www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Byzantine Catholic Halloween Liturgy!?

I agree with Theophan here on the Halloween thing being made the biggest here in this country and it is a fairly recent thing. It seems to get more attention than Christmas! Now it seems it is as more for the neo-pagan adults than as it used to be when I was growing up, a party at school, a night of trick or treating for the younger ones and that was it.

Are they going to use pumpkin bread for the eucharist? Leavemed, of course.

Serge

And here we're arguing about the appropriateness of rosaries in Byzantine churches . . . .

Well, the young children's and teen groups in most of the Greek Orthodox churches I know have Halloween parties so that the children can dress up and have fun in a safe environment.

Perhaps this is all that is happening in this particular church too?

I think that a more prudent thing would have been to say: 'bring your costume' instead of 'wear your costume', but I don't think that this was done to be quite as sacriledge as perhaps it is being discussed here.

As a child, I went to a Greek Orthodox parochial school for eight years. We dressed in Halloween costumes on Halloween and had little parties.

In Greece, children get to dress up for 'apokries' or 'carnivale' (the period of reveling before Lent). In Greece, when American shows are subtitled, 'Halloween' is replaced with 'apokries'.

Children love getting dressed up. For most children and families, Halloween represent nothing more than that and unlimited candy! I liked Halloween, and so did my children. It never meant anything more than the first day of autumn chill, pumpkins, costumes, parties at school, candy and trick or treating with friends (and parents to chaperone ofcourse).

I think that dressing up for Halloween is okay as long as they are not dressing up as devils and witches...that really bothers me..(though, some of them really are 'little devils' and 'little witches'!!! ) LOL.

Alice

It seems to me that in our U.S. churches, both east and west, there has been an enormous crisis in leadership for many years. When our leaders are unwilling to take charge, then everyone is in charge. Consequently, too many are doing as they please with no fear of correction.

I am assuming that the Priest in this situation is not going to be dressed 'up' in any costume other than a liturgical one...

ALICE

Heaven forfend !

I think I'm needing a new keyboard now - coffee spluttered over it and my screen is not conducive to posting

What if he dresses up as St. Nicholas?

Слава Ісусу Христу!

Dressing up as Bishop Saint Nicholas, then he can wear an omaphorion (paleum).

Halloween may have Celtic roots, but the idea of dressing up and going house to house for treats on that day is a purely American tradition that started in the 1900s.

Is there an update to this story? I didn't see anything on the parish website about Halloween...

Hopefully, this forum helped to nip it in the bud...

Lucky thing we have folks patroling who can post this sort of info on this forum... I guess.

I would hope that posting nonsense like halloween costumes worn at a Divine Liturgy would offend ALL Eastern Christians. But then again, maybe some don't mind?

Dear Alice,

At the same time, the Priest's liturgical vestments are properly worn when he is serving, not when he is attending any sort of masquerade, be it Hallowe'en or Mardi Gras (and I've been in Athens three or four times when it happened to be carnival time - the first time I was mortally embarrassed because I had brought along a friend and warned him that the first week of Great Lent, particularly Clean Monday, are highly ascetical - thus we were not ready for four parties in two days. It seems that Clean Monday at present is the "accepted" day for the first Greek barbecue of the season).

Fr. Serge