This year, I'm planning on attending New York City's huge Halloween celebration as St. Michael the Archangel. With any luck, my wings won't get caught in the subway doors.

And the survey says...

Since our Baptism tells us that we no longer need to fear death, I think it's fine for Catholics to laugh at death and symbols of evil on Halloween.
Agree - 63%
Disagree - 19%
Other - 18%

Representative of "other":
"I don't think we should fear death, but I don't think we should laugh at it either. We should respect it as the passage to eternal life.

What disturbs me the most about the current celebration of Halloween is:
Kids dressing as pimps, French maids, and other characters with strong sexual overtones - 75%
Adults going overboard on what essentially is a kids' day - 44%
Commercialization - 43%
Too much blood and gore - 33%
Witch, wizard, or devil costumes that tend toward the occult - 20%
Too much candy - 20%
Trick-or-treating after dark - 16%
Nothing whatsoever - 5%
Other - 13%

Insisting that children dress up as saints on Halloween is being overly pious about a fun holiday:
Agree - 79%
Disagree - 15%
Other - 6%

The church should do a better job of connecting Halloween to All Saints and All Souls Day:
Agree - 80%
Disagree - 13%
Other - 7%

Parish "harvest parties" are a lame substitution for Halloween celebrations:
Agree - 56%
Disagree - 29%
Other - 15%

Children still trick-or-treat door-to-door in my neighborhood:
Agree - 81%
Disagree - 11%
Other - 8%

I think it's fun to be scared every once in a while:
Agree - 70%
Disagree - 22%
Other - 8%  

Feedback

My favorite Halloween tradition is . . .

Playing my homemade Halloween audio tape out of our windows at home and turning all the lights off except pumpkin candles-spooks the trick-or-treaters!
Joseph Gannetti
Philadelphia, Pa.

Eating the candy I deem to be "too much" for my children and grandchildren to consume!
S. Farnsworth
Stockton, Calif.

Trick-or-treating when it's kind of dark and windy with the leaves blowing and the trees bare. Also carving pumpkins!
Pat Morris
Columbus, Ohio

Saving my change throughout the year in order to let the kids grab a handful of coins. This doesn't cost me any more than purchasing too much candy.
M. C. Hummel
St. Louis, Mo.

Hospitality-opening my door to strangers and giving them candy, which is, symbolically at least, food!
David Philippart
Chicago, Ill.

Trading loot around the dining room table or under a street light. Passing a house in March and hearing kids remind each other, "That's the place where they give whole candy bars."
Name withheld
Charlotte, N.C.

Greeting the children at the door when they come for trick-or-treating and pretending that I don't recognize them.
J. Claire Powers
Nanuet, N.Y.

Celebrating All Hallows' Eve at our parish. Our youth dress up as saints and tell their saint's story. Bobbing for apples, a best costume contest, and many other fun games are manned by the teens.
Silvia Zaborowski
Newark, Ohio

Dressing up, scaring the girls (hee, hee).
Name withheld
Paramount, Calif.