First Halloween

by freedom96 8 Replies latest jw friends

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  freedom96

  Let me say first of all, I have never been a big fan of Halloween. The witches, monsters, etc, never appealed to me.

  Last night, my family and I were invited to a friend of a friends house for food and trick or treating. My first inclination, was to find a way to weasel out of it. As I knew my friends very well, the house we were meeting at was a complete stranger to my family, and I didn't really feel like socializing with people I didn't know, at a holiday I have never celebrated.

  We arrived at this house, and there were probably about 6 families represented. Parents, with their kids. All the kids were dressed up, as were a handful of adults. Everyone was extremely pleasent.

  We got to know each other over pizza, and found that everyone seemed really friendly, and put us at ease right away. After eating, most of the adults went with the kids trick or treating.

  This was the first time even coming close to doing anything like this. It was enjoyable, watching all the children. They were so excited, loved dressing up, loving the candy, going from house to house. I kept thinking, this sure beat knocking on doors with the magazines! Everyone was having a good time, and it seemed, really, so innocent. The adults had fun watching their kids, and enjoying each others company.

  We came back to the house, and relaxed. The kids pulled out their candy, at some, and played. The adults sat back and had fun conversation. A little bit later, it was time to go home, and as I walked away, I looked back on an enjoyable evening. The people were nice, the kids had fun. We really had a good time.

  I reflected on my own childhood, and not being able to go trick or treating. Never gave it too much thought, but after seeing firsthand what it was all about, I felt like I missed out. I felt sad that my first son will never get to see what it was all like. Not only not going out to do actual trick or treating, but missing out on the projects the young kids do in school, and the constant questioning from teachers and friends on why you don't do Halloween, and being so young you really don't know. All you see is your friends having fun, and feeling like you are eternally punished for being in this religioin that doesn't do anything.

  There was no demons flying around the house, nothing like what the witnesses make it out to be. I don't feel evil, and I don't feel like God hates me for going. It was fun filled evening with friends and family.

  Just another example of how the WTS must make the witnesses so different. All the different things we didn't get to do growing up. No holidays, at home, or school activities. No after school activities, no joining clubs at school, no sports, no dances, etc. What a shame.

  I will live, I survived not doing it, but I really think I missed out on some great memories. Thank God my new family will not have to suffer the same way.
• 

  Swan

  Halloween is so great I started celebrating in secret before I left the JWs. My first was in 1988. I had a great costume and went 50 miles away to Portland where nobody knew me. Nobody in the KH found out and I had a blast. Got home really late. Work the next day was really rough, but it was so fun letting the kid in me have some fun.

  Last year we had a big party. Last night my husband and I just stayed home to pig pass out candy. But we only had 3 trick or treaters this year. Ever since 9/11 the number has diminished. Too bad. We used to get dozens.

  Tammy
• 

  Cicatrix

  A belated Happy Halloween, Freedom!

  My kids celebrated their first Halloween this year, also. We went trick or treating with their cousins, then went over to their house and had spaghetti and watched Halloween shows on t.v. They were so excited about Halloween, they went to bed early Wednesday night on their own volition so they would be rested up:)They had an absolute blast dressing up and going from house to house.They were so exhausted by all of the excitement, they fell asleep by 9:30.

  My youngest thought we should go trick or treat our former book study conductor-he came up with that one on his own, the little prankster:)

  I'm thirty-something, and I dressed up as a gothic princess while accompanying my kids trick or treating.My costume was quite a hit. I got some "evil eyes" and dissaproving looks from some old church lady types(I think it was just my genre choice, though, not the fact that I was dressed up. The local religious organizations just did a newspaper ad about witches-hehe), but most people thought it was cool that I was in the Halloween spirit, and some even tried to get me to take candy, which I politely declined.I even talked my sister into dressing up, and she hadn't done so since she was fifteen.Of course, everyone loved her--she was a Rennaisance princess.Most of the adults handing out candy at the doors were dressed up, also.

  I stopped at the store on the way home to get some groceries, and got some neat reactions. One guy commented on my costume, and said that he was going to have some fun, too.He told his significant other that they were going to go home and get dressed up and go out, because it was high time they started enjoying their lives again.

  So next year, why don't you give it a try, Freedom?It's really great that you are going to do things differently for your kids, but you can do more than just survive, too:) The WTS has this dumb old adage that when you leave the org, you just wither up and either become immoral, evil and happy until you are obliterated at armageddon, or downright depressed until you return to mama tower.It's just not that black and white, though.Why don't you start planning your costume now--heck, with a whole year to plan, it should be pretty awesome. I encourage you to be a Thriver, instead of just a survivor ( although {{{{Freedom}}}}}, I understand the bittersweetness of your discovery. I celebrated Halloween when I was a kid, yet denied my own children for years for "their own good". Talk about regrets!).
• 

  freedom96

  Yes, I do believe that it is time to start having fun!!
• 

  Salud

  Thanks for sharing your First Halloween with us Freedom. Glad you had such a nice time with your friends and family. I share many of your feelings about the evening, and also the sadness too.

  My kids are now living on their own 3,000 miles away from Frank & I. When I called them, I was so happy to hear that my son (23 years old now) was taking a neighbors boy out to trick or treat, and my daughter (now 20) was going over to a friends house to rent scarry movies, order pizza, and pass out candy to the kids.

  What was I going to do? Earlier this week, I went to the pumpkin patch and had a wave of enormous sadness come over me, as I couldn't even imagine carving a pumpkin without my kids sharing it with me. So I bought a small pumpkin, but couldn't bring myself to carve it. I decided to buy candy, hoping this would be easier than the pumpkin thing.

  As the kids rang the door bell, it turned out to be a most enjoyable evening. They were of all ages, having so much fun. And all so darling in their costumes too. Even the teenagers on their scooters and skateboards, making the most of their time, as they grabbed handfuls of candy and zoomed off!! I remembered doing the same thing. Only I was on foot.

  I thought back to the time when I was a kid, how I always looked forward to Halloween. I thought of my own kids and all of the things we never got to share. Bitter sweet it was, but knowing we now have the rest of our lives to do as we choose, and to know were not hated by God, or evil persons, is such a great relief. I think I enjoyed it even more last night, than as a kid, because of where I have been.

  My daughter had commented to me during the day "don't worry mom, I never felt like I was missing out, because I didn't know anything else, and I believed in the same thing you did". This brought me alot of comfort as I reflected on the past. Freedom, I'm sure your son, and lots of other children raised in the WT too, might say something similiar, though my son approaches it totally different!

  Hopefully with time, as we have many more enjoyable experiences, our sadness will lessen.

  Next year, I'll be carving a pumpkin with the Watchtower logo on it, and delivering it to the local Kingdumb Hall....thanks to Princess!! That will be a totally different experience and will help me get over the pumpkin thing!!!! I think I will start planning my costume also. Thanks Cicatrix and Swan...you right.

  I am now looking forward to many more Happy Halloweens.......

  Saluds Wife
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  Jesika

  Thank you all for sharing your experiences!! I would like to add mine too.

  The first time I ever trick-o-treated was when I was in foster care. I was 15 and had never done this before. I had only been in the foster home for maybe a week before Halloween. Needless to say I was just recently df'd and READY to be "evil". I had a blast and wished I had been able to do this as a small child, seeing that I would have enjoyed it more.

  This Halloween, my sister and I (for the first time celebrated together) took our boys to the mall for trick-o-treating. We felt it a little to close for comfort to go "door to door" and felt it safer to go to the mall. With all the crazy things happening we would rather be in a public place. My son dressed up as a Ninja of death, I dressed up like a medival "commoner" , my sister wore a long velvet hooded cloak with dark makeup (kinda like a sorcerous or vampiress), and my nephew also had a cloak on (he is 3) with a silver (hockey mask type) mask that he refused to keep on. We didn't get bags and bags of candy, but it was enough and we all had fun. We had our pics made of us, I may have Valis post it for me. I will have to ask him.

  I enjoyed myself with NO GUILT!!!!! For JW's to judge others or pre-judge others is much worse a sin than to dress up and get candy from people who are more than willing to give it to the kids and to be in good spirits with total strangers. I see nothing wrong with it!!!

  Hope everyone has the chance to experience the fun we as children could not enjoy. Remember the saying------You are only as old as you feel!!!!!!!!!! So, let the child in you come out and you won't regret it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  HAVE FUN EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Jesika
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  target

  On our street everyone sat outside in their driveways and partied and had the treats out there for the kids. Some neighbors compete in the house decoration department.

  In another neighborhood a family turned their garage into a haunted house of sorts. It was a Men In Black theme with aliens in the garage and they shined a red light in the kids eyes afterwards so they would not remember it. People came from all over for it.

  Yep, it was all fun. Adults would wander over to the other houses and say trick or treat and come back with a beer. We loved it

  Target
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  Jesika

  AND CAME BACK WITH BEER???????????!!!!!!!!!!

  Where do you live so I can come to your neighborhood------FREE BEER!!!! I am there!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL sounded like alot of fun thanx for sharing!!!!!!!

  The red light after so the kids wouldn't remember--too funny and very creative!! *getting out pad and paper to steal ideas--:)*
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  target

  Jessika:

  We live outside of Phoenix where the weather is great this time of year. Halloween is great here. Back in Wisconsin it was always rainy and cold and the kids had to wear coats over their costumes. With this warm weather, some houses even have fog machines for the yards and the tape player going with the screams and creaking doors and howling and the lit up eye balls in the bushes.

  From what I hear, Christmas is going to be more of the same

  target