The generic,
consumeristic American culture is childish and unserious at best and demonic at
worst. A look at what passes for holy
days/holidays gives solid confirmation to this claim.
Let’s look
first at what is left of the celebration of All Saints’ Day in the United
States – Halloween (i.e., All Hallow’s Eve).
Country Living puts
it into words for us:
Halloween is a holiday to go
all out. It's the time of year when you're actually encouraged to eat too much candy and spooky sweets, craft an elaborate costume, and turn your house into the spookiest spot. You can play
around with cute and quaint decor, or become the most haunted looking mansion
on the block.
It also
provides some telling pictures:
Contrast
this with the Orthodox Church’s celebration of All Saints of England, for
instance, which would be held the second Sunday after Pentecost. Here is an icon for the feast:
And below
are some of the sweet-sounding hymns for the Feast,
which, again, couldn’t be further from the spirit of American Halloween:
O come, all ye
faithful, now let us praise the saints of the Isles, the venerable monastics,
the holy bishops, the right-believing princes, all the martyrs and the company
of holy women, those known by name and those unknown, for truly by their words
and deeds and manifold ways of life and gifts of God, they became saints and
God made glorious even their graves with wonders. And now, standing before
Christ Who hath glorified them, they pray fervently for us who celebrate the
splendour of their feast with love.
With what beauty
of hymn shall we praise the divinely wise of the Isles, the splendour and
adornment of the Church of Christ, the crown of the priesthood, the rule of
piety, the never-drying wellsprings of divine healing, the outpouring of the
gifts of the Spirit, the streams of manifold wonders which gladden the Isles
and all those who seek God. For whose sake the All-Merciful Christ hath cast
down the uprisings of the enemy.
Halloween is
easy to criticize, though, with its dark themes. How about Thanksgiving, celebrated each
November, something with a more positive spirit about it? The Charlotte Observer introduces us
to the mindset for properly
celebrating this holiday:
Thanksgiving
is just around the corner, and it’s time to start decorating your home for the
holiday season. Make this year's celebration truly memorable with our curated
selection of the most stylish Thanksgiving decorations of 2023. From classic
table decorations to stunning wreaths and garlands, we have options that will
bring a festive touch to every corner of your home. Our comprehensive guide
features top picks and helpful tips on hanging decorations and choosing the
perfect pieces for each room. Create a warm, inviting atmosphere that will
delight your family and friends this Thanksgiving.
It also
provides some examples of the most sought-after decorations:
Another,
from Country Living:
Once again,
nothing too moving.
For the
Orthodox, ‘thanksgiving’ is celebrated every time the Divine Liturgy is
served:
. . .
The rest is
at https://orthodoxreflections.com/the-holiest-days-on-americanisms-calendar/.
--
Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us
sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!
Anathema to the Union!
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