children out trick-or-treating this year because the celebration falls on a Sunday and they might offend the Christian community.

A Government Information Services officer said his department had been getting four-five calls a day from anxious parents.

They were wandering if churchgoers would be offended and slam doors in their childrens' faces if they went trick-or-treating on October 31.

He said Halloween was not a public holiday so Government was not involved.

Two church rectors whom The Royal Gazette spoke to yesterday said they were against Halloween no matter what day it fell on. However, they would not be warning children to stay in.

Christian Ministerial Association member Rev. Goodwin Smith called the celebration a "devilish and demonous undertaking''.

He conceded the fact Halloween falls on a Sunday this year "makes it a little bit worse''. But he was not going to ask people not to celebrate it.

It was up to their individual consciences, he said. He did not believe in condemning without educating.

"I think Sunday is God's day and should be set aside for the spiritual things in life,'' the New Testament Church of God member said. "We'd oppose celebrating Halloween if it was a Sunday or any day.'' Members of his church would certainly not be allowing their kids to trick-or-treat, Rev. Smith said.

AME Church Elder Rev. Malcom Eve took a stronger approach. "The whole Hallowe'en concept may have started out innocently but it has taken up Satanic proportions,'' he said. "I would encourage all pastors under me to discourage celebrating it. And I wouldn't advise children to trick-or-treat even it was on a Saturday.'' He was "definitely more concerned'' for the church community that Hallowe'en fell on a Sunday this year, he said.

Bishop of Hamilton the Rt. Rev. Brian Hennessey, the island's top Catholic priest, said he had no problem with children dressing up and trick-or-treating on Sunday.

The Anglican Bishop and Canon were both off the Island.