“We don’t even say the word, (she mouths the word) ‘Halloween.’”
A fellow church parishioner, whose family shut off the houselights each Halloween in order to deter trick-or-treaters from darkening the front door of their home, proudly declared her opposition to this holiday she deemed only fit for devil worshippers.
I remained silently complicit in order to save face with fellow members of the church where my husband was employed. Their practice, like so many other churches, was to hold a harvest party to keep the kids from trick-or-treating in the local neighborhoods.
I, on the other hand, still hung on to the glorious memories of my childhood experience where my little brother, sister and I knocked on countless doors to collect as much candy from our neighbors far and near as humanly possible. After we exhausted our options, we returned home, dumped out our candy containers, counted and categorized each piece, determined who had the most, and then traded with one another. I was always especially happy to trade out all undesired candy corn and licorice.
But now my husband and I were starting a family of our own. I wanted to raise them right, but apparently in this neck of the woods Halloween was an unacceptable holiday to celebrate if one wanted to raise his kids properly in the faith. Not convinced this holiday was evil, I did some homework where I was delighted to discover the word “Halloween” is actually sacred. It’s a Scottish shortening of the phrase “All hallow-even,” literally meaning “All Holy Evening,” the night before All Saints Day.
Thrilled, I made up a little puppet show about my happy discovery and performed it on the front porch of my home for all the trick-or-treaters who came by. And, from then on, I chose to celebrate the goodness of Halloween – the one theatrical day of the year where strangers open their doors to costume-clad kids and extend both hospitality and generosity. And in case anyone noticed, there is plenty of evil to go around on the other 364 days of the year. So, Happy Hallow’s Eve, everyone!
P.S. My performance also included an original song with the following lyrics:
HALLOWEEN
By Kareen King
Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, Halloween
Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, oh what does it mean?
Well, believe it or not
It isn’t what you thought
Nor at all what it seems
Well, it started a long time ago
In a land far away
At the end of the Celtic year
The beginning of death and decay
Marked the old holiday
Filled with evil and fear
The Celts believed that the god of death, Samhaim
Sent ghosts to bother them
So to rid them, their logical devices
Were bonfires and sacrifices
On Halloween!
Now when the Christians came along
They didn’t like all the wrong
Done on the Celtic holiday
They were tired of the goblins and ghosts
Mocking the Lord of hosts
So they invented All Saints Day
They honored the saints who had passed away
Making it a happy All Hallow’s Day
Thus October 31st became All Hallow’s Eve
Later it was nicknamed Halloween
Yes, holy or not
It isn’t what you thought
Nor at all what it seems
Oh, Kareen, this is really charming. The photo is lovely, but the commentary and your childish sweet song are just great. Just goes to show... there are more shades of grey, than of black and white!
