Hallow from the Other Side
Here at the St. Mary Magdalene office, we take Halloween pretty seriously.
It is a great time to put on a costume, get free food, and quietly judge other people’s costumes in your head. I don’t know if y’all still go trick-or-treating, but I kept going well into college. I have a lot of good Halloween memories, but in the midst of all the candy and costumes, I didn’t stop and think about the ties that Halloween has to the Church.
Originally, Halloween was a pagan holiday called Samhain and was celebrated by the Celts. Their new year and their winter season began November 1st. The night before the new year, the Celts held a festival to Samhain, the druid lord of the dead. They believed that on this night, all the dead came back as spirits, along with witches, goblins, and ghouls. To scare away all the spirits, the people would build massive bonfires and put on masks. (Hence why we wear costumes).
When the Romans invaded the British Iles, they added a few things to the festival of Samhain in order to honor their goddess of orchards. The festival now included bobbing for apples and drinking cider.
Our other Halloween traditions also come from the Celts, specifically the Irish. For example, going door to door trick-or-treating came about through Irish farmers going door to door asking for food and supplies for their village feast and bonfire. If you gave, then you were promised prosperity, but if you did not give, then bad luck was wished upon you.
One of my favorite traditions is pumpkin carving; this also comes from the Irish. (Aren’t they awesome??) The crazy thing is, that pumpkins didn’t get involved until the Irish came to America. Instead, they would hollow out turnips and place candles in them as a light to ward off evil spirits.
At this point, you are probably wondering, “Brandon, you promised a connection between the Church and Halloween.” Well, here is where the Church comes in: In the year 835, Pope Gregory IV, in order to sanctify a pagan ceremony, moved All Saints’ Day (which was on May 13th) to November 1st. This is a Holy Day of Obligation in which we celebrate all those who the Church has officially recognized are in Heaven. The day before we celebrate the lives of these hallowed (holy) people was then called All Hallows’ Eve, which was later shortened to Halloween. The day after All Saints’ Day was then made All Souls’ Day, when we celebrate all who have gone before us, even if they are not officially recognized as saints by the Church.
Some people question that: since the Halloween traditions started as pagan rituals, is it okay to participate in them as Catholics? Can we bob for apples, carve pumpkins, and put on costumes? As Catholics, we can still do those things as long as our intent is different. We can absolutely carve pumpkins and put on costumes, we just do it as art and fun instead of to ward off evil spirits. We can absolutely bob for apples, just so long as it is for the fun and to get an apple, and not as a form of worship to a Roman goddess. As Catholics, we worship God through prayer, and have power over evil in the name of Jesus, so as long as your intent is good and you are keeping the Commandments, participating in the traditions of Halloween is a good thing to do! However, even though celebrating Halloween is alright, it is, in the end, up to your family how you celebrate it.
This Halloween, if you carve pumpkins, eat copious amounts of candy, and plan the perfect costume, keep in mind what the next day is all about. Just like the focus of Christmas Eve is all about Christmas day, the focus of Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve should be the holy men and women who gave their lives defending the Church. It is a day of celebration, for sainthood is the goal of our lives, and in the words of St. Paul: they have competed well; they have finished the race; they have kept the faith. (2Timothy 4:6-8)
If you want to learn more about the saints in preparation for November 1st, here are a few links to help you out:
