Hallowe’en is on the way, and little ones are deciding whether to be a Ninja or Spiderman. It’s a cute tradition as Princesses, Xena, Batman and a few ghouls arrive at the door, exhibiting childhood greed. We give out handfuls because we figure if they are brave enough to make it through three barking dogs, they deserve a good pat on the back with more chips and Cadbury bars. There are the 6 foot ones who come to the door and grunt, but we usually just toss in a can of beer and they lumber off.

So when did Hallowe’en become controversial? Ah, when the fundamentalist Christian Right decided it was demonic. I don’t know why they had to pick on Hallowe’en. Maybe hugely sweet toothed parents took their candy away when they were kids, or Mom made them dress up like a ghost every Hallowe’en with nothing but a sheet on and two holes.  But they are at it again already. Fundamentalist communties seem to feel that children in Mutant Ninja Turtle costumes are more prone to become minions of Satan. And how do these kids feel at school the next day, when lunch boxes of the others are filled with 'stolen' treasure? "My Mommy and Daddy think you are all demons" as the poor kids drool over candy apples and bags of chips?

Even the age old 'trick or treat' has become relatively meaningless. The only time I had a trick played on me was when I turned out our porch light to indicate no more candy left and someone VICIOUSLY took a stroke at the front door with a piece of soap. Deviltry.

Now I understand parents taking their kids to a church hall or community constructed 'haunted houses' to take their little ghosts and goblins to get their candy and show off their costumes as in many neighborhoods. It’s just safer. But at least they get to dress up and are not burned at the stake.

Even in Canada, which is not particularly known for fundamentalist ‘fun’, still have whole communities at work to ban Hallowe’en in it’s entirety. It is supposedly evil. In fact it is a tradition going back to the early Middle Ages when the ghosts of the dead were supposed to rise, and flour was sprinkled on the floor to indicate ghostly foot prints or on chairs to indicate whether a ghost was sitting there. Why a ghost would need to rest his dogs I don’t know, but they seemed to think this would protect them and they would pray and probably do the vampire cross thing. The priests didn’t mind, (I’m not saying Middle Ages priests were the brightest in the bunch) but they didn’t label it satanic. It was just a ‘thing’.  The tradition then became fun over the years, once the flour sprinkling ceased and celebrated in its own form throughout the Western world in many different ways, most notably in the Latin American countries where wonderful skeletons parade through the streets on ‘The Day of the Dead”.

Our version is much more refined and not so Middle Age-y. The kids are afraid only when some goof jumps out at them from the bushes in a Scream mask, but even that is fun. I fail to see the connection with this and the demonic. I think it is possible that it is just another way for the Christian Right to flex it’s muscles. Kids dressing up as Satan! Abominable! I have only seen Satan at adult parties and he seemed quite pleasant.

The whole thing of banning Hallowe’en is a mystery to me. Maybe I’m just missing the point, but those that wish to outlaw Hallowe’en in it’s entirety would be robbing kids of one of the best days of the year. Who wouldn’t want to eat candy till they puke? I will never understand what this has to do with the demonic. Maybe someone out there can explain how our children can be cute little Johnny Depp pirates when they leave the house, and become the spawn of Satan as soon as they hit the streets.