Welcome to the Halloween section of my Eclectic World. This is also the first section, as Im beginning this site so close to one of my favorite holidays. Of course, having grown up in the 60s, Halloween was a very different experience for me than what people think of it today.

Halloween, as I remember it, was safe, innocent, and fun. We didnt worry about finding razor blades or anything harmful (other than SUGAR -- gasp!!) in our treats, and home-made treats were the best. We didnt worry about knocking on the door of someone we didnt know very well or even at all, as long as we knew the general neighborhood (except of course, for the old lady who lived in the old haunted house -- we knew she was really a witch, so we skipped her house!) We didnt worry about being kidnapped and molested or even murdered by some normal-looking adult who turned out to be a pedophile. The monsters and ghost stories that thrilled us so were all in fun (everyone knows theres nothing more fun than a good-natured scare!), not out of any real devil-worship, and deep-down we all knew that the ghosts and monsters were just in our imagination.

The horrors of reality today are far scarier than anything we could have imagined back then. Sadly, because of these very real horrors, Halloween has gotten a pretty bad rap over the past couple of decades. Still, with the proper precautions, and with the proper perspective, Halloween can still be a safe, innocent, fun time for all -- it still brings out the kid in me!

So, this little Halloween section is devoted to that kind of Halloween. In keeping with my eclectic theme, each page will have a variety of things to offer: a little historical background, some jokes, an interesting quote or two, and plenty of graphics, both animated and static, both scary and cute. Come on in for a scary, funny, safe Halloween treat!

A Christian Perspective of Halloween:
　
Some people think that Halloween celebrates evil and should be banned. Just the opposite is true!

Halloween is a short form of the words All Hallows Evening. Hallow means holy, as in Hallowed be thy name.... So Halloween means the evening before All Holy Ones Day, the Christian feast of All Saints. Every Year Christians celebrate this feast on November 1.

During the Middle Ages, Christians would gather in Churches for worship. They would recall the saints victories over evil. At some of these services, the Churches would put on little plays in which they acted out Jesus victory over Satan and his forces. The actors would wear unusual masks and costumes to act out the story.

So, when Christians celebrate Halloween, we are really recalling that Jesus has defeated evil by His death and resurrection. We remind ourselves that with the power of FAITH and Gods GRACE we can overcome evil, too. Happy Holy Evening!

Fr. Richard Lonsdale, 1996

History:

Halloween, name applied to the evening of October 31, which precedes the Christian feast of All Saints Day. Halloween traditions are thought to have originated among ancient Druids, who believed that evil spirits were active on that evening. Ancient Celts observed Halloween as the last evening of the year and believed that during it the spirits of the dead revisited their earthly homes. After the Romans conquered ancient Britain about 55 BC, they added features of a Roman harvest festival to Halloween. The concept of ghosts and witches is still common to all Halloween observances.

The top ten houses to AVOID while Trick-or Treating.
(Thanks, Susan)

10. Any house that seems to be imploding into a space-time wormhole.

9. Any house made of food.

8. Any house whose only entrance goes to the basement.

7. Any house where the high tension wires suddenly stop right above it.

6. Any house that has ornamental lawn hyenas.

5. Any house that growls get out.

4. Any house where the furniture seems to be walking across the living room floor.

3. Any house that looks like a giant pulsating orb floating 3 feet off the ground.

2. Any house with various and extremely realistic statues in the front yard of people in odd running away poses.

1. Any house that wasnt there only a minute ago...