If Halloween is subtle, you’re doing it wrong

"A note distributed to households by this parish warns parents that Halloween, celebrated on October 31, exposes people to 'sadism, sexual violence, satanism, torture, mutilation and strange killing'"

The apparent take away here is that normal killing is okay, but not the strange kind?

"The note, which parish priest Fr Kalċidon Vassallo confirmed was the parish’s doing, comes replete with a hand-drawn skull and pumpkin and warns readers that Halloween 'celebrates a culture of death' and 'attacks that which is holy'."

I'm amused by the way that the note derides and yet also participates in the season by pairing the hysterical words with the seasonally festive decorations. This is a coded message, then. Let those with ears hear, I guess.

"It concludes with a motley list of 'other things which draw children towards the occult'. The list includes heavy metal music, negative and fantastical role-playing, sadistic pornography and reading about the occult and Satan."

Wait. What? Now I'm confused. This seems like a recommendation to me ...

"Halloween is a neo-pagan feast that finds its origins in old pagan cults all over Europe. Halloween, in a most subtle way, focuses on death, the occult and evil spirits"

"In a most subtle way"? You're doing it wrong.

"'Halloween has an undercurrent of occultism and is absolutely anti-Christian.'"

Okay, now I know it's a recommendation!

Of course, the article also points out: "The note has gone viral on social networks such as Facebook, even provoking hilarity and sarcasm." So, I guess I'm already late to this party, but I prefer to think I'm just fashionably late.

• Category: Bookmarks
• Tags:cults, culture, evil spirits, festive decorations, Halloween, heavy metal music, hysteria, occult, october 31, pagan feast, paganism, pumpkin, sadism, satanism, sex, sexual violence, spirits, strange kind