Thread: Halloween-Хелоуин

Originally Posted by Dobry

This is not a big holiday... it's a small holiday, marking the winter solstice.

I thought winter solstice was in december (22nd I believe)...

Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors

You mean you need no pretext to get hammered?

I don't drink alcohol :P It isn't a day off either...

[quote:230ul7di]What I mean is that it's great when people can choose what they want to celebrate.

Isn't it a bit... degrading to dissolve in an alien culture? Just one answer, what for? Let's tell Barmaley -- go celebrate Масленицу. Why don't they do that? They don't need it. Neither do we. Of course, everyone has the right to celebrate what he wants to celebrate, but let's not make it a national event...[/quote:230ul7di]

Каждый раз, когда ребенок, празднующий Халоуин, подходит к моему дому, я ему даю моркови.

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Originally Posted by Dobry

This is not a big holiday... it's a small holiday, marking the winter solstice.

I thought winter solstice was in december (22nd I believe)...

Yes, KV, you are correct. I am sorry, I am wrong.

Halloween is the traditional celebration of the end of the old Celtic summer season. I apologize for my error in information.

This is not a holiday that I honor, or participate in... and it is not a U.S. official... or government... holiday (= 'no work'), and many churches don't consider it a 'holiday'.

For 'importance' in America... in my opinion... Halloween is similar to St. Patrick's Day... a reason to have fun.

Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year, 4th of July, and several other major holidays are considered much more important than Halloween.

Originally Posted by basurero

Каждый раз, когда ребенок, празднующий Хеллоуин, подходит к моему дому, я ему даю морковку.

Не знаю, почему, но так ("морковку") почему-то намного естественней звучит.

Originally Posted by ReDSanchous

I don't mean that we are in need of foreign holidays. What I mean is that it's great when people can choose what they want to celebrate. Halloween is not an official holiday, so what's the problem? The fact that it's been growing more and more popular in the past few years? Do you project that we can soon find out that Halloween is more than just a holiday for particular groups of population?

ReDSanchous...

I just now saw your message.

Halloween (also known as "All Saints' Day") is being celebrated every year by certain churches, and certain groups. Wiccan is a recognized religion in the U.S., and it celebrates "All Saints' Day", as a religious day.

Religious freedom is, of course, a strong foundation in U.S. history, so there are many churches that will honor and celibrate some days, but that other churches will not honor nor celibrate.

Halloween is a religious holiday for some churches... and Halloween in a much "lighter" form, is a holiday for children to dress in costumes, ask for candy, and to have fun.

I don't see or predict any problem. I don't honor Halloween... but I protect the rights of the people that do consider Halloween a holiday. I mention Wiccans, because of Halloween... but Wiccans are some of the kindest, most peaceful people I've met. They are an important part of American religious culture. I write this as a Christian... and I have Wiccan friends.

But! I AM surprised that someone or some media said that Halloween is the "2nd biggest holiday in the U.S." Most Americans, I think, would disagree. Even Wiccans, I think, would disagree.

Originally Posted by basurero

Каждый раз, когда ребенок, празднующий Халоуин, подходит к моему дому, я ему даю моркови.

Giving a carrot to a child could save her or him. Good gift... even if you speak as a joke... I believe you speak sincerely. Good for you Basurero. Muy bien.

D

Dobry, I take your point that it is very important to honor other people's beliefs and protect their rights. I didn't know of Wiccan. Now that you've told me about it, I know that there are certain people in the States for whom the holiday is not fun but rather a way of expressing their religious views. Now it's clear for me that it's possible to distinguish between two forms of Halloween - the traditional one and the light one.
That you have Wiccan friends is very good, I think. Believing in something different to what is considered normal in your country should not be an obstacle when making friends for example.
Perhaps, the author of the article stating that Halloween is the 2nd most popular holiday in the USA meant non-official holidays. Then, probably, Halloween can take 2nd place.

I can't remember any other foreign holidays that have as much influence (still little, though) as Halloween in Russia...

How about St Valentine's Day?

That's right. St Valentine's Day seems to be even more popular than Halloween in Russia. Anyhow, this holiday relates to love which is 'recognized' all over the world whereas mystical creatures are not. It's all about your attitude towards these holidays, your life position, and your life status. For example, my parents care about neither of the holidays. The same holds true for me at the moment. But as a schoolboy, I used to send postcards (valentines) on Saint Valentine's Day. Probably, a lot of couples give presents to one another on this day. Thus again, this foreign holiday is not official and very popular.

Yeah, religious, right. Now I understand why they say "drink like a fish", that apparently signifies closeness to Jesus.

Originally Posted by ReDSanchous

St Valentine's Day....relates to love which is 'recognized' all over the world...

You got your holidays confused here, comrade. Based on your statement you obviously are talking about another popular American holiday "April Fool's Day"!!!!

By the way, are Russians familiar with this holiday and if so, is it celebrated?

Originally Posted by adoc

Yeah, religious, right. Now I understand why they say "drink like a fish", that apparently signifies closeness to Jesus.

I assume you're being sarcastic. I like the fish pun. Clever.

"Religious" does not equal "Christian".

There are many religions, many faiths, and many people who have no faith.

But everyone has the right to choose a belief/faith... or no belief.

I have no right to interfere with anyone's belief/faith... unless that belief/faith involves harming others.

Originally Posted by Dobry

Originally Posted by basurero

Каждый раз, когда ребенок, празднующий Халоуин, подходит к моему дому, я ему даю моркови.

Giving a carrot to a child could save her or him. Good gift... even if you speak as a joke... I believe you speak sincerely. Good for you Basurero. Muy bien.

D

Да, я в действительности так делаю... Если бы только дети так высоко ценили мои мокровки, как и ты.

Originally Posted by basurero

Да, я в действительности так делаю... Если бы только дети так высоко ценили мои мокровки, как и ты.

Originally Posted by basurero

Да, я в действительности так делаю... Если бы только дети так высоко ценили мои мокровки, как и ты.

Sometimes you have to be careful when you say "моя морковка". Say simply "морковка", don't specify the ownership.

Originally Posted by Dobry

But everyone has the right to choose a belief/faith... or no belief.

You don't get to choose anything, it's a matter of programming. If you were born and raised in Iraq, you'd be declaring a jihad on me now.

As for Halloween, I seriously doubt that a majority of people having fun in costumes associate it in any way with a religious ritual, the way the russian holy orthodox ch...government agency tries to paint them.

Originally Posted by adoc

Originally Posted by Dobry

But everyone has the right to choose a belief/faith... or no belief.

You don't get to choose anything, it's a matter of programming. If you were born and raised in Iraq, you'd be declaring a jihad on me now.

As for Halloween, I seriously doubt that a majority of people having fun in costumes associate it in any way with a religious ritual, the way the russian holy orthodox ch...government agency tries to paint them.

I want to believe that everyone has the right to choose her or his faith... but I don't always get what I want.

Anyway... for some (not all) people here, Halloween is considered a religious holiday. For Wiccans, it is a holy day.

For the Roman Catholic Church... it celebrates 1 November as "All Saints Day"... the church's method for dealing the with the old Celtic religious holiday of "All Hallows Eve" (also known as "Samhain", or Halloween).

And adoc... I did NOT say the majority of people consider it a religious holiday. For most people it's simply an evening of children dressing in funny or scary or cute costumes, and asking for candy... telling scary stories... having fun.

When they say "second biggest", aren't they measuring bigness on how much money is spent nationally around each of the holidays?

I could believe halloween was second "biggest" by that logic.

Originally Posted by scotcher

When they say "second biggest", aren't they measuring bigness on how much money is spent nationally around each of the holidays?

I could believe halloween was second "biggest" by that logic.

Interesting thought! Scotcher may be right.

In terms of money... a lot of money is spent on candy, costumes, tricks... Halloween is very big for merchants in the U.K., Ireland, Scotland, U.S., etc.

I have been thinking "popularity"... Scotcher goes for the "money"...

Scotcher, 'ol' chap'... good thinking.

Originally Posted by adoc

Originally Posted by Dobry

But everyone has the right to choose a belief/faith... or no belief.

You don't get to choose anything, it's a matter of programming. If you were born and raised in Iraq, you'd be declaring a jihad on me now.

I'm the last person on the face of the Earth that would declare Jihad on anyone.

I'm only a janitor.