Wiccans Might be Offended by Halloween
The Toronto School Board issued a memo to its teachers and principals warning that the traditional celebration of Halloween may offend and "traumatize" those who practice Wiccan rituals. The Board stated that a Wiccan may not appreciate the "Christian sexist demonization of pagan religious beliefs." Is that what Halloween is? I always thought that the Eve of All Souls Day was a Christian religous tradition systematically paganized by the secular world over time. I'm offended that Halloween has become a mockery of this Christian tradition. But now trick or treating is offensive to Wiccans? This one isn't quite coming together for me.
posted by Becky @ 3:15 PM
7 Comments:
Are you so blinded by orthodoxy that you refuse to look to history (or conduct a simple Google search)?
Halloween was based on Samhain, which was then co-opted by the church, which was then co-opted by the consumer culture. Sheesh.
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/halloween/?page=origins
What you've said is much in dispute. It was my understanding that it has roots in both pagan culture and Christian tradition. In any case, we adopted the Christian name, derived from "Hallowed Eve" or "Eve of the Holy Ones" so that has to count for something. :)
Acknowledging history and reason, my friend, is very much a part of what it means to be orthodox. Many apologies, but I think there is some dispute among sources as to the origins of what we celebrate today as Halloween. Try to be civil.
What's not coming together for you? The secular hijacking of halloween is offensive to both christians and pagans. I don't get the school's characterization of it as the "christian" demonization of pagan religious beliefs but that doesn't mean that halloween as it exists doesn't make a mockery of the pagan traditions of the day(as well as the christian traditions).
The celebration of Halloween as we all know it on secular grounds (dressing up in costumes and going trick-or-treating) is not pagan, Christian or anything else but secular. It's not the worship of pagan Gods, it's not a pagan ritual, and we are not celebrating it in terms of the Eve of All Souls Day. I'm sure some do celebrate it that way, but for the most part, the secular celebrations are way different than religious. I don't know of any child that celebrates it in any way other than "I'm going out to have fun by dressing up and being scary, and getting candy in the process."
As such... it's a bit absurd to be offended by the way it's celebrated. There is no conflict here between secular and religious.
Having said that though, even if you are offended... well... that's too bad right? As a US citizen, you do not have the right to not be offended.
Except that I'm not a US citizen, but then, I really don't want the right to not be offended anyway, so I'm functionally an American...
I just thought it was funny that they called it a Christian demonization of pagan religious belief. That's a little odd, don't you think? Do you think this stems from the growing hatred in Canada towards Christianity? Blame the Christians for people being offended, even if it's unfounded? Who knows?
Oh, right Canadian. Ah, either way though.
How could you have forgotten that I'm Canadian, eh? Shame. :)
Post a Comment
<< Home