Something to celebrate!

[girlyswot]

I don't like Hallowe'en. Sorry, everyone, but it does make my inner curmudgeon rise to the surface. I would rather be able to go to Tesco without being served by a man wearing fangs in his mouth. And although I enjoy my fictional wizards and witches, there's something about Hallowe'en that is just too close to the reality of the occult for me to find it fun. Also, I think that Trick or Treating is an extraordinary thing to encourage young children to do. Extorting sweets by threats? Um, why would you want your kids to do that? Possibly I feel this more strongly, since a boy I once taught was killed in a car accident while out trick or treating a few years ago.

But October 31st is nonetheless a special day that I like to remember in the year. It was on this day, nearly 500 years ago (1517) that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses against papal indulgences to the door of the church at Wittenburg, prompting the series of events across Europe which we now know as the Reformation. Incidentally, did you know that some of the earliest things to be printed were papal indulgences? Almost literally a licence to print money.

So, anyway, that's what I shall be celebrating today. Happy Reformation Day, everyone!

Comments

[girlyswot.livejournal.com]

Oh, and Wikipedia also agrees with tdu000 that Mischief Night is limited to the north.

[tdu000.livejournal.com]

I must look it up! Nineveh UK is the first person I've come across, away from home, who has ever heard of it. I lived in Mancheter for a few years and it wasn't known there so it can't have crossed the Pennines.

[tdu000.livejournal.com]

Just looked and the comment about "minor vandalism" seems the closest to my recollections. Mind you, most of the boys I was at primary school with ended up in prison at some point so maybe it was just them rather than the concept in general.