HELP, MY IN-LAWS WANT TO BAN HALLOWEEN BECAUSE IT'S WEIRD AND PAGAN!

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Look, it's not like I've indulged in any Halloween shenanigans in several years, but I'm still fond of the whole idea of it (and, I might add, i met my wife at a Halloween party). In any case, my in-laws were over for dinner last night, and both were ruminating on how "out of hand" the whole concept was. "I saw two fellows in the deli just now, and they looked so weird!", said my mother-in-law. "Well, THAT'S THE IDEA!" I countered (to no great avail). When it was noted that one of their granddaughters (my wife's niece) was planning on trick-or-treating in the costume of a giant ketchup bottle, my father-in-law was particularly incredulous. "That's going to far!" THAT'S GOING TO FAR??? For God's sakes, man, she's going as a goddamn ketchup bottle! What could be cuter or more innocent???? It's not like she was going as an undead prostitute or an abortion doctor.

Ugh.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 1 November 2004 16:57 (twenty years ago)

First a ketchup bottle
Next they marry a turtle!

― LE CHUCK!™ (ex machina), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:00 (twenty years ago)

Halloween is all about the kids isn't it? Like the christ getting taken out of Christmas but it's all in good fun. As if kids should be expected to give a toss about the Pagan aspects when there's cool costumes and sweeties involved.

Halloween - fun. Simple as.

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:02 (twenty years ago)

HELP, MY IN-LAWS WANT TO BAN HALLOWEEN BECAUSE IT'S WEIRD AND PAGAN!

Oh no, can they do that?!

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:02 (twenty years ago)

Alex, at least she wasn't going as Tabasco or Horseradish.

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:03 (twenty years ago)

To be fair, they're both incredibly cool folks, but every now and then, they come out with real head-turning zingers.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:04 (twenty years ago)

The grand-daughter/niece might've been going as a ketchup bottle because of the Kerry/Heinz connection. So it isn't even that weird and random.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:05 (twenty years ago)

She's ten.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:05 (twenty years ago)

She has no political agenda. It was not a wry statement about the potential first lady. She merely wanted to parade around dressed as a giant, tomatoey condiment. Simple as that.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:06 (twenty years ago)

Oh I kinda guessed, but I also figured she might've gotten the idea from other people who were doing it as a political thing. I saw a number of other ketchup bottles last night.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:16 (twenty years ago)

What exactly would they consider NOT going too far?

― Laura E (laurae55), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:35 (twenty years ago)

That's where I'm stumped.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:36 (twenty years ago)

"That's going to far!" THAT'S GOING TO FAR???

I'm quite ashamed to point out that I should've typed TOO here. I suck.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:37 (twenty years ago)

Did you put Charlotte in a costume??

― Je4nne ƒury (Jeanne Fury), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:43 (twenty years ago)

Not just yet (not this year, anyway). Nothing beyond the pumpkin hat (see below):

http://homepage.mac.com/alexinnyc/.cv/alexinnyc/Sites/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2004-10-23%2016.09.32%20-0700/Image-E82C269E254711D9.jpg-thumb_140_105.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:46 (twenty years ago)

Yeah okay that's freakin' cute as all get out.

― Je4nne ƒury (Jeanne Fury), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:49 (twenty years ago)

Awww! That's the sweetest wee thing!

― Rumpy Pumpkin (rumpypumpkin), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:50 (twenty years ago)

they do know that Halloween has some medieval Christian roots, right? and that there's this little thing called Dia de Los Muertos?

i think Tep would be able to help out more on this front...

― Sir Kingfish Beavis D'Azzmonch (Kingfish), Monday, 1 November 2004 17:57 (twenty years ago)

Medieval = Weird.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 1 November 2004 22:03 (twenty years ago)

If it's going to far, then how is your niece ever going to catchup?

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 1 November 2004 22:09 (twenty years ago)

http://xcalibur.cc.tut.fi/gallery/halloween97/gypsy.jpg

― Kenan (kenan), Monday, 1 November 2004 22:10 (twenty years ago)

As far as I understand it Halloween was originally the Pagan New Year's Eve festival when the dead were thought to walk the earth. After the rise of Christianity the church decided to co-opt the festival and put a Christian spin on it, as they did with many other traditional Pagan festivals (Christmas, for example).

xxxpost

― Wooden (Wooden), Monday, 1 November 2004 22:14 (twenty years ago)

I want a pumpkin hat!

― luna (luna.c), Monday, 1 November 2004 22:14 (twenty years ago)

even better, do a GIS for pumpkin helmet

― Sir Kingfish Beavis D'Azzmonch (Kingfish), Monday, 1 November 2004 22:22 (twenty years ago)

That is NOT better.

― luna (luna.c), Monday, 1 November 2004 22:39 (twenty years ago)

I didn't do anything for Halloween...

― Nowell (Nowell), Monday, 1 November 2004 23:18 (twenty years ago)

Except pose on the internet as a teenaged girl from Hawaii.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 1 November 2004 23:39 (twenty years ago)

I celebrate Xmas even though it's weird and Christian, so your in-laws can return the favor by not banning Halloween.

― oops (Oops), Monday, 1 November 2004 23:42 (twenty years ago)

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