Halloween as a Jehovah's Witness Kid

by Badfish 39 Replies latest jw friends

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  Badfish

  What was your experience like as a kid on Halloween growing up in a JW family?

  I was raised in a JW family but never got baptized.

  My father used to make me and my sister put old Awakes and Watchtower's in the trick or treaters' bags. We would say: "I don't celebrate Halloween but here's a treat for you!" Then we'd give them a back issue of the Awake or Watchtower magazine. I remember as a child wishing I could dress up in a costume and go "from house to house" getting candy. But instead we had to sell our magazines. "Watchtower and Awake, fifty cents!"

  Do you remember wishing you could be one of those "worldly kids" and getting to dress up?

  I have nothing in common with these "normal people" nowadays, so now, once again I'm labeled as a freak because I've turned into an alcoholic because I have to escape the world in order to function.

  What a fucked up world we live in. Well, when I'm destroyed at Armageddon for being a wicked drunkard I guess I will realize they were right and I was wrong.
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  Badfish

  I remember getting up early the next morning after Halloween scrounging the streets in my neighborhood for candy that the trick or treators dropped the night before. I usually scored a nice handfull :) And at least I got to count a bunch of magazine placements on my publisher's record after Halloween for giving out old magazines! Oh, the joys of being an 8 year old Witness. Halloween always brings back memories.

  What a great night to get drunk and remenisce!
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  Badfish

  edit: double post for some reason
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  Nice_Dream

  I'm sorry your father made you do that. We just had to keep quiet and not turn on any lights. I remember celebrating Halloween before my parents became JWs and I missed dressing up and getting candy.

  This year I dressed up as a cat and am taking my little one trick or treating for the first time. We carved a pumpkin too. Being a JW is really a drag, it stifles creativity and individuality.

  Please don't be so hard on yourself. It's difficult feeling like you fit in when you've felt like an outcast for most of your life. Many people really aren't all that normal or have it all together like you might think.
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  ballistic

  I'm sure Halloween must be bigger in the usa than the uk, but no idea why. Maybe it's just a cliche from the movies.
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  Badfish

  I looked it up and Halloween actually originated in Ireland. Weird.
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  Hairyhegoat

  Welcome BadfishI live in the UK and we have been out of the JW's for 2 years now. I have 4 kids 10,12,14,17 years old and we all went trick or treating tonight. I was fun and the kids loved it. We have lots of jw's on our estate in Tamworth so we made a return visit on them to place a number of nails under the tyres of the 2 BMW X5'S they have to lord it over the congregation that they are better than anyone else. I am very bad.

  HHG
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  White Dove

  My mom put a sign on our door saying, "We don't celebrate Halloween, so we don't give out candy."

  We could hear the kids reading it and asking each other huh? and questions.

  Our car and truck got egged and soaped a few times.

  I always wished that we could dress up and have fun like everyone else.

  Holidays were shoved in our faces yet we couldn't enjoy them.

  It was torture for me.

  Now, I celebrate like a kid as much as possible.

  I hope you are kidding about the nails under the tires.
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  White Dove

  Halloween is a Catholic holiday poking fun of the dead condition.

  Death is not scary and holds nothing over me, is the idea, so laugh at it and make a party.

  Okay, that is what I read about El Dia de los Muertos.

  Sounds about right, though, huh?
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  unshackled

  My father used to make me and my sister put old Awakes and Watchtower's in the trick or treaters' bags.

  Well that's kinda different. Our family would just shut most lights off and hide out for a while. Ironic really...people knocking on our door and we'd pretend we're not there.

  Think the next time JWs show up I'll answer with some bags of candy, chocolate bars in hand... "Hey cool costumes. Mormons, right? Clever. Well its not Halloween but here's some treats."

  Welcome to the forum Badfish.