Reformation Day...er, I mean Halloween

That's right...I still don't have the guts to explain the fact that we are celebrating Martin Luther's changing of the world tomorrow night, rather than ghosts and goblins. Everywhere we go, people are haranguing my kids with "What are you going to be for Halloween?!" The waitress last night, when Mcclellan told her he was going to be "Strongman" (his own superhero invention), she commented, "Oh! Are you going to be a nice Strongman...or a scary Strongman!" Huh? Why does Halloween have to be so darn jaded?!
Sure, I like candy. And our explanation this year to Mcclellan as to why we are not going trick-or-treating is because (rightly so) we don't like taking candy from strangers. As I want my children to understand anyway. Sure, sure, you say, "99.9% of the population is handing out perfectly safe candy." I've said it myself. Its the principle, people. Besides, our family eats lots of candy and I have no problem stocking my largest stainless steel mixing bowl with Skittles and Milky Way (my choices) and Raisinets (Verity's) and Mike n Ike (Mcc) and Reese's cups (Matt) and caramels (for the apples). So we bought a Willy Wonka mix of 170 pieces. That's all I want to hand out to strangers anyway. More than 170 pieces?! Really? Isn't that enough, for the love of Pete?
In the meantime, we will be playing "Nail the 95 Theses on the Church Door" (think Pin the Tail on the Donkey), doing a candle walk through the backyard in the black night, and telling stories and reading books (yes, the Bible included- you can call us lame, its alright) about famous reformers such a Erasmus, Calvin, and yes, Martin Luther. No I didn't make amazing period costumes for the children like this mama did (considering it though, for next year!). But we will be eating some amazing fall fare, playing games and spending time together, purposefully, for a noble reason (think Phil. 4:8).
I'm not against the trick-or-treating. Hence why we will be handing out our 170 pieces. But, when it really comes down to it, the purposes for Halloween are these: 1. Get candy. 2. Wear a costume (maybe) to get that candy. 3. Said costume can either be cute or deathly scary. 4. Drink. Now while I'm not necessarily against any of those, my question is, Why designate an entire holiday for this?
1. My kids get candy plenty. And I'm not saying, Oh, they get one organic lollipop once a month. No, we do have a Skittles machine in our living room, people. We like us some good candy. And the machine is full of money.

2. Dress up. Need I say more? The kids (granted, are 2 and 3) love dress up and that's all we're going to do tomorrow too. Besides, one day Mcclellan wants to be a fireman. The next, a racecar driver. The next, a dragon. The next...you get my point. I just can't afford that, esp since no matter what costume I do settle on buying him, it will, inevitably, not be what he wanted to be that particular day.

3. I don't like scary things. And I don't necessarily want my kids to either. This goes back to a recent discussion I've been having with several people about the children's horror genre in literature (we're talking boogie-man, vampires, Frankenstein, etc....not Saw VI). Why? I mean, why, really? What does it mean to "like" to be scared. And I'm opening this one up for discussion, folks.

4. I love drinking. I do. Regardless of the fact that I am on year 5 of being pregnant or nursing, I do love me an occasional pumpkin ale or glass of pinot. But, like the candy, we can do that (and do!) any day of the year.
So, that said, Halloween...er, Reformation Day, tomorrow will be celebrated in a way that I'd much rather commemorate as a "holiday" than the traditional American mass-culture (big surprise there). I want my children to appreciate the church's history more than tricks and treats. I don't want to celebrate it on some inane, random day of the year; why not on the day that Luther did throw the church as we knew it into upheaval? My apologies if it interferes with the festivities of norm tomorrow. But, I think we'll have a pretty darn good time of it anyway, and not be too, too, wholesomely weird about it.

(Pictures above: The children atop pumpkins at Pome on the Range in Williamsburg, KS; at Schaake's Pumpkin patch on the ghostie bench; me and our Pome pumpkin, for size comparison; Verity reading to Strongman, I mean...Mcclellan; his self-made pirate costume.)