Pumpkin season again! carving pumpkins...

[Claudya]

Christians in Germany are a bit funny about Halloween.
It's a mix of rejecting it because it's satanic/ occult/ pagan; and - even worse!!! - it's American!


Traditionally we have no Halloween here. October 31 is Reformation Day for protestants. November 1st is All Staint's day for catholics. Both days are public holidays, in every state according to the majority denomination. But Halloween hasn't been a holiday here until maybe the last 15-20 years when it was imported from the USA via TV shows or movies. Of course it's a good source of money for the retail industry selling costumes and decoration, especially pumkins. So Halloween got adopted here. I rather like it, it fits into the mood of autmun and it's very fun.
But many people dislike it because they don't see why we would celebrate and American holiday (yes we know it was an Irish holiday in the first place, but for most people it's American now).
Plus most christians find it occult and see it in competition with Reformation Day.
North American christians seem to be easier with it (except for Ryan).

I already bought the pumkin I'm gonna carve and it's gonna look creepy and not quite as artistic as the ones in the video. I'll take fotos to show you.
I guess I'll just tell my church friends that it's a Reformation pumkin. :[/URL]

 

[farouk]

Christians in Germany are a bit funny about Halloween.
It's a mix of rejecting it because it's satanic/ occult/ pagan; and - even worse!!! - it's American!


Traditionally we have no Halloween here. October 31 is Reformation Day for protestants. November 1st is All Staint's day for catholics. Both days are public holidays, in every state according to the majority denomination. But Halloween hasn't been a holiday here until maybe the last 15-20 years when it was imported from the USA via TV shows or movies. Of course it's a good source of money for the retail industry selling costumes and decoration, especially pumkins. So Halloween got adopted here. I rather like it, it fits into the mood of autmun and it's very fun.
But many people dislike it because they don't see why we would celebrate and American holiday (yes we know it was an Irish holiday in the first place, but for most people it's American now).
Plus most christians find it occult and see it in competition with Reformation Day.
North American christians seem to be easier with it (except for Ryan).

I already bought the pumkin I'm gonna carve and it's gonna look creepy and not quite as artistic as the ones in the video. I'll take fotos to show you.
I guess I'll just tell my church friends that it's a Reformation pumkin. :[/URL]

Claudya: I'm all for respecting the Reformation and Protestant sensibilities.

It's also fall, and about carving pumpkins, in the 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness' (I forget who said this).

 

[evenifigoalone]

questdriven:

Yes, I thought the link about carving pumpkins would be of quite widespread interest. The lady presenter seems an arty sort of person with a flair for it.

Sounds like you too have quite a bit of experience carving, too. On the videoclip the lady uses the stencil method; so did you do this as well?

Blessings.

I used a paper cut-out as a guide. But the stencil method would probably be a little easier. Maybe I could do a design of my own that way.

 

[Obadiah]

Obadiah: So you think this would be a cool idea for her to do, around local churches?

Blessings.

Yeah, I do! A couple of years ago I was invited by our childrens group leader to help out with a pumpkin carving contest they were having. The kids had a lot of fun, but I'm picturing how much more fun they would have had with this fine lady teaching them how to do some of this. She seems like she could be really good with kids. Maybe even with teen groups too. I mean, obviously, the patterns she chose would have to be age specific. I know someone is going to suggest having little 8 year old Joey carving a "demonic looking" zombie on a pumpkin in church isn't a good idea. But I think she could do great with the right patterns that would be simple and age appropriate.

 

[farouk]

I used a paper cut-out as a guide. But the stencil method would probably be a little easier. Maybe I could do a design of my own that way.

Yes, the way the lady demonstrates it seemed useful.

Some ppl use carved pumpkins to make lanterns.

So have you bought your pumpkins to practise on, yet?

Blessings.

 

[evenifigoalone]

My mom doesn't celebrate halloween because of some Jack Chick tracts about them...

Well, I actually did a report for school on the history of halloween a few years ago. And in researching I found out that Jack Chick is greatly mistaken...his tracts tend to say a lot of things that can't be proven. I only use the ones that just stick to the gospel and nothing else these days.

 

[farouk]

Yeah, I do! A couple of years ago I was invited by our childrens group leader to help out with a pumpkin carving contest they were having. The kids had a lot of fun, but I'm picturing how much more fun they would have had with this fine lady teaching them how to do some of this. She seems like she could be really good with kids. Maybe even with teen groups too. I mean, obviously, the patterns she chose would have to be age specific. I know someone is going to suggest having little 8 year old Joey carving a "demonic looking" zombie on a pumpkin in church isn't a good idea. But I think she could do great with the right patterns that would be simple and age appropriate.

Dunno where she's based, but maybe some church secretaries in an area could email her, or something.

And come to think of it, you're right, 'this fine lady teaching them...could be really good with kids'; yes, she sort of has a nice winsome manner that maybe would go down well will kids at a Friday church supper, or something.

Blessings.

 

[evenifigoalone]

Yes, the way the lady demonstrates it seemed useful.

Some ppl use carved pumpkins to make lanterns.

So have you bought your pumpkins to practise on, yet?

Blessings.

Doing that today.

 

[farouk]

My mom doesn't celebrate halloween because of some Jack Chick tracts about them...

Well, I actually did a report for school on the history of halloween a few years ago. And in researching I found out that Jack Chick is greatly mistaken...his tracts tend to say a lot of things that can't be proven. I only use the ones that just stick to the gospel and nothing else these days.

questdriven

I'm encouraged you do tract witness, anyway.

I guess that pumpkins are fall-specific; up here in Canada we just had Canadian Thanksgiving and you see lots of pumpkins as a sort of symbol of Thanksgiving rather than necessarily of occult mumbo-jumbo, etc.

Blessings.

 

[farouk]

Doing that today.

Sounds like you're busy, anyway!

In the videoclip the lady seems to use a sharp awl, as well as a food slicer. Or something similar.

Blessings.

 

[Obadiah]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned her tattoos yet.

Now see what I stated?

 

[farouk]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned her tattoos yet.

Now see what I stated?

Hey, if you want to talk about this, go to another thread.

This thread is all about carving pumpkins. She does seem like an arty sort of lady. Useful info., anyway, and seasonal, I guess.

Blessings.

 

[Obadiah]

Hey, if you want to talk about this, go to another thread.

This thread is all about carving pumpkins. She does seem like an arty sort of lady. Useful info., anyway, and seasonal, I guess.

Blessings.

LOL! No, I was just funnin!

 

[farouk]

LOL! No, I was just funnin!

It's all good, fall fun, at a season when fruit and pumpkins are ripe and the colors are red and brown and the kids like to be busy in the dark evenings.

Blessings.

 

[Claudya]

Claudya: I'm all for respecting the Reformation and Protestant sensibilities.

Hey, I am a Lutheran protestant.
That's why it's gonna be a Reformation pumpkin instead of a Halloween pumpkin.
Maybe I should try to carve Martin Luther's face into the pumpkin, but I ain't that good at carving....

It's also fall, and about carving pumpkins, in the 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness' (I forget who said this).

And it's the time when the darkest part of the year starts, so that gets people's imagination going and they get superstitious easier. Or at least creepy stories become more interesting while you're sitting around the fire at night with your friends while it's dark and foggy outside....

 

[evenifigoalone]

My mom usually does celebrate Reformation Day...meaning I have to listen to her read a somewhat lengthy lecture on Martin Luther's 95 Thesis. lol

 

[Claudya]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned her tattoos yet.

Noticed them. Was wondering, with all those tattoos she probably could walk around with no clothes on and still wouldn't look naked.

 

[farouk]

Hey, I am a Lutheran protestant.
That's why it's gonna be a Reformation pumpkin instead of a Halloween pumpkin.
Maybe I should try to carve Martin Luther's face into the pumpkin, but I ain't that good at carving....


And it's the time when the darkest part of the year starts, so that gets people's imagination going and they get superstitious easier. Or at least creepy stories become more interesting while you're sitting around the fire at night with your friends while it's dark and foggy outside....

Yes, Jena is in an historically Protestant area, right?

Whether historically you guys grow pumpkins is another matter...

 

[farouk]

Noticed them. Was wondering, with all those tattoos she probably could walk around with no clothes on and still wouldn't look naked.

Hey, go to a thread specific to tattoos, please. This about carving pumpkins which an arty lady is demonstrating.

 

[farouk]

My mom usually does celebrate Reformation Day...meaning I have to listen to her read a somewhat lengthy lecture on Martin Luther's 95 Thesis. lol

You could also read Romans chapter 5 together; justification is a major Biblical doctrine that motivated Luther.

Why not carve the reference: Romans 5.1 on a pumpkin?

Blessings.