Halloween Opt-Out: Part 2

2014

It seems like changes are often revealed personally a bit at a time. Last year (2013) I threw away some of our more grotesque Halloween decorations because I didn't want my kids looking at them. Not much deeper thought than “Hmm, bloody eyeballs pasted on the window don't seem appropriate for a 2 & 4 year old.” This year, after learning that there are people who actively choose not to participate in Halloween, I debated getting out the Halloween box at all. In talking to another friend about Halloween, she said that when she drives around the neighborhood and sees a yard with a cemetery, severed limbs sticking out of the ground, and a corpse hanging from a tree – she can't help but wonder how much time the Spirit will be spending there this month. I believe our ability to feel the Holy Ghost depends more on what's happening within us than around us. However, the situations in which we place ourselves can greatly affect what is happening within us.

2015

So I pondered...what do I want to have around my house all month?

There are usually pictures of our family, the temple, Jesus, this week's art projects, little notes from my son. Do I really want to have those things compete with severed limbs, zombie babies and tombstones or even cute witches and little black cats? Fall is such a beautiful season with the changing leaves, brightly colored produce, and the last flowers of the year. I decided why not celebrate this season by adorning my home with these same beautiful creations God chose adorn the earth?

2014

Later in the month, I was looking at my Halloween costume and realized that it, too, needed a change. As I mentioned in the last post, I have a pretty cool Vampire costume. I love seeing people's clever costumes – especially when the whole family has a theme. I'm a sucker for that. Dressing up has long been my favorite part of Halloween. It's fun getting to be someone else for a night. It used to be that was someone a little more sexy or a little darker. This blog http://happycrazylife.com/2012/10/11/reformation-day-part-1-escaping-halloween/ eloquently illustrates the not so subtle shift from cute and fun little girl's costumes to their often pornographic adult version.

My costume certainly wasn't as bad as all that, but I had to think about how it made me feel. Why is it so fun to dress up? There was a show on Hulu called “Behind the Mask”. It's about people who are mascots. Like for sports teams. There's one poor little feller who is a high school mascot. He is painfully awkward and shy. However, when he puts on that costume, he can talk to girls, inspire school spirit, and make people cheer. He can be who he wants to be without worrying about who he is. In this case, putting on a costume gave an insecure boy the confidence to be more outgoing than normal. It even carries over a bit to his life outside of the costume. But what if that costume didn't stand for school spirit? What if the costume we put on lowers our inhibitions in a bad way or changes our standards or represents something dark and sinister?

Quentin L. Cook gave a talk to young people in which he spoke of their great potential. He cautioned, “In view of the enormous potential for good that you possess, what are my concerns for your future? What counsel can I give you? First, there will be great pressure on each of you to act out of character—to even wear a mask—and become someone who doesn’t really reflect who you are or who you want to be.” He notes poignant times that men have hidden their identity in order to act in a way they normally would not have acted. https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2012/01/what-e-er-thou-art-act-well-thy-part-avoid-wearing-masks-that-hide-identity?lang=eng&query=avoid+appearance+of+evil

When I became a young women leader, I found myself wanting to be a good role model. That year, my costume became a bit more modest. But there's more than just covering up skin. The test for me is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. When President James E. Faust was a young man, he was in a position to represent the church and was counseled “From now on, you must not only avoid evil, but also the appearance of evil.” https://www.lds.org/new-era/1997/02/on-the-edge?lang=eng Despite many stories and movies lately blurring the lines of which characters are good and which are not, I felt like whatever character/costume I put on needed to reflect what I wanted my true character to be.

2015

As I have considered our family traditions for this holiday and others, I realized I didn't want to just have fun. I wanted to be sure the things we celebrate bring us closer to Christ, to invite the Holy Spirit to be with us, to help us learn of good things. 2 Nephi 25:26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. Here are some other excellent articles that speak to this idea of avoiding the appearance of evil and making Christ the center of our life every day of the year: https://www.lds.org/ensign/2004/05/how-to-live-well-amid-increasing-evil.p1?lang=eng & https://www.lds.org/ensign/1975/11/opposing-evil?lang=eng & https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1979/04/fortify-your-homes-against-evil?lang=eng & many more can be found by searching “appearance of evil” on LDS.org.


Part 3 to follow...

Halloween Opt-Out: Part 1

2015
Last year I wrote a blog about my feelings about Halloween. I didn't post it because I know how some of my friends adore Halloween, look forward to it all year, put much thought and energy into their costumes, etc. and didn't want to alienate them. This year, however, I have come across more and more people with thoughts and feelings similar to mine who have requested to read what I wrote. For this reason, I have decided to share. I hope that no one will feel negatively judged and keep in mind that offense can only be taken, not given. Perhaps it will even encourage others who have had similar feelings, but were afraid to share.

2014

Just so you are aware: if you ever order from Oriental Trading Company, you will forever receive a bajillion Oriental Trading Company catalogs. As I flipped through the latest catalog to grace my mailbox, I thought at first that it was just a Halloween issue. But upon closer examination, I realized that the pumpkins had smiley faces or a cross and said things like “Jesus is my light” and “Let His light shine”. It was a whole catalog of Christian alternatives to traditional Halloween celebrations. I didn't know there even was such a thing! “What an idea,” I thought. I did some more research. Turns out a lot of Christian groups have fall celebrations or another celebration centered around Christ instead of a Halloween celebration centered around...what? Ghosts, witches and candy at best? Hmm, I started wondering what my family's October was centered around.

What my research unveiled: Some churches have Harvest Celebrations that celebrate the bounty of the season. Some churches have carnivals that give the kids the opportunity to dress up, but instead of aspiring to look like a favorite cartoon character or something ghoulish, they pick a favorite scriptural or historical character. Some families make their own home-based traditions, such as carving pumpkins, playing games, making doughnuts, etc.

2015
And some choose to celebrate the Christian Restoration that happens to have significant events on October 31^st. (More on that later.)

2014

Let's go back a decade or so...I used to be a Halloween lover. Over time, I have acquired some cool and spooky décor, a history of fun and creative trunk-or-treat themes, and a pretty cool vampire costume – complete with a real cape, red contacts, fangs, etc. I probably trick-or-treated past the age when it was appropriate or cool. I've been to my share of haunted houses, haunted forests, haunted hospitals, etc. And in high school, my friends and I looked forward to scaring the bejeebees out of people at the haunted forest in the McArthur's back yard. It. Was. Awesome.

So why am I even thinking about Halloween alternatives? Because I'm now an old fogie? Well, maybe. But no...one word – KIDS. Not the ones that come a knockin' – the ones that I birthed. Here are a few of my thoughts that have changed since becoming responsible for other human beings.

#1. Sugar – Now before you roll your eyes, let me tell you about sugar at our house. It's a struggle. It's a lot like cigarettes.

2015
Casey Seidenberg co-founder of Nourish Schools, a D.C.-based nutrition education company writes:

Sugar has been shown to have an effect similar to an addictive drug, triggering you to want and need more, and making it hard to give up.

Sugar was brought to Europe in the 1100s as a precious drug, known for its “tremendous addictive potential,” and was called “crack” during that time in France, says psychotherapist Julia Ross in her book “Mood Cure.” Quickly removing refined sugar from a diet can cause withdrawl symptoms like those with a drug: fatigue, depression, headaches and achy limbs.

Studies have also shown that overconsumption of sugar can alter our taste buds so you begin craving sweeter and sweeter foods leaving the more natural sweetness of fruits or whole foods less flavorful. (Article “Teach Your Kids About Sugar” printed in HEALTH Southwest Utah Public Health Foundation Fall 2015 - From the Washington Post, May 13, 2015)

By now everyone in the industrialized world knows it's terrible for you, but, like cigarettes, so many people still use it...A LOT. This year alone in the US, we will consume around 10.5 million metric tons of sugar. Million, tons! So what does that mean? Well, to put it in a historical context:

• In 1700, the average person consumed about 4 pounds of sugar per year.
  
• In 1800, the average person consumed about 18 pounds of sugar per year.
  
• In 1900, individual consumption had risen to 90 pounds of sugar per year.
  
• In 2009, more than 50 percent Americans consume 1/2 pound of sugar per day, which is 180 pounds of sugar per year.

In 1893, there were fewer than 3 diabetes per 100,000 people in US. Today, there are 8,000 diabetes per 100,000 people in US.

Great, so we all know it's bad for us. Yet for some reason, as a cultural whole, we shove it in kids' faces every chance we get. Have a birthday? Eat some cake! (And don't forget your treat bag to take home!) Visit an elderly relative? Have a cookie! Want to stay quiet during church? Have some fruit snacks! Do good at the doctor? Have a sucker! In fact, do well at anything? Have a (insert sugary treat here)! Celebrating any holiday? Eat candy, cookies, hot chocolate, cupcakes, doughnuts, chocolates, etc. (Think about it...Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas...been to a 4^th of July parade lately where they're not literally throwing candy at you?)

2014

August of last year, National Geographic Magazine ran an article about sugar. The cover of the magazine looked good enough to eat. I was sure it was going to say “Eh, sugar. Not so bad. Eat up!” But in fact, it was fascinatingly anti-sugar. It detailed where sugar came from and how it vastly contributed to slavery. I had no idea. You can read it here http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/08/sugar/cohen-text You should read it.

Last year (2013) I decided not to make candy a big part of our Halloween. Our church is big on the tradition of trunk-or-treats. I remember it popping up in the early nineties as a safer alternative to trick-or-treating. (Remember when there were scares about razor blades in apples or some such? Creepy!) Although, in our neighborhood, everyone goes out trick-or-treating anyway, so really we just end up handing out candy to a lot of kids twice... But I digress. Church – They also have a soup or chili potluck before hand, which I enjoy. So we went to support our church and fellowship with neighbors. However, not wanting to proliferate the sugar issue, I decided to hand out small treats of a non-edible nature (toys, stickers, temporary tattoos, etc.) [Thus the Oriental Trading Company order.] The boys stayed with me and helped me hand out the toys for the most part, and we got through Halloween with a minimal amount of sugar intake.

I was recently talking to a friend about my ponderances on Halloween. I have long admired her knowledge and actions in leading a healthy lifestyle. She feels that it is not coincidental that “cold and flu season” arrive in conjunction with sugar season (if there is such a thing anymore).

2015

Casey notes “Sugar has also been shown to suppress our immune system by lowering the ability of our white blood cells to engulf bacteria, which can lead to more colds and other sicknesses.

More than just physically, I believe what we put into our bodies affects us spiritually.

I remember an incident in my home growing up when my mother’s sensitive spirit was affected by a physical indulgence. She had experimented with a new sweet roll recipe. They were big and rich and yummy—and very filling. Even my teenage brothers couldn’t eat more than one. That night at family prayer my father called upon Mom to pray. She buried her head and didn’t respond. He gently prodded her, “Is something wrong?” Finally she said, “I don’t feel very spiritual tonight. I just ate three of those rich sweet rolls.” I suppose that many of us have similarly offended our spirits at times by physical indulgences. Especially substances forbidden in the Word of Wisdom have a harmful effect on our bodies and a numbing influence on our spiritual sensitivities. None of us can ignore this connection of our spirits and bodies.

The restored gospel teaches that there is an intimate link between body, mind, and spirit. In the Word of Wisdom, for example, the spiritual and physical are intertwined. When we follow the Lord’s law of health for our bodies, we are also promised wisdom to our spirits and knowledge to our minds (see D&C 89:19–21). The spiritual and physical truly are linked.

Susan W. Tanner, former Young Women general president, “The Sanctity of the Body,” Ensign, Nov. 2005, 15. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/10/the-sanctity-of-the-body?lang=eng

(A couple of other insightful & interesting LDS articles relating to sugar https://www.lds.org/ensign/2014/02/nourishing-our-bodies-and-our-spirits?lang=eng & https://www.lds.org/ensign/1975/10/dont-eat-your-heart-out?lang=eng&query=over+eat+affects+spirit https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/phyllis-c-jacobson_dance-supreme-physical-manifestation-inner-convictions/ & https://www.lds.org/friend/2https://www.lds.org/ensign/1974/07/discovery?lang=eng015/06/the-candy-challenge?lang=eng & https://www.lds.org/ensign/1974/07/discovery?lang=eng & https://www.lds.org/ensign/1988/06/research-and-perspectives?lang=eng & https://www.lds.org/ensign/1990/09/keeping-mentally-well?lang=eng )

What a spiritually sensitive woman to realize that what she ate was what affected her spirit! Consider, then, what eating a pillowcase full of candy must do to our sensitive, young ones' spirits? I've seen myself how my children's attitudes, bad habits, etc. are affected when they eat refined sugar.

My sister seems to be similar to the mother in Tanner's article. In recent years, she has become more and more sensitive to negative spiritual effects that sugar has on her and her family. She finds it disturbing that so many times at church, her kids are given sugar by those very teachers and leaders who should be teaching them about this physical/spiritual connection.

Fact: Utah is the nation's sweet-tooth capital. We buy more candy than any other state! While many Utahns abstain from alcohol, coffee, tea, and tobacco; candy and sweets are a frequent indulgence, distributed freely in schools, church events, and at home.

2014

This Sunday our Stake President, a doctor, gave a fireside in which he talked about our body being our “first estate” or gift from God. He said “Imagine that someone gave you a $150,000 Ferrari. Would you give a kid a magic marker and tell them to go to town on it? What about pour sugar water in the gas tank? Of course not! Our bodies are infinitely more precious than a sports car.” (He also brought up the point that, unlike cars, we each only get one body.)

2015

Conclusion: my Halloween hold-out stemed from my desire to stay away from sugar, but the more I thought/observed about the holiday, the more reasons I found to opt out.

Part 2 to follow...