I’m writing in reference to the Oct. 12 letter from the Rev. Doug Taylor. I don’t feel that Halloween is a bad holiday now and, from research that I have done, it began as a good holiday.

In the seventh century, a day was designated as All Saints Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs by the Christian church to make it a more church-sanctioned holiday. It was also known as all-hallows, and the night before was all-hallows eve (later to become Halloween). During the celebrations, there were bonfires, parades and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels and devils.

Since the 1900s, the day has become more commercial. As horror and science fiction movies became more popular, so did the scary, gory and disfigured likenings of these costumes.

I feel a child can dress up as anything they choose – it’s a day for children to have fun. If they dress as Dracula, it doesn’t mean they’ll act as Dracula did.

There are so many things we have to worry about these days, and things we have had to change because this group or that group was offended by it, why should we complain about a holiday that is for children?

It is shameful that children today cannot enjoy Halloween, a day that most of us, as children, were able to enjoy without so much fear.

Tracie Hall, Lewiston