Comments on MYSTAGOGY: Orthodoxy and Halloween: Separating Fact From Fict...

John, I enjoy your articles very much. I have alw...

2011-11-01T07:14:38.811-04:00

John, I enjoy your articles very much. I have always deeply loved halloween. I was raised in a fundamentalist home that saw the devil everywhere, which is very destructive. For the first 2 years after converting to Orthodoxy, I tried to suppress my love for halloween but this year began integrating it back into my life. Like you, I read a gothic novel and donned a costume and enjoyed the fall and it felt like coming home, not a fall from grace. Thank you so much for sharing your studies and personal experiences.

John, Thank you for taking a stand on this issue a...

2011-10-11T11:41:00.801-04:00

John,
Thank you for taking a stand on this issue and not backing down. It is time that Orthodox Christians stop reacting to things like American fundamentalists. When I was an Anglican priest, I researched this topic as well and came to the same conclusions that you have. I will continue to link this post to others who are misinformed about the facts of Halloween. God bless you.

Joseph Patterson

John, inasmuch as I appreciate your views, I can n...

2011-10-03T10:51:42.490-04:00

John, inasmuch as I appreciate your views, I can not wholly agree with them. Personally, I find Halloween as abhorent and prefer not to celebrate it myself, particularly since I do not want to be wrapped up in anything that may have evil connotations or underpinnings. Thank you for your views though.

It's not a citation type article. It is just a...

2010-11-05T02:49:14.813-04:00

It's not a citation type article. It is just a post to help encourage people to do their own honest research and discover for themselves whether or not I am just coming up with this stuff.

Hello. I want to add that citations are needed ...

2010-11-05T02:39:03.252-04:00

Hello.

I want to add that citations are needed in your post. After the initial quotes, almost no citations are presented in the body of the text. The claim that you have researched the topic must be supported if you want the reader to believe it. One of your last responses on Nov. 9, 2009, and then Nov. 3, 2009 began including references. I really would like to know where to find that article you mentioned from 1939.

Alexey Khlopoff: thanks. Everything you wrote made sense to me. I appreciate that.

I think people celebrate Halloween for very differ...

2010-11-01T22:30:14.422-04:00

I think people celebrate Halloween for very different reasons, so I don't want to lead anyone towards a specific way of celebrating something like this. There are things to avoid, like any holiday, so I think its enough. Like Ive said, I'm not trying to defend myself or Halloween, even though some people read this into what I wrote cause they refuse to see the damage Christians have done in demonizing the holiday, and this includes Orthodox. My only goal is to show the truth and open the door to allow Christians to celebrate Halloween any way they wish according to their own personal Christian conscience. This is not a Christian holiday that requires rubrics or guidelines. I will not expect a 5 year old to celebrate the way I do. People have different tastes and interests.

If you wish to know what I did Halloween, I went to church in the morning, came home and made a few blog posts, saw a horror movie, went to parents house in order to have a Name Day celebration for my nephew Demetri who celebrated on October 26th, I went with my nephews and niece to a few houses for trick or treating, I went for a drive into Salem, MA to check it out for about 30 minutes, then came home and watched Ghost Hunters Live. Its pretty uneventful and would have liked to have done other things, but oh well. I also like the time leading up to Halloween, seeing horror movies, going to haunted houses (both real and fake), reading a gothic novel, and most of all, being a New Englander, I love the Autumn season more than any other. Basically, I celebrate one aspect of my personality that may or may not conform to the interests of others. Others may like to dress up and have a party, or whatever else. People should have the freedom to express themselves according to their own Christian conscience and not be enslaved by others narrow views.

Hello John, Thanks for referring me to your other...

2010-11-01T21:28:47.609-04:00

Hello John,

Thanks for referring me to your other article. It was an interesting read, but it didn’t address any of the points in my previous post. You can respond to my previous post should you choose.

Regarding your article ‘Ten Things I won’t do on Halloween’, you don’t mention what you ARE celebrating? Likewise with the article above. Can you please clarify this?

I just wanted to finish by saying that my intention is to find out what exactly your intent is when it comes to Halloween. As I mentioned, it’s not entirely clear and it would help clear up a lot of confusion. People may be reading this page for advice so it’s important all angles are understood.

Lord have mercy.

George

People need to start worrying about themselves and...

2010-11-01T00:16:11.574-04:00

People need to start worrying about themselves and stop focusing so much on other people. We should keep in mind that if we were to analyze the people that go to church on Sunday at our local parish, some are probably hypocrites, others probably do it for show, yet others probably attend for ethnic reasons, while others do it for socializing, etc, etc. Very few are probably there fully with the right intentions. If we were to apply the same standards of our church attendance to our reluctance towards Halloween based on how other people celebrate it, whether it be neo-pagans or satanist etc (a tiny minority), then we would probably think that attending church is of the devil. But of course I realize most people aren't that logical.

George, read my other article on Halloween titled ...

2010-10-31T23:17:38.468-04:00

George, read my other article on Halloween titled "Ten Things I Won't Do On Halloween".

Mircea, you worry about your own salvation.

http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/10/ten-things-i-wont-do-on-halloween.html

Dear John, I am sincerely disappointed to read t...

2010-10-31T20:42:45.570-04:00

Dear John,

I am sincerely disappointed to read that celebrating this satanic feast is ok for an Orthodox Christian ! In fact, celebrating Halloween means dressing in costumes that show you different than you are in truth ! Right ?! So what is happening is you "lie", you serve the lie, not the Truth ! As Orthodox Christians we had chosen to be the servants of the Truth, the servants of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Truth ! When we serve the lie, we are in reality servants of the devil !
I saw, few minutes ago, in the lobby of the building, a saw a lady dressed in devil ! So what do you have to say about this ?!

I strongly advise you to confess to your spiritual Father and ask GOD for forgiveness !

Forgive me, please, if I made you upset ! Believe me, I WANT YOU IN HAVEN !

MAY GOD BLESS AND SAVE ALL THE SOULS ! AMEN !

Mircea

Hello John, I've had a chance to read through...

2010-10-31T20:03:43.054-04:00

Hello John,

I've had a chance to read through your article, as well as the posts below it. I just wanted to add some points that are yet to be covered.
Putting aside the “true” origin of the holiday, evil or not, it’s what Halloween has become today which we know is evil. One orthodox writer mentions “sorcery, fortune telling, divination, witchcraft” etc are some of the evil practices which occur on Halloween. These practices are reinforced by modern pop culture as a ‘scary’ but ‘cool’ and ‘normal’ practices to participate in during Halloween. Is it worth risking people, especially children, to these evil practices which can lead them astray?

I once heard an orthodox lecture on modern pop culture and how people are craving nostalgia, as it brings them fond memories of when they were younger and gives them a ‘good’ feeling inside. As an observer to this article and all the posts which support the participation in Halloween, it’s interesting how many people have a love for Halloween because of all the nostalgia from their childhood. Is this enough to justify the participation in Halloween? I don’t believe so. For the next generation of children can we create a new set of nostalgia by celebrating All Saints Day?

I think it’s great that from a historical perspective, you’ve shown that the true origin of Halloween is different to popular belief. But from a religious perspective, I can’t see how this justifies participating in Halloween?

Finally John, you mention in your conclusion that “I do not want to come out as a proponent of Halloween since it is not an Orthodox feast I feel the need to defend.” If this is true, why are you defending it? What harm is there in letting this insignificant celebration go?

Lord have mercy.

George

John It's just mindboggling that you would con...

2010-10-31T17:06:14.986-04:00

John
It's just mindboggling that you would consider this demonic feast in any which way and form. Many people who commented here have rebutted everything you stated.Do you recall how St John Maximovitch reacted to his parish celebrating halloween? Do you have a spiritual father? Did you get a blessing to defend this satanic feast the way you do ? You have a great website but sometimes you go off on these satanic tangents. By the way, there never was a "Schism" the Church is ONE and can never be divided. The papists left on their own delusional accord
in Christ
savva

Great article - just a couple thoughts: 1. As Eas...

2010-10-26T09:13:34.342-04:00

Great article - just a couple thoughts:

1. As Eastern Orthodox, we celebrate "All Saints Day" on the first Sunday after Pentecost, so our Halloween should be held in the Spring, making 10/31 just an ordinary day.

2. We can just as easily prove that Halloween is a Communist holiday as it is a Satanic one. Trick-or-Treating started when FDR was in his first term and fit in nicely with his "spreading the wealth" policies. Kids learn that instead of earning their own wealth by working hard, they can simply go door to door and collect goods from others who are more fortunate. These redistribution practices have to stop or else America's kids will grow up to be Socialists.

When I was a kid in the 70's I had a blast on ...

2010-10-24T19:25:47.644-04:00

When I was a kid in the 70's I had a blast on Halloween, and somehow I still managed to become a Christian and discover Orthodoxy! The Satanic panic is a thoroughly descredited myth for those who care to do a modicum of research.

So long as you put God and His Church first, observe the festival if you want and enjoy.
Thanks for the post.

John... Sanity! I raise my glass to you! All Orth...

2010-10-21T23:28:13.548-04:00

John...

Sanity! I raise my glass to you! All Orthodox peoples have customs that come from the old pagan times. There's nothing wrong at all with them. What's so bad about having some continuity with our pagan forebears? (I know that we AREN'T pagans... I think that some "Christians" are just too dismissive of too much). There are Christians who still sacrifice sheep!

In short... be grounded and sober, that's the ticket.

Vara

But lets make sure our spiritual fathers know the ...

2010-10-09T00:51:10.081-04:00

But lets make sure our spiritual fathers know the facts and avoid the myths spread by some mislead spiritual fathers.

Beloved brother in the Lord: Forgive me. This top...

2010-10-08T23:08:31.932-04:00

Beloved brother in the Lord:

Forgive me. This topic has been over exhausted. All we should do is ask our spiritual father if it's blessed to participate in this event or not and leave it at that.

Everything else leads to extremes and disunity.

Well, I won't be respectful of something ridic...

2010-09-27T00:29:10.071-04:00

Well, I won't be respectful of something ridiculous, and sarcasm is one way I show how ridiculous it all is.

But as I basically said in my post, we shouldn't blame Halloween or the day for the bad behavior or occultic mentality the day inspires for some people, if you can say that a day can even inspire someone. To me its like blaming the Bible for all the evil it supposedly inspired. Someone can read Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and be inspired to commit heinous murders against little children in imitation of the Count, or they can read it like me where it inspires no such evil and is listed in one of my all time five favorite novels.

Anyway, I'll be writing more on Halloween and will write a shorter version of this post in the next few weeks.

John, I greatly admire your profound research and ...

2010-09-26T23:51:26.934-04:00

John, I greatly admire your profound research and incredible depth of knowledge. I think this type of knowledge should be available to everyone. But I do have a few issues with it as well.
1. you have made clear that Halloween was not born out of terrible evil, and that is proven by your immense evidence. However, let's take a look around at the huge publicity it has. Dollar shops sell witches and demonic costumes like hotcakes, and who are we to say that Halloween does not inspire evil in some people? Accodring to the Bible, witchcraft and its influence should be avoided AT ALL COSTS, even if if does come in the form of harmless holiday wear. I am NOT AGAINST people celebrating Halloween, but I am AGAINST the effects and influences that Halloween can create in less than solid minds (i.e. children, teens). Halloween did not start out as a bad thing, but now in the 21st century it has become many things to many people. I think like yourself that the Church should do more research before it speaks out, but I can see clearly see why it would be so afraid of something like Halloween gaining too much (Bad) attention. The church has a GOD given right to speak out for itself.
2. I think you need to be slightly more respectful of the opinions of the readers and commentators( who took out of their time to read your posts) and not call them "ridiculous" or inflict sarcasm "i will be too busy callin g on the wrath of God".
I think anyone who respects good solid evidence such as yourself will not lower their image just to prove a point that may or may not be accepted.
But Please continue with the good work, the rewards are great.
Best Wishes,
M.

I'm getting in late in the convo, I realize bu...

2010-08-27T10:46:53.115-04:00

I'm getting in late in the convo, I realize but as a mom and a grandmama, I'd say let kids be kids and let 'em have some harmless and supervised fun on Halloween. After all, kids are only young once! I gave Halloween parties in my home and took my girl trick or treating and I highly doubt that it's gonna send either of us to Hell. There are far worse things out there without creating boogeymen. Sometimes I wonder if all the hoopla against halloween is more about adults with an agenda pushing their hang-ups on the rest of us. There are some Christians in all branches of Christianity that are so cheerless and dour that they don't even want to allow any sort of fun or joy in life. I noticed that sometimes adults who convert to Christianity, especially if they are coming from a past that includes alcoholism and/or drugs tend to pick the strictest sect they can find and get absolutely rigid in their ideas...and then of course the kids can't do a doggone thing because their parents basically switched one addiction for another! To me, a Christian putting peer pressure on another Christian re: the holiday is the same as judging them. One might also want to keep in mind that the Puritans thought Christmas was "pagan" and actually banned the celebration of the holiday. It seems to me that in the 21st Century we as adults should be able to teach our kids the difference between fact and fiction.

Oops. Jumped the posting gun.... anyway: I think ...

2010-04-22T14:59:33.416-04:00

Oops. Jumped the posting gun....
anyway: I think that your deriders would be hard pressed to find a definition of fanaticism that didn't threaten their understanding of faith.

I commend your sobriety and honesty in dealing wit...

2010-04-22T14:42:59.299-04:00

I commend your sobriety and honesty in dealing with this topic, although I think your post could have been half as long -- two examples of hysterical anti-halloween polemics would have been plenty, and the rest of the post could have been condensed. I the questions brought up (unwillingly) by your detractors are even more interesting than your post. Many seem to read into your post an endorsement of every aspect of
contemporary halloween practice. That makes it easier
to cast you in the role of a minion of darkness and equate you with Anton Levay. After all, he considers Oct. 31 a demonic holiday and you don't, so your views must be the same. (?)

It seems to me odd to say that the opinions of satanists and neo-pagans should be informative to a Christian view of *anything. These religions are new. They are made up.

You talk about hyper-religiosity, something I think is also called "fanaticism." I knew a protestant who said "A fanatic is someone who has more faith that you." I think that your deriders here would be hard pressed to find a definition of fanaticism that didn't threate

Not for publication, please... Dear John, My con...

2010-02-28T13:23:54.169-05:00

Not for publication, please...

Dear John,

My condolences for the cross of dealing with absolute shmidiots. Haven't you figured out that the zealots have a patristic citation for EVERYTHING? You can't argue with such sorts.

Like unto them are the Uniates who try to tell you that everything is now hunky-dory between the Church and the various Unias. They get all bent out of shape when you remark that no Orthodox hierarch has put his John Henry to any ukaze authorising such nonsense.

In short, it ain't easy being green... It does take ALL kinds, John. Do pass me the jug, it's on your right. You may take a friendly slug, yourself (indeed, I urge you to, you need it!).

a kind word from a fellow blogger in the trenches,
Vara Drezhlo

PS
Don't give any credence to anyone who won't give their name... if it's on my driver's licence, it's good enough to share with you. Be good and walk the path of the Fast to the end... then... HAPPY EASTER!

BMD

No, I was saying in essence this is the way "...

2010-02-22T08:03:41.769-05:00

No, I was saying in essence this is the way "I" viewed Halloween. And if you read the rest of the article in context, I try to dispel both the "evilness" and "goodness" of Halloween. But since you equate "sin" with "Halloween", I can see why you find these things incomprehensible, even though for me the twaine do not meet.

"I realized in the impurity and evil of my he...

2010-02-22T07:55:11.772-05:00

"I realized in the impurity and evil of my heart I was choosing a much easier enemy to fight rather than the much more difficult enemy within, the enemy of my ego which easily saw scandal elsewhere rather than the impurity and scandal within my own heart and mind."

In essence, you are saying that Christians who view Halloween as evil, do so because they themselves have evil in their hearts. I suppose that those Christians who have no evil in their hearts would view Halloween as a harmless, non-evil holiday (holy day)?

In other words, Christians who view Halloween as evil are evil themselves, while Christians who view Halloween as good are good?

This is tantamount to saying that I must be evil to think sin is evil. If I were not evil then I would not think sin is evil.

This illogical. I'm sorry, but I can't buy this logic.