Offsite Post: ‘The Holiest Days on Americanism’s Calendar’

 

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/.

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Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!