Somehow it doesn't feel right

Friday night, and again I am at home doing a whole lot of nothing. I actually have no real desire to see my friends and then at the same time I hate staying home on a Friday night. Tonight particularly because I know I will very likely be at home AGAIN tomorrow night too.

I have decided to refuse to participate in anything to do with Halloween. Neither Halloween party nor Anti-Halloween party. I don't really see the point.

I know Halloween represents a pagan tradition but I feel that the only people taking Halloween religiously seriously are wannabees. and anyone wanting to perform some ancient rite of hocus pocus... probably has other days that fit much better into their calendar.

Also, we're moving from Spring into Summer time on this side of the equator not Autumn into Winter. Spring and Summer are times of new growth and life (and rain!)

This has just become another meaningless tradition to adopt from the United States. Will we all start celebrating Thanksgiving or 4th of July in a year or two? they're both about as signnificant to South Africa.

I only notice that Halloween is around because the shops take a brief break from the 2 month run up to Christmas to change all the store decor to Black and orange.

Speaking of Christmas, I could go to the same level of comparison that the Festive season has become so much about themed shop and office decor and so little about the history that to the religiously uninformed, Halloween and Christmas bear a lot of similarities.

A colour scheme:

Halloween - Orange and Black

Christmas - Red green and white

A plant

Halloween pumpkin

Christmas pine tree

Odd characters

Halloween witches, bats and vampires

Christmas elves, reindeer and that big jolly man

Generosity

Halloween trick or treat

Christmas presents, dinner

But! But! But! There is more to Christmas than some overworked tradition. Christmas without the traditional over used symbols (I even saw Christmas decorations in Dubai- an Arab state! - However not a Nativity scene in sight!)

So I say Nay! I say nay to halloween. To the parties and the dress up and the run of scary movies on TV. I say nay to the people holding counter-revolutionary parties of light against Halloween. I say nay to the repeatitve jingle music returning to our shops and stores by Monday. I say nay to tinsel and fake snow and reindeer.

I wish I could keep The memory of Christs birth as a deeply religious celebration instead of something over sold, over-commercialised and glossed up and marketed as Halloween. I wish I didn't have to be reminded of the Festive season every minute of the day from 25 October to 25 December.

Banish the ridiculous traditions! And give Christmas back to the Christians.

And with that - I am left with the only option - to stay home tomorrow night and support neither Halloween party - nor- Anti-Halloween Party. Halloween is dead to me.