Now that Little G has gone from sedentary to ambulatory, shop windows have taken on a whole new significance. Gone are the days when we whisked past, barely pausing to look. Much amusement is now derived from standing outside and identifying numbers, which are shouted out with all the gusto of a Bingo caller, followed by spotting Ds (Daddy), Ms (Mummy) and Gs (Grandma). All good harmless fun.
Less so recently.
Last week marked the run up to Halloween and many of the local shops had decked out their windows accordingly. The upmarket shop with the posh designer beds and Egyptian linen sheets with a gazillion thread count had unaccountably decided to go the full Fright Night. There was a headless body on a bloodsoaked sheet, its legs dangling over the end. Two gravestones with RIP on them stood to one side.
It was utterly revolting, quite graphic and made me feel ill the first time I saw it but there was no way of avoiding it. Every time we passed, Little G paused, nose pressed to the glass and studied the gruesome scene avidly. 'Red bed,' she remarked.
The gift shop two doors down had decided to go more 'natural' in that the windows were full of spiders' webs, massive black spiders, witches' hats and bats. 'Incy-Wincy,' Little G said, nodding wisely.The grinning pumpkins with assorted teeth were clearly 'oranges'.
I am relieved that at her age, Little G has very little sense of what is going on, but on her behalf I am angry that what was a Christianized feast, influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, when people traditionally went to church and lit candles on the graves of their family members to honour their memory, has become a nasty over commercialized event bent on scaring people.
Soon it will be the run up to Christmas, when the shops will be decorated with Christmas themed goods. Last year one of them was requested to take the Nativity scene out of its window as it could cause offence to people of other or no faiths. A clear case of Red bed - good; Manger bed - bad.
To be continued ... .....
I agree with you so much on this subject, Carol. I particularly detest the gruesome make-up people use. I am sure the girl who left Strictly this week wasn't voted for because her bloodstained mouth looked so disgusting. It's supposed to be family viewing!!
ReplyDeletePeople don't realise small children look...and draw their own conclusions...
DeleteI so agree that Halloween has grown to gruesome ridiculousness. I've never liked it - we spend 364 days a year teaching children not to take sweets from strangers, stand up to bullies etc, but once a year it's fine to dress up and terrify everyone in sight. I know most kids are fine with it, once a year - but some traumatized children find it almost impossible to cope with.
ReplyDeleteLadies, it is the irony that gets me: WHY is it acceptable to celebrate a pagan festival all broomsticks blazing, but a Christian one, which marks the birth of a baby, not? And why am I going to get stick when I start pointing this out?
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly, far too much emphasis on blood and gore. Surely that window display breaks some kind of code? Young children shouldn't be subjected to things like that.
ReplyDeleteI noticed by the weekend they had removed it, so I assume others complained
DeleteBed shops have Halloween displays now?? I've got quite confused over the years about what the stance is on Halloween, actually. I remember that when I was little we used to do Halloween crafts in school, but children with Christian parents would not participate. There also always used to be decorations in shopping centres & lots of Halloween themed programming on TV (like the yearly ghost hunt). Then it stopped & they weren't allowed to do anything about it in school, and all the programmes and everything stopped too. Now it all seems to have come back!
ReplyDeleteIt is the malign influence of TV/the internet.In the US it is a huge festival (like School Proms) and we have now taken it on board. Yours may still be too little to participate, but when it gets to the stage where shops are being told not to sell flour & eggs to teenagers in the runup, something is skewed. It is also the imbalance...Christmas means the birth (mass) of Christ. If you don't believe in it, don't celebrate it...ironically, those of us who do, are gradually being edged out and regarded as weird, as it becomes more and more a secular and commercial enterprise. I don't shove my beliefs down anybody's throat, but I have had theirs lying headless on a bed, or festooning every shop window for weeks! Rant. Rant over....
DeleteI agree with you 100 + % Carol, and thank goodness Little G is not old enough to realise the horror of the blood soaked bed. The world is upside down for sure when such festivals are encouraged, commercially and otherwise , but Christian festivals are frowned on. Bonkers and more than a bit twisted.
ReplyDeleteI agree too Carol I have seen horrible shop displays and the costumes are getting more brutal too.
ReplyDelete