"halloween festival" now "october fest"

[MysticSunshine]

Not sure if this is the right place for this topic but how do you feel about a lot of schools, etc. changing the name to October Fest? They seem to compare it with black magic or something. Here in our town they decided it was now October Fest. Just seemed to take something out of it to me.

 

[Dianna]

Here, they can not call ANY religious holiday by its name. Not Christmas, Easter or Halloween. The only problem I have with the change to naming it October Fest is how I associate that with beer and drinking, lol.

 

[Myrddin]

Here's the thing. There's already an Oktoberfest. It originated in Germany. To have yet another holiday of the same name would just be confusing, so why would anyone want to do that? To have two completely different holidays of the same name? It's silly.

 

[Arachne]

Personally I'm not fond of the politically correct agendas to change the names of holidays, but TO A POINT I can understand people who are offended by "Christmas", as it is a term derived from a specific religion. But Halloween carries no religious baggage, and therefore I can't see what on earth is wrong with that name.

 

[RLynn]

.....But Halloween carries no religious baggage, and therefore I can't see what on earth is wrong with that name.

Actually it does carry religious baggage. It refers to the eve before All Hallows Day (aka All Souls Day or All Saints Day). Ironically, it's mostly lunatic fringe Christians who spearhead the anti-Halloween frenzy. They also would like to ban anything associated with Harry Potter. This is the legacy of the witch hunters of yore.

 

[RLynn]

Not sure if this is the right place for this topic but how do you feel about a lot of schools, etc. changing the name to October Fest? They seem to compare it with black magic or something. Here in our town they decided it was now October Fest. Just seemed to take something out of it to me.

How silly and ignorant. Octoberfest is the name of a beer festival which originated in Munich. A more appropriate alternate name for Halloween already exists: Samhain.

 

[~DragonRider~]

Thats pretty stupid...I like black magic...

 

[~DragonRider~]

Samhain. I heard(read) that before

 

[Myrddin]

...They also would like to ban anything associated with Harry Potter. This is the legacy of the witch hunters of yore.

This is the kind of thing that get me incensed. My opinion, if you don't like a book -- it doesn't live up to your expectations or, in this case, it goes against your belief system -- then don't read it. It DOES NOT give you the right to have it banned. It's fictional, so get over it. (This actually happened with His Dark Materials in some places, and it is absolutely disgusting.) No one should be able to tell other people what they can and can not read. I thought the age of bossiness was over.

 

[~DragonRider~]

I know its soo stupid I agree and plus I LOVE H.P

 

[jerri]

I think the name change is great as long as there are still costumes and trick-or-treating. There are a number of religions that don't recognize Halloween and I remember those kids always feeling left out at school. If they're still left out (kept out by whackjob parents or legitimate religious beliefs) then the name change is a waste.

 

[RLynn]

I think the name change is great as long as there are still costumes and trick-or-treating. There are a number of religions that don't recognize Halloween and I remember those kids always feeling left out at school. If they're still left out (kept out by whackjob parents or legitimate religious beliefs) then the name change is a waste.

I'm missing something here. Halloween is not a religious observance, except among some Neopagans, Wiccans, and such, and they generally prefer to call it Samhain.

 

[Myrddin]

I think holidays should be left alone. They all have their roots in history (the big ones, anyways) and to mess with them is to destroy a part of the tradition and/or old ways that they uphold or provide. Personally, I am insulted that anyone would actually think of changing the name of any such holiday. The name is part of the history, and to change it is to give away what the holiday means and represents.

Halloween for instance is derived from All Hallows Eve, the day before All Hallows(mas), or All Saints Day, which was a time to honour saints and martyrs. This, in turn, started as what was known as Samhain, and still is, since the festivities of Samhain continued, albeit on a different day (November 2nd, known as All Souls Day). Every name of a holiday comes from the religion of which it was derived. To change the name, just because some people don't like it, a) doesn't help, because whatever the name, the festivities that take place are still the same (or should be), and, b) only takes away from the history of the festival, or holiday, as the derivation of the name change then has no historical background, with no link to the history of the festival/holiday itself. To want to call Halloween Octoberfest, is doing exactly that, because there is no historical link in the name Octoberfest.

History is important; it helps us know who we are, and where we come from.

 

[jerri]

I'm missing something here. Halloween is not a religious observance, except among some Neopagans, Wiccans, and such, and they generally prefer to call it Samhain.

If you'll look above to Arachne's post you'll see how/why some feel it's a religious observance. My comment about the difference between legitimate religious beliefs and whackjob parents had more to do with the religion itself. No LDS kids celebrate it and I respect that. Those kids with whackjob parents might go to the same church as other kids that can and do celebrate Halloween and those are the kids I feel really bad about. It's those kids that might benefit from a name change.

 

[Myrddin]

If you'll look above to Arachne's post you'll see how/why some feel it's a religious observance. My comment about the difference between legitimate religious beliefs and whackjob parents had more to do with the religion itself. No LDS kids celebrate it and I respect that. Those kids with whackjob parents might go to the same church as other kids that can and do celebrate Halloween and those are the kids I feel really bad about. It's those kids that might benefit from a name change.

I don't think anyone would benefit from a name change. All that would accomplish is ripping the holiday away from its roots, and that's not right. And the parents aren't going to say, "Guess what kids, Halloween is now being Octoberfest, and that makes it completely different. Run along and get your candy." I don't think so.

Some people don't celebrate certain holidays, and that's fine. Changing the name won't change that fact.

 

[magickz]

It is only Oktoberfest to me when I am in Germany celebrating it there (and I am part German). When I am anywhere else in the world it will always be known to me as Samhain.