It’s that time of year when some of us shudder as eerie figures are paraded across people’s yards and little children prepare for the biggest candy fest of the season. All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, and Halloween all come together into a celebration that has become the second biggest commercial holiday, after Christmas. You’ve probably noticed that things have changed since you were a kid and donned your mom’s old sheets to become a ghostly trick or treater. The holiday that once celebrated the end of the harvest season, the dead of winter, and the wish for better days has evolved into an opportunity to make orange and black your favorite color and candy the treat of a lifetime.
At one time in Irish folklore, children would dress up, sing a song, or tell a quick story, or bring delight in the hope of receiving a treat, like a piece of fruit, or a log for the fire. They offered to pray for anyone who may have passed away as they went from house to house doing what we now call “trick or treating.” Since they believed that the spirits of those who had already gone on to their reward could actually be near as they walked the streets, they disguised themselves in costumes so they wouldn’t be recognized.
Some spent Halloween honoring the Saints who guided them through the year. Some spread out and adopted pagan traditions that included ghosts and goblins and witches galore. Today, the pagan traditions prevail, but the Saints and Souls are still apparent in the hearts of those who derive joy in remembering the lives of those who came before them. Whatever way it is celebrated, Halloween is big business. It’s currently a six-billion-dollar industry that keeps the candy companies booming and the costume designers hopping. Spooky Halloween greeting cards are shared with loved ones, and pumpkin faces designed to ward off evil spirits abound.
Christians seem to have mixed feelings about the holiday, but those who celebrate cherish the little children who come expectantly to their doors, crying “trick or treat,” and enjoy the neighborhood celebration of imagination, and sweet fun. If it’s not your jam that’s okay too. You can still lift up your heart in prayer for the souls of those you love and maybe give a treat or two to someone in need.
May you feel blessed at the end of the harvest season as we open the door to the gift of winter.