From: lib1p@rosie.uh.edu (Tammy Stark Blandino)
Subject: Re: Halloween
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: University of Houston
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 22:51:00 GMT

In article <1992Sep25.163434.1@uwovax.uwo.ca>, wrchurch@uwovax.uwo.ca writes...
>1.  What does Halloween mean to you?

Nothing much anymore.  As a kid it was probably the neatest time
of the year next to Christmas.  It has gotten so commercialized it
makes me want to puke. (ditto with the other commercializations that
time of year.)  All my concepts are now more of Samhain.  Halloween
is something commercial that the unknowing celebrate.  It is the
misunderstanding of *my* Samhain.  Samhain is truly my time of year.
(I am a Samhain baby sorta and it has always been my time of year.)
(Actually all of winter, but Samhain especially because I can "feel"
Winter comming.  It signals the comming of the dark of the year.  It
signals *my* time of the year.)

> 
>2.  Do you know of any places with a Halloween legend attached to it?

not really.  Only those I make my own.

>    If so, where?
> 
>3.  Halloween is supposed to be a time when the veil between this world and the
>    next is briefly lifted. Do you know of any "true" stories of ghostly
>    visitations/warnings, cases of clairvoyance/premonitions, encounters with
>    "non-human spirits", deeds involving witchcraft, etc...

All the time.

> 
>4.  Where is the Halloween capital of the world? Is it in the British Isles
>    (i.e. Ireland, Scotland, Wales) or is it in the USA ( one of the New
>    England states)?

I do not know.

> 
>5.  What sort of activities take place on Halloween in your part of the world?

Your typical trick or treat crap that has gotten perverted because
of the perverts so that the kids can't really have fun anymore.

> 
>6.  Is the Halloween Sadist a myth or are some people really driven to perform
>    unspeakable acts of cruelty on Halloween.

BULLSHIT!

> 
>7.  In your community, does organized religion still condemn Halloween as an
>    evil practise. If so, what has the church done lately to counter its
>    popularity.

I wouldn't say condemn.  I do know that some churches have Xtian
parties for their young people.  This is for two reasons.  One, to
give them a safe place to enjoy.  And (more importantly to them)
two, to allow them to have fun without "getting involved in something
with evil as its primary theme" or some such non-sense (to me anyway).

> 
>8.  My mother was born and raised in France with stories of the "Loup-Garou"
>    (Werewolf). In the small welsh mining village of my father the kids all
>    feared the bogeyman. Are there any local myths were you live, or is it 
>    all just the pop culture Hollywood stuff.

dunno

> 
>9.  Do people have anything real to fear from Halloween?

From Halloween...no.
From the perverts that use it....yes


But this is a result of culture, not anything from "Halloween" itself.


> 
>I want to thank you in advance for your input. Its hard to tell without any
>feedback as to whether my questions are valid or way off the mark for this
>group. In any event, if you would like to add something else or make a point,
>by all means feel free to add your $0.02
> 

Maybe at another time.



Blessed Be Richard Church

Tammy