# Resolved: People who are offended by Halloween are officially idiots. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 31, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849 "2009-10-31T15:00:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/1 "2009-10-31T15:00:30Z")
If you believe that Halloween should be called “Harvest Day” or “Orange Day” or some other term or you find the whole notion of Halloween offensive for religeous reasons, you are officially what Webster’s dictionary defines as an “idiot”. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/2 "2009-10-31T16:01:40Z")
No argument here. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/3 "2009-10-31T16:51:59Z")
Moving Fall Festival thread from IMHO to The BBQ Pit. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/4 "2009-10-31T17:07:15Z")
Not only an idiot, but also a gigantic pussy. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/5 "2009-10-31T17:18:13Z")
Heck, even the word “holiday” suggests religion. Can’t have that. Happy observances, everybody! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/6 "2009-10-31T17:43:31Z")
You’re offended by my holiday, I’m offended by your religion. Sounds like a wash to me. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/7 "2009-10-31T17:47:20Z")
Who are we talking about? Religious people who are offended because it’s a holiday centered on the occult, or atheists who are offended because it’s on the Christian calendar? ---
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/8 "2009-10-31T17:48:34Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Who are we talking about? Religious people who are offended because it’s a holiday centered on the occult, or atheists who are offended because it’s on the Christian calendar? Yes. Also, people who freak out about Hitler costumes. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/9 "2009-10-31T18:04:36Z")
I don’t think they’re idiots. They’re fuckwits. Much better term. “Idiot” suggests a pathological, inbred lack of intelligence. A fuckwit is someone who combines ignorance with judgmental obstinance. It’s much more fuckwit than idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/10 "2009-10-31T18:13:47Z")
[Nice little Halloween article](http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?o=1&id=261771) in my local news paper, talking about costumes and “these kids today” and what not. The first comment on the article: > [@](#): > > Today is not Halloween but Reformation Day. We celebrate Martin Luther nailing the 95 Thesis on the church door in Wittenburg. So, sorry kids, you won’t find pumpkins, gouls or candy at our house. How nice for you. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/11 "2009-10-31T18:20:03Z")
As are people who think that Halloween was not meant for scary costumes. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/12 "2009-10-31T18:21:21Z")
In observance of Reformation Day you should nail a note on that person’s front door that says, “Lighten up, douchebag.” I like that the author asserts that it _is not_ Hallowe’en, rather than that he does not celebrate Hallowe’en. It’s All Hallows’ (or All Saints’) Eve whether you’re Catholic or not, and has been since at least 844 AD. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/13 "2009-10-31T18:32:30Z")
It’s a great oportunity to dress like your favorite fictional character - Batman, Frankenstein, one of the Watchmen, Jesus, whoever.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/14 "2009-10-31T19:16:35Z")
> [@Little\_Bird](#): > > [Nice little Halloween article](http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?o=1&id=261771) in my local news paper, talking about costumes and “these kids today” and what not. > The first comment on the article: > > > [@](#): > > > > Today is not Halloween but Reformation Day. We celebrate Martin Luther nailing the 95 Thesis on the church door in Wittenburg. So, sorry kids, you won’t find pumpkins, gouls or candy at our house. > > How nice for you. My Lutheran church is having its regular Family Game Night tonight, and people will be passing out candy to trick-or-treaters. And during tomorrow’s service, we’ll be celebrating Reformation day. People need to lighten up. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/15 "2009-10-31T19:34:55Z")
[The French](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/opinion/25mayle.html) are also getting snotty about celebrating Halloween. This from people who think that Starsky and Hutch and Jerry Lewis represent high culture. Buncha pissy snail-eating pussies. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/16 "2009-10-31T19:36:23Z")
What if I think it should be called Samhain? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/17 "2009-10-31T19:55:29Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > What if I think it should be called Samhain? I just checked with Aslan. He said that’s fine so long as you do not pronounce _Samhain_ as if it rhymed with _ham train_; the great lion considers that pronunciation inexcusably stupid given the easy availability of the OED. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/18 "2009-10-31T20:34:00Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > [The French](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/opinion/25mayle.html) are also getting snotty about celebrating Halloween. This from people who think that Starsky and Hutch and Jerry Lewis represent high culture. > > Buncha pissy snail-eating pussies. Really? Starsky and Hutch have been elevated up to the Jerry Lewis pedestal in France? I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/19 "2009-10-31T20:38:25Z")
Never met anybody who did, until I moved South. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849/20 "2009-10-31T20:47:07Z")
> [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](#): > > My Lutheran church is having its regular Family Game Night tonight, and people will be passing out candy to trick-or-treaters. And during tomorrow’s service, we’ll be celebrating Reformation day. People need to lighten up. That’s so weird. I’m dressing up as Martin Luther today. And I’m not even Lutheran. Well… okay… _zombie_ Martin Luther. That’ll really freak out the Catholics! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-people-who-are-offended-by-halloween-are-officially-idiots/515849.md?page=2)