You know, I keep hearing that I’m supposed to respect other people’s beliefs, but goshdarnit they make too hard sometimes:
NEWNAN, Ga. – Across the Bible Belt this Halloween, some little ghosts and goblins might get shooed away by the neighbors — and some youngsters will not be allowed to go trick-or-treating — because the day falls on a Sunday this year.
“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 Saturday instead.
Some towns around the country are decreeing that Halloween be celebrated Saturday to avoid complaints from those who might be offended by the sight of demons and witches ringing their doorbell on the Sabbath.
“Moving it, that’s like celebrating Christmas a week early,” countered Veronica Wright, who bought a Power Rangers costume for her son. “It’s just a kid thing. It’s not for real.”
It is an especially sensitive issue for authorities in the Bible Belt across the South.
“You just don’t do it on Sunday,” said Sandra Hulsey of Greenville, Ga. “That’s Christ’s day. You go to church on Sunday, you don’t go out and celebrate the devil.”
In Newnan, a suburb south of Atlanta, the City Council decided to go ahead with trick-or-treating Sunday. In 1999, the last time Oct. 31 fell on a Sunday, the city moved up trick-or-treating to Saturday, which brought howls of protest.
In Vestavia Hills, Ala., a suburb of Birmingham, a furor erupts every time Halloween falls on Sunday.
I don’t feel at all bad keeping my kids away from religion. Not a bit.
When JFK was prez, he officially moved “Halloween” from Sunday to Saturday night once, or so I read. Bizarre.
These people are barmy. What on earth makes them think All Hallow’s Eve is anything to do with the Devil? Okay, I guess if you’re of a hardline Calvinist bent, then the eve of a Catholic Feast is probably pretty Satanic, but even so…
(The costumes are a hangover from Irish superstitions based on disguising as demons to keep away demons. There’s nothing Satanic about the festival at all. Anyone who claims that Halloween is about devil-worship is merely demonstrating their own ignorance.)
But for those people who are Christian – the Sabbath was origionally a Saturday, the ‘day of rest’ was changed to Sunday by the church.
Just a random fact for you.
Why, if they are such good Christians, would anyone celebrate a ‘day of the devil’ no matter what day of the week it falls on?
Please don’t judge all religious people by these. I know devout Christians who are fine with their kids trick or treating, even on Sunday. Some of them know about the origins of the holiday and choose to believe it’s now completely secular and no threat to their beliefs. Good for them, I say.
I think the Sabbath still is Saturday, Rose – it’s a Judaic day of rest, after all, we can hardly change that. Sunday is the Lord’s Day, a different thing altogether.
The early Christians celebrated it as the day Jesus rose, and linked it with the Day of Creation, when the Word was spoken and light was created.
So, yeah, all this guff about keeping the Sabbath holy is ignorant nonsense.
for every one worried that the kids will be dressed up like devils and other satanic things, thats so lame most will go as a power ranger or a dog. halloween is just like Columbus day, it’s just another day with candy.
JFK prez 1961-1963. Oct 31 on Mon, Tue Wed those yrs. Bad rumor. Bad. Bad
Posted by Diane at October 16, 2004 05:26 PM
Quote: Some towns around the country are decreeing that Halloween be celebrated Saturday to avoid complaints from those who might be offended by the sight of demons and witches ringing their doorbell on the Sabbath.
End Quote
Actually, if you lookup the Greek & Latin root for the meanings of the weekday names, you’ll see that Saturday means “Sabbath”, and Sunday means “The Lords Day” Friday means “Preparation Day” (in preparation for Saturday, the Sabbath).
This (the Sabbath day) was changed somehow by the Catholic Dioses several hundred years ago.
As far as trick-or-treating on Sunday or Saturday goes, the Sabbath ends at sun down according to the Bible.
People get a bit carried away when stating that others are “worshiping the Devil” on Halloween. I have never seen anyone going Devil carolling, or having group chants in the street.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO CHRISTIANS WHO WORSHIP ON A SUNDAY AND BELIEVE IN THEIR HEARTS THAT THEY ARE TRUELY PRAISING GOD BUT NOT GOING TO CHURCH ON SATURDAY. wHAT WILL BECOME OF THESE PEOPLE WHO SPENT THEIR WHOLE LIVES PRAISING GOD TO HAVE THEM GO TO HELL FOR NOT WORSHIPPING ON SATURDAY. SHOULDN’T THE SABBATH BE KEPTS ALSO IN YOUR HEART ASWELL BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT KEEP THE SABBATH AND THEY ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST SINNER. PLEASE ANSWER ME I REALLY NEED TO KNOW ASAP
@IANDA Dude, I think your caps lock button is stuck… D: Just live your life and don’t worry about that sinning stuff, you’ll have a much nicer life. >.<