You don't celebrate it, there's nothing to celebrate! You dress up and let the kids have fun or have you forgot how it felt as a kid to use your imagination and pretend to be something fun or scary. Too many radicals have tried to make it something big and bad. It's just plain fun for the kids.

Some weird sumbiches on here.

This is way too difficult for some folks. I don't understand why they don't like kids enjoy being kids.

I made the mistake of buying candy two weeks ago. It gone! Wife said she will pick up some more today. We had a Mexican kid last year that was dressed as a migrant worker. Lol

Lol! That trox is a silly feller

That's pretty much how I feel about it too.

However, (and I realize many of you fellas are unchurched and like to scoff at the silly Christians) to act like there's not a dark side to it is stupid. Frankly, even if you have no sensibilities towards spiritual matters, it's pretty hard to argue that we make "entertainment" and "fun" out of dressing up like evil things. I mean, some kids dress up like Scooby Doo or another cartoon character, and there's no foul in that. Similarly, I got no beef with the intent of the day, or stuff like that. But why in the hell (pun intended) do we find it fun to dress our kids up like witches, ghosts, dead people, and/or other horror-movie like things?

But having said all that, none of it is a hill I'd die on, I just don't have that strong of an opinion about it. More than anything, I think it's silly how adults dress up, or have costume parties. My wife's company has a contest at work today where the winner of the best costume gets a $100 Visa gift card, and several folks were joking that they actually spent more than $100 on their costume. Really??

But in the end I have to admit, one guy is "Larry the Dr. Pepper guy", and it was awesome!!! LOL

We live so far out in the country and so far off the paved road that we never get trick or treaters, so Halloween isn't a big deal for us.

We decorate a little and hand out candy and treats. We usually burn a couple of pumpkins too but not this year - too dry.

Mrs. Geno makes home made treats for the kids we know. Sometimes she hands out mardi gras beads as well. We have a bunch this year so the kids will get some shiny necklaces to go with the rotten teeth.

My wife and I still treat our daughter, nieces, nephews and the kids of a few friends. I've never been big on Halloween, but since my wife loves kids so much, I've never bucked her on it. The church we used to attend started having Trunk or Treat to give kids a supposedly safe alternative rather than having to go door to door to collect candy. We supported it and actually enjoyed it.

The church we now attend, North Clay Baptist, does not have a Trunk or Treat. Several years back, a friend of our pastor visiting from Tanzania (where he is a pastor), walked through a Trunk or Treat at a church in Birmingham and said he was appalled at such a display. He said these kinds of things are what we fight against in Africa (part of it was the costumes he said the children were wearing). His questioning this practice caused our pastor to really think about Trunk or Treat. Our pastor discussed this with our Children's minister, and the result was not doing Trunk or Treat (however, there is no judgment to churches who choose to do the Trunk or Treat), but to do something that no one else was basically doing for Halloween. The Children's minister worked with other's and I believe they said for 10 years now, they have done a walk through presentation for families called "1517". Of course, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the doors of the church in Wittenburg, Germany, the beginning of the Reformation. The presentation was always done on the weekend of or before Halloween on Saturday and Sunday nights. On Sunday evening, after the families did the walk thru, there would be food, arts and crafts, and a few games in the church gym. This year, for the first time, the presentation was done 5 times (October 22nd, 23rd, 26th, 29th and 30th). The response has been great every year, and especially good (almost a little overwhelming) this year. So many people say they new nothing about this part of the history of the church. And, at the final stopping point of the walk thru, our pastor presents the gospel to each group.

I'm not saying this is for everyone, but I believe it is a good alternative to celebrating Halloween. In light of this, instead of wishing everyone Happy Halloween, I'll just say, Happy Reformation Day. Hope everyone has had a good weekend and for those with children that will be out and about tonight, be safe.

One thing I enjoyed when my kids were little was taking them trick or treating at the nursing home. The residents and their family would line the hall ways and give the kids candy. It seemed like the residents really enjoyed it. The last time my oldest daughter went, one lady put candy in her bag and then looked at her and said, "you're too old." Then she reached in my daughters bag and took candy back out. We usually ended up giving most or all of the candy back to the nurses to give to the residents to hand out again.

For the past 19 years weve had a Halloween party with family friends and all...always a great time!!

I absolutely love to see children dress up. Where my family draws the line is all the costumes (usually older crowd) of all the blood and gore, monsters, devil horns/tails, and the like. Why...? because it is not pure.

Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Is Halloween based on the idea of peace, freedom, and salvation or does the holiday bring to mind feelings of evil, fear, sinister, death, and bondage?

I think we have taken it tooo far. It seems the most of the teens try to be as dark as they can be and the girls try to find the most slutty outfits they can.

Guess I'm a heathen bound to burn for eternity. This year my son is a scary clown. In the past he has been a whoopie cushion, a vampire, a donkey, Donald Duck, a huge pumpkin, buzz lightyear, and who knows what else.

We have a family meal and pumpkin carving. Even more fun, we have a shotgun pumpkin shoot out when the pumpkins start caving in.

This years results..

Al, forgive me but hes an idot. Kids are not doing anything but having fun. Not worshipping satan. Why do a few see evil in everything ? This is the kind on thing that makes folks turn their backs on organized Religion. I was brought up Baptist but it seems the Baptists have more than their share of quacks. Its a Baptist church that puts on the protests at MILITARY FUNERALS ! I just don't believe Jesus would object to children having some innocent fun.

I'm with you on that you ornery old bastage. And thanks a lot for messing up my dang name!!!

I love Halloween. Its the time of year that a celebrity has to apologize to a raucous press over a costume they deem offensive. It's like clockwork.

On a serious note, I do love Halloween. Growing up, my parents and all the aunts and uncles and cousins all went to Gatlinburg to trick or treat. We only trick or treated around our town until I was about 5. We came back with garbage bags full of candy because all of those shops handed it out. Fun times.

I have nothing to forgive you for that I know of. I still believe the first amendment is still in place. You can call it like you see it perch. I have my own convictions, but I ain't going to try and force them on anyone else. I'm just glad that the church I attend was willing to do something different. Both educational and fun. And as far as kids having innocent fun, I have no problem with that as long as it remains innocent (there are those out there, usually older than kids, but still act like kids, that do take some things too far).

Yes older kids commit pranks, little kids just see Halloween as a pretty holiday with fun and lots of CANDY ! I still remember when I'd go to some health nuts home and they would hand out FRUIT ! GAG
LOL