It’s All Hallows Eve–the Day of the Dead–a night of mischief. And some religious people would call it the Devil’s night. So far (it’s 7:30 pm) I haven’t seen any devil worshippers. Just little, and some older, kids out for a night of fun and to collect candy. Is there anything wrong with that?

So what if Halloween may have had its beginning in some pagan rites. How many of our Christian traditions come from pagan rites? Far more than most “good” Christians want to admit. Good Christians aren’t interested in facts, history, or other evidence. Their minds are made up and closed to anything contrary to what they already believe. Don’t confuse them with the facts. I’ve concluded that there is no use in arguing or trying to present facts. It’s a waste of time and energy for me. Sometimes we just have to accept things as they are and go on to live our lives.

Back to the little kids. They don’t have evil intents. One tiny little girl who was at the door just now turned to walk away when I opened the door. I called Tinkerbell back and she got her candy. The little ones are so cute! They bring back memories when my children were little and they enjoyed trick-or-treating.

Times have changed. Now we don’t dare give out fruit and homemade goodies. I wouldn’t let my children eat them for fear of poisoning. Unfortunately, razor blades and poison have become part of the occasion. So we stay close to home and hope the trust we have engendered in our neighbors is well-founded. The last thing I want to hear is that someone got a bad treat in my neighborhood.

So let the little children enjoy the occasion. They dress up and bring smiles to old geezers like me. And if you religious people have objections, too bad.