kid. I just ignore it now since I don't have any kids or anything. I'd let them participate if I ever have any, of course.

Make the holiday fun and what you want. watch slashers or something magical, eat your favorite candy, etc.
My ex had a lot of holiday hate but even said during the breakup that i really helped her enjoy holidays. Everything is so commercial and long gone from tradition, so make holidays how you want basically. Hating them is unhealthy and unnecessary. You'd be better not think of them, but if you are, make the most of it.
Golly how she would despise Thanksgiving and Christmas until a few years into our relationship

Yeah. When I first came to the States in '99 the Baptist church we went to would organize parties for kids. This was a separate English and Spanish speaking church but after a while they stopped and my parents thought Halloween was the devil's holiday or something like that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGAACBAm6oY

"Halloween is a celebration of death. Christ is a celebration of life."

Naw

My parents took me to the arcade on Halloween. I was cool with that.

Yeah, I was both conceived and born on Halloween. My parents took it as s sign and won't let me participate in things that have anything to do with Satan

pedro45 posted...

Make the holiday fun and what you want. watch slashers or something magical, eat your favorite candy, etc.
My ex had a lot of holiday hate but even said during the breakup that i really helped her enjoy holidays. Everything is so commercial and long gone from tradition, so make holidays how you want basically. Hating them is unhealthy and unnecessary. You'd be better not think of them, but if you are, make the most of it.
Golly how she would despise Thanksgiving and Christmas until a few years into our relationship

Good advice. It doesn't affect me too much, so I'm OK. I don't mind hearing about others' Halloween fun or anything, I just don't really have a desire to join in, myself. If I had a girlfriend or friends that were into Halloween I would try to make some personal traditions to make me like the holiday.