We are in the month of October, and this is when, in some parts of the world, including ours, Halloween is celebrated at the end of the month.
In our country, this seems to have caught on quite a bit in recent times. In recent years, we have noticed more advertisements of parties and events celebrating Halloween. More often than not, there is much emphasis on the gory and the scary, with decorations and costumes that depict evil, ghosts, zombies and the like.
Yet Halloween originally actually meant “All Hallow’s Eve”, that is, the evening (or e’en) before one of the most holy (or hallowed) days of our liturgical year — All Saints’ Day on 1st November, when we celebrate the lives of those who have gone before us, marked with the sign of faith, and who are now living in eternal bliss with our Lord in the communion of saints.
This feast day was first instituted by Pope Gregory III in the 8th century when he consecrated a chapel in St Peter’s Basilica to all the saints.
Somehow over the years, up to today, it has evolved through various influences, and many have come to associate Halloween with the exact opposite of what is good, eternal and holy, and instead glorify evil, death, and gore. In recent times, we have even seen publicity for tarot card reading, palm reading, and the like, practices which are considered an absolute no-no for us, since they are associated with the occult, an abdication of the control of our lives to forces opposed to the kingdom of Almighty God.
As Catholic parents, what can we do in the face of the current trend?
Reclaim the Holy Day
First, can I suggest that instead of banning our children from participating in all Halloween activities, and in the process perhaps throwing out the baby with the bathwater, let us help our children instead to reclaim the original meaning of Halloween, or “All Hallows’ Eve”?
As St Thomas Aquinas said, evil is the absence of the good. So how can we overcome evil? With the presence of the good! Dispel evil with the presence of what is good, not gore; with what is beautiful, not the ugly; and ultimately with what is true, that our eternal destiny lies in the communion of saints, not death.
So instead of donning costumes which glorify the spectre of evil, let our children wear costumes which allow them to resemble their patron or favourite saints.
Instead of just trick-or-treating, let them greet those whom they visit with words of blessing.
And when giving some candy or chocolate to other children who come to visit, we could also consider giving them little cards in addition, cards which explain the meaning of All Saints’ Day, or the meaning of their patron saints’ names.
We could also consider having a little session that evening during which our children can share their stories about their patron or favourite saints, and the special qualities of these saints which they admire. We could end that session with a simple prayer to our Lord, and ask Mother Mary and the saints, and in particular our own patron saints, to pray for us as well.
We could take it even further. We could organise an All Saints’ Day parade, in our neighbourhood, with our family groups, with our catechism groups, with our parish. This is already taking place in some parts of the world. Perhaps witha candlelight procession.
We could even organise a mini procession of our children to visit our parish priest or bishop, and receive his blessings as we continue to move forward on our journey to heaven in the communion of saints. Maybe even a children’s Mass to conclude the event. These are just possible ideas. I’m sure many of you will have more creative and better ones for your children.
Let us remember that our Lord is the Lord of life and love, and Lord of all. Good will always triumph over evil. Let us always overcome evil with good. In fact, with what is good, true and beautiful. And isn’t that Who God is?
Have a blessed Hallow’s Eve and a happy and holy All Saints Day. God bless you and your family always.