Hallowe’en: An Orthodox approach

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Joseph
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Registriert: 15.12.2008, 21:43
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Hallowe’en: An Orthodox approach

Beitrag von Joseph »

Hallowe’en: An Orthodox approach

This post has been around the Internet for several years. I can’t tell who wrote it, but it’s a description of one Orthodox Christian’s approach to how to handle the evening of October 31.

As you may know "Hallowe'en" is the Eve of All Saints in the Western Church calendar.

Every year, on Hallowe’en, I sit on the front porch of my house with a bowl of candy, a box of beeswax candles, and a large icon for the Feast of All Saints.

Every child who comes to the house gets a piece of candy, and may also light a candle and place it before the icon. Very few kids (even the jaded teenagers) turn down the opportunity.

For those who ask, I tell them that the meaning of the word “Hallowe’en” is “the eve of the Feast of All Saints”.

If they press me on the point, I tell them that they can think of the true meaning of Hallowe’en as being that, because of Christ, they can dress up like ghosts and goblins and whatnot, because we do not need to fear those things any longer.

I wish I had a few photos of the kids in Satan masks, lighting a candle and placing it before the icon…
Wenn die Menschen gottlos werden, sind die Regierungen ratlos, die Lügen grenzenlos, die Schulden zahllos, die Besprechungen ergebnislos, die Aufklärung hirnlos, die Politiker charakterlos, die Christen gebetslos, die Kirche kraftlos, die Völker friedlos, die Verbrechen maßlos
(Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
danadoina
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Registriert: 15.12.2008, 19:53
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Beitrag von danadoina »

quite smart ! :wink:
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Joseph
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Beitrag von Joseph »

Hi Danadoina,

This Saturday, we have the permission from our priest to put an icon of the Feast of all Saints and a candlestand outside our church (we have a port couchere, so we will be dry). We will decorate some pumpkins with crosses and have candies for the children.
So, when the kids of the neighbourhood, none of them is Orthodox, come with their parents, they will get candies and we ask if they want to light a candle in front of the icon.
This is the first year we are doing this and I am interested how it will turn out... It is supposedly raining on Saturday so we will see...

cheers
Joseph
Wenn die Menschen gottlos werden, sind die Regierungen ratlos, die Lügen grenzenlos, die Schulden zahllos, die Besprechungen ergebnislos, die Aufklärung hirnlos, die Politiker charakterlos, die Christen gebetslos, die Kirche kraftlos, die Völker friedlos, die Verbrechen maßlos
(Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
Nassos
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Beitrag von Nassos »

Great idea! Good success!

And please photos, if possible!
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Jeremias
Hypodiakon
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Beitrag von Jeremias »

A most beautiful Idea, I like it very much.
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Sebastian
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Beitrag von Sebastian »

Joseph hat geschrieben:Hi Danadoina,

This Saturday, we have the permission from our priest to put an icon of the Feast of all Saints and a candlestand outside our church (we have a port couchere, so we will be dry). We will decorate some pumpkins with crosses and have candies for the children.
So, when the kids of the neighbourhood, none of them is Orthodox, come with their parents, they will get candies and we ask if they want to light a candle in front of the icon.
This is the first year we are doing this and I am interested how it will turn out... It is supposedly raining on Saturday so we will see...

cheers
Joseph
:2thumbs:
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