Let us Celebrate !

Halloween in America this year allegedly started with healthy sound of cash machines and almost uninterrupted advertising of gore, mutilation, murder, and all the stuff to numb ones, especially children’s, normal senses.  Predictions in media are being made that this year Halloween rituals and festivities will surpass Christmas (also known as x-mas) as the top religious celebration in America.

Latvians worldwide are known to embrace western culture known as “Americanism”.  How is your family observing this Day of Religious Rapture?

Mr. L. L.

For just for little bit of cultural education may I suggest a YAHOO!  News search for “halloween”?

You did not have any comments before, are you speachless now?

Let’s live rich and happy like americans do.

Mr. L. L.

I ran out of M&Ms;about 6:45, so I turned off all the lights in the house except for a reading light in the bedroom in back (curtains pulled firmly shut) and waited out the ravenous hordes.

This news about Halloween does not disturb me.  If someone wishes to create a wonderland of zombies and ghouls on their front yard, why not?  It’s funny.  Christmas is Christmas, and will not be replaced.

Furthermore, Halloween is a “religious” celebration only to a handful.  For the rest its just a silly day.

Embarassingly, America’s “silly day” is spreading throughout the world.....

Here’s a funny silly example:

http://exile.ru/articles/detail.php?ARTICLE_ID=13444&IBLOCK_ID=35

ak

Interesting source of entertainment that, there, ‘Exile’, AK!

I have to say that I am sorry Halloween has come and gone so quickly.  I’ve always been very fond of this particular American holiday with all the witches, black cats, jack o ‘lanterns and gouls.  Watching the Monster Fest on amc, a week’s worth of the of Friday the 13th’s and Michael Myers, parts 1-5 and all the other campy trash--great!!  It’s also a good excuse for buying and consuming all that candy, since the little kiddies hardly ever come this way--it’s a long dark walk through the woods and besides, we keep the lights off to deter them.  And I’m so glad that the little juveniles who used to delight in toilet papering our woods and drive way shut are now all grown up and gone, probably serving time somewhere!

It’s like being a kid again waiting for something magical and mysterious to happen!  So sorry to have to take down those decorations and wait for another year.

Hope you all had a good one!

Irena

Interesting source of entertainment that, there, ‘Exile’, AK!

Yeah.  I read it regularly.  it’s what keeps me from ever wanting to go back to Moscow (on my own nickel, at least.)

ak

One other site for regular entertainment:

englishrussia.com

BTW, it’s not chauvinistic.  Latvia gets regular coverage as well.  (Or maybe it is and they think Latvia is still part of the still-existant CCCP)

ak

I read that and all I could think was - what a snot this Nancy is!  OK, so Natasha might have some personal space issues, but this seemed a nice bunch of people, taking an interest, sharing their delicacies and trying to make a colleague feel good.  A colleague who, by what I read there, may have a flair for dialogue, but otherwise should be pushed down the stairs…

Well, if you missed Halloween and want to get all dressed up in a costume, all is not lost!

Latvians have a tradition of mumming - ‘budelji’, ‘kjekatas’, ‘chiganos ieshana’ that is still available to us!

You can dress up anytime all winter long (from Martinji in Nov. to Metenji in Feb) and go from (latvian) house to (latvian) house.

It is probably best to let people know you are coming or else someone might call the police on you.

When you get to these houses, you are expected to entertain the folks with a song, a dance, some palm reading or old fashioned horse-trading.  The folks at home are then expected to treat you with something to eat.

When you have worn out your welcome, so to speak, off you go to the next house!

This mumming is most often done in the dead of winter (when everyone has cabin fever) - at Winter solstice!

Similar traditions still alive & well today are Karnival in Germany, Mardi Gras in New Orleans & all of the caribean islands.  Probably other places too.
Those parties also come to a close in Feb. because that’s when winter is over & spring work has got to be started.

Late fall and winter in north latitudes is boring, so why not enliven the humdrum days with some lively entertainment?

I myself remember very little of these (ethnic) Latvian traditions. After all, it has been about 67 years since I had a chance to take part in original (ethnic) celebrations in Latvia :)

As I recall, none of the Christmas time tradition was destructive, blackmailing, or simply satanic as Halloween is in America.

Ash Wednesday, a Christian holy day marking the first day of Lent, if I recall correctly, was cut-off for all frolicking until Easter Monday.  Easter Sunday was reserved for Church services and some serious visiting. Monday – that’s different story …

Some of our traditions are described on
http://www.liis.lv/maskas/index.htm

The Roman Catholic traditions are the roots of Mardi Gras in New Orleans and, the Caribbean islands, and South American excesses.  Is there a connection between those, and the Druid and (ethnic) Latvian customs?

Karneval in Germany is stripped of religious past, I believe. Never had a chance to take part in one as it is a “Norddeutsche” celebration.  However, I have participated in at least a dozen Kirchweih in Southern Germany.  Again, these are celebrations apart from the others mentioned.

What ever one’s sin, Latvians better shed all this nonsense. There is no place for traditional ethnicity in afro-american-one-world-politically-correct-culturism.

Mr. L. L.

I’m glad someone else posted about the other similar holidays around the world.  We did the “mummer” thing with a bunch of Latvian friends in Riga...and horror of horrors a lot of people do it during the Christmas holiday!  If Halloween upsets you, certainly the mixture of the two might. :-)

Here in S.A., Halloween is pretty big.  And although some of the products these days are American-type things, my understanding is that similar activities to in the US have always been around...thus leaving in question whether one can really call Halloween an American holiday.  We get blamed for a lot of things...but Halloween...?

Please pardon my ignorance:

There in South America – is the celebration in question Halloween, or All Saints Day?

Mr. L. L.

Did not have a computer for a while - so have missed out on some good topics. I am not a bilblical expert - in any any language - but do not recall the mention of any Celts in the Bible. That being said - Halloween is based on a Celtic tradition that actually involves an individual besting the devil. It also seems that any descriptions that link it to evil - are modern day inventions. Unless I am wrong - the evil became more generally held when the news media began seriously reporting gate night incidents some 25+ years back. Gate night is October 30th though. Prior to these reports however - Halloween had been considered a fun night for children and adults alike.

Many saw no evil in that night until they purchased their own homes - and had to start handing out some goodies. It seemed odd that they had no sense of horror regarding that evening when they themselves were collecting - and it also seems odd that many times these same individuals would dress their own kids up for the purpose of trick or treating. So that covers the CHEAP element of the night.

I have in the past approached a Catholic Priest on the subject. It seems odd that in a church service that he actually advised that he could find no evidence that Halloween was a day of evil in the eyes of the church. This same Priest also actively participated with the youth of that church in pre Halloween outings that included carving Jack-O-Lanterns. If you look on the web - you will find the story of Jack of the Lantern - and fingd that this is the individual that the pumpkins are made to ward off.

I imagine it is often simpler for any group to promote hate and fear - and that seems to be what has happened to Halloween. It is NOT a holiday and isn’t under consideration as one - and - it is NOT a religious day by any means. It is a long standing custom/tradition in North America - and aside from some perverts that have over the years attempted poisoning kids, or harming them in other ways - it has always been a day for fun.

Is that much to ask that there be some fun left in this world? Those that do not want to participate - have that right of course - but why is that it seems to be the modern trend to bash anything that we don’t approve of on a religous and moral basis. Perhaps these ideas oruiginate with people that have too much time on their hands, and prefer destruction to performing a positive service. Remember that this is also very much in keeping with comments from certain religous denominations/sects that claim that the natural disaster that have occurred in recent years - are God’s punishment on those areas - as they are apparently mostly godless creatures anyway. Once again - I am at a loss regarding those opinions - in that were we not taught about His Love and His Mercy - and that ALL is His Creation.

Maybe I missed the boat though.

As usual, the real issue is lost in the various responses. Halloween and Christmas ( or Xmas as the author put it ) are cash cows in America, who doesn’t know that? I’m an American Latvian working in the gift business for the past 20 years, buying junk from China and distributing to to most of America’s major chain stores. It’s been very profitable. And quite laughable. Here, as I write it’s Dec 19th and there is no shortage of the Christmas schlock, the same freaking chistmas songs played day and night, every commercial trying to sell you some other piece of crap that no one needs. All the madison avenue ads being so “homey” and “cutesy” and “oh so lovely” with this and that warm and fuzzy “Christmas memory” .. gee I have to puke.

Halloween is fun. Chistmas is overated. The only Holiday that makes true sense is Easter, which recognizes the fact the Jesus died for the sins of mankind, was resurrected and gives us all the hope of eternal life. Thank God Jesus was born… indeed, but more important, thank God he died, and the reason he died. Thank God for his resurrection.

I do not think the commercial aspect is ever lost - but simply I believe that it is ignored for the simple fact that it is there for everything - Easter included. I do believe that much can be seen in a clearer light if looked at from a religious aspect - but again, with so-called respect for other ideas and rights. I don’t know about the rest of you - but we were taught not to be judgemental, and I find that now days everything seems to be way too judgemental. I don’t know abouit other countries, but I do know that in Canada the book “The Golden Compass’ is being slammed from a religious perspective. For God’s sake - it is clearly a work of fiction, as are countless other books. If you don’t like the content of a book the solution is quite simple - put it down. If we judge works of fiction based on Christian beliefs - then lets ban Science Fiction - lets ban all animated books that deal with aliens and superheroes etc. I feel many of us have whatever Christian beliefs - but where did all the insecurity come from in the last couple of decades. Will fiction ever destroy the beliefs of people - whether they read a certain book or not - whether they watch a particular movie (or show) or not. The list goes on and on - and to what purpose?