Ditch the Trunk or Treat

Ok, so in case you haven't heard about it, Trunk or Treat is an alternative to traditional Halloween Trick or Treating.  It is usually run by churches or civic groups that provide a 'safe alternative to Trick or Treating.'  People park their cars in a parking lot of a church, open their trunks and decorate them and put bowls of candy inside.  Kids then come and go from trunk to trunk getting candy and greeting the car owners.  It is billed as a 'safe alternative' to trick-or-treating.

I know that some of you will disagree with me, but I think Trunk or Treat has to go.  Here are three reasons why . . .

1.  A 'Safe Alternative?!'  Since when did we get so worried about Trick or Treating?  Do we really think that we are going to find razor blades in our apples?  
           Wait . . .
                 A: who gives out apples?  
                 B: the last time I heard about this was 1987 (which was before Snopes.com so I                       am not even sure that it happened).  

Come on people - don't be afraid to live a little.  Are you scared of your neighbors?  Then you need to move.  Are you scared someone will abduct them?  Then walk with your children packing heat.  There are bigger and badder things to be scared of, Trick-or-Treating is not one of them.

2.  We are against Halloween?  Trunk or Treat lets some people breathe easier around Halloween for religious reasons.  Just a review:  Halloween is not a bad word.  It actually is a Christian word - All Hallows Eve.  It was a somewhat unsuccessful attempt to Christianize a series of pagan holidays like Samhain.  These holidays celebrated the end of summer and commemorated the departed souls of the year before.  Yes, the holiday has other weird roots that get expressed with ghosts and ghouls but I don't think that is why your neighbor's 7 year old is dressing up.  

She just wants candy.  Lots of it.

So please don't turn off your lights and not celebrate Halloween because you think it celebrates Satan.  Yes, certain weirdos do.  But really, the kid next door just wants a Kit-Kat.  You actually might be expressing your Christianity by giving out candy.  When you shut up the home front, you are introducing your kid neighbors to the idea that Christians retreat from the world rather than love it.

Remember, God so loved the world.  Love it.  Don't become it.

3.  You can stiff-arm culture by revolutionizing it.  I get that Halloween has some objectionable material to it.  But don't confuse people and culture.  You can object to culture while reaching out to people.  I can't think of a better way for people to have some fun right before you don't see anyone for the next 4 months of winter.  Go out and talk to your neighbors and walk with your kids.  Make sure you hold their bags when they get heavy and help yourself to a Reese's or two.

Lighten up.

Enjoy life a little.

Because really no one wants to spend the night in a parking lot with a bunch of open trunks and candy - with hand selected 'safe people.'  We want the real thing.  We want to spend three hours lugging a pillow case around to every inhabitable place within 10 miles of our home and wind up with eight and a half pounds of candy.

I know that some of you will think I am horrible for thinking this, but it is a blog - this is where I get to rant.

Just for the record, I know there are dark elements to this holiday that we need to be wary of.  Honestly, though, the current problem with Halloween is not it's demonic roots.  The sick twist is how it makes our young girls dress like prostitutes.  It's kind of weird that Party City has short skirt costumes for seven year old girls. I went looking for Tigger for my 10 year old.  They had French Maid outfits but no Tiggers.  That's evil.

So I have a talk with my 10 year old why that is inappropriate - I don't boycott it.

But all of that won't keep me from having some fun with my kids, talking with my neighbors and getting tooth decay.  I suggest you do the same.  Skip the trunks and connect with the people you live around.

Oh - and Happy Halloween!