I’m still down with this bug, and ending for the day, but I’m reposting this – with some new pics – because I got an annoying email asking whether Christians should celebrate Halloween. Every year I get an email from someone bothering me about Halloween. Here is my response:
Sometimes I want to say to religious folks, “come on, lighten up!” I recall getting into it with a middle-aged Catholic woman a few years ago who was upset with me because I embraced Halloween with enthusiasm and dressed my kids up as scary invisible monks.
That particular year, as I recall, I had a purple witch hanging from the front porch, looking as though she would swoop down upon my trick or treaters (they were after my candy, after all!) and a series of headstones with sayings like “I told you I was sick!” leading up to the path. The headstones were outfitted with purple and black tulle bows, and sandbag luminaria lighted the path, at the end of which was an “freshly dug grave” with one bloody hand reaching out (my husband wasn’t happy that I’d dug up part of the garden). The porch was also festooned with the black and purple tulle, as bunting, with white Christmas lights inside. The kids who came to our door were giddy and thrilled with it, and they were also happy with the live witch in the rocking chair, the one with the hat, the green skin and cackle who handed out their treats, and told them to “be veeeerrrrrry careful out there, my little chickens and dumplings…”
But she only appeared on the porch that year and never again, because she liked candy too much, and ohhh…it was ugly, the next day.
Earlier on that particular Halloween, I had appeared at my son’s school and – still as the witch – read aloud from the wonderful book, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, which is a fun interactive story – the kids have to make sound effects, stomp their feet, etc.
So, you see…Halloween is a big happy day in this house, and that is precisely what this lady at church did not like. I was excitedly discussing our Halloween plans at a meeting one night, when this woman told me I was being used as a tool for the devil “to make evil ordinary.”
I told her that evil is made ordinary every single day on television and in movies and in how we treat each other, and that my gleeful Halloween antics had less to do with making “evil ordinary” than in proving that externals are mostly powerless over us, except as our own minds and souls perceive them. I said, “mock the devil he will flee from thee…”
This lady remained unconvinced and was one of the first folks I ever encountered who took Halloween seriously as an evil day, and she was not persuaded by my asking her if she, as a child, was tempted into evil, or more amenable to evil, because of the ghosts and mummies of Halloween.
I can only speak for myself and my family. We get an enormous kick out of Halloween. We loved coming up with inventive costumes for the kids and ourselves (and the dog – who every year wears a home-made red spangled devil costume…she’s a “Devil Dog!”) and making them to last – my son Buster has many of his early costumes, still, in his closet – he won’t part with them, not with Big Bird, not with the Medieval King, not with the Tin Man, not with the Executioner. We love seeing the little ones all dressed up as pirates and rag dolls and so on. We love watching the bigger kids, who are almost embarrassed to be trick-or-treating, but still want their candy, as they say, “awesome!” when we throw handfuls of the stuff at them (we always buy too much and of course we don’t want it in the house afterwards, because…some of us like candy a lot…)
When I was a little girl, we had a “block party” one Halloween, complete with a House of Horrors. Blindfolded, one would be lead through a neighbor’s backyard, to feel a “dismembered body” with our hands…”here’s his eyes…” (two peeled grapes), “here’s his intestines,” (cold spaghetti), “here’s his liver,” (liver – ugh!). In between handfuls of guts, we’d hear someone scream and come at us…it was scary and delicious and it made us shiver and laugh and scream. And somehow we all grew up to be sane, rational and believing people, albeit with too many cavities in our mouths.
That said…my kids never got to eat a piece of candy until we’d inspected every piece, and I walked behind them (with them in sight) as they trick-or-treated, until they were old enough to be really ticked off with me about it.
I may be nutty about Halloween, but I’m not stupid. 
Please try not to carry on to me about this – don’t tell me I am going to hell, don’t throw scripture at me – I will remain unconviced, because I have experienced real evil in my life and it came in the form of an ordinary human being who looked and lived and worked just like everybody else, not via some pale-faced creature with fake blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth.
Thanks for a beautiful post. I wish I’d had the intestinal fortitude to stand up to hubby over Halloween and Christmas (no Santa) with our girls all those years ago. I think we missed out on some fun times and could I do it over again, things would be done differently. I’m going to save this link in my e-mail to send on to others who are wavering on the brink! Feel better soon!
Some folks you just have to shake your head at in bewilderment. I once got into a near argument at the absurdity of a friend’s sister refusing to let her kids see the movie Matilda because she thought that a girl having certain powers was satanic.
In other news . . . I never had any cool costumes.
I remember going as a ghost one year, in my homemade costume. Naive little me, I thought it odd, but didn’t know why one kinda-redneck old guy gave me this chuckle and knowing nod, while a couple of others gave me this strange look. Maybe someone should have told me not to use a pillow case for my head, especially with the pointy corner being at the top. I guess they figured that naive little kid didn’t realize that he looked more like something other than a ghost.
I think Hallowe’en is healthy for kids. They get to dress up in a costume, they get to go out at night and walk around, they see their neighbors and they get treats from them. I was never a fan as a child, but now I really love carving a pumpkin and seeing all my neighbors’ children. It’s another great way to stay connected with everyone.
I have a friend whose child was home schooled for many years. Dylan was also a voracious reader and loved to dress in costumes and act out the characters he’d been reading about. When he was around 5 or 6, if he was “in character”, you had to address him by the character’s name or he wouldn’t talk to you! His parents got a little exasperated at times, but Tia Beverly thought it was wonderful, and showed great imagination. I can see that coming through Buster’s eyes, as well.
Lots of good child development experiences in the traditions of Halloween. (All holidays are abused by the few.)
Seems to me that the origin of the traditions are in Catholic lore, children dressing for All Souls Day and collecting money for the poor. No?
Admin]
[Actually more Celtic in origin, although like everything else the Catholics found a way to use it!
There was a family nearby (they’ve since moved to the Southwest) who refused to celebrate Halloween because they thought it was evil. They’d sit on their porch during Trick or Treating and watch everyone go by and when kids came to their porch they’d just say they didn’t do Halloween. It could have been worse, they could have tried to tell little kids that they’d go to hell for trick or treating. I’m glad they weren’t that bad…
[...] Michelle Obama tapes any day now….heh. We’ll be holding our breath. The Anchoress is loving Halloween Iowahawk: Balls and Urns PJM: Obama’s Redistributive Obsession Perfunction: TNR: Getting [...]
Well, personally I don’t get too excited about Halloween one way or another. I mean, now I keep candy by the front door for the few callers we get, but in the neighborhood we ended up in, there just isn’t alot of action. 3-4 smaller bags of candy seems to be sufficent. And when the kids were little, I was always grateful for the Harvest Festivals put on by the churches around here – all the candy, costumes, games and prizes the kids could want – indoors where they were safe and I was dry (I live in Seattle, you understand – Halloween means rain!) and warm. And I knew where the candy was coming from. It work well for us.
I seem to have energy and excitement for one big holiday, and for me, it’s Christmas. Which is why I do Stove Top Stuffing and pre-cooked ham and store canned cranberry on Thanksgiving (or go to the in-laws where they LIKE to cook the huge meal!
) And I’m happy enough to get a meal out on Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. Nope, Christmas is where I spend my wad – starting after Thanksgiving, decorating the house to within an inch of it’s life and driving my boys crazy with the constant Christmas music. I guess it makes sense that since I stretch the Christmas holiday out about 7 weeks, that pretty much covers the year for me!
“Artiste” made me laugh out loud. All the costumes are pretty darn cute!
Renaldo the Red, my dog, will be a pirate this year (along with two of his buddies, with whom he will spend the holiday). Last year he was a hot dog and won third place at Petco (he’s part daschund).
Actually, Halloween was originally celebrated on May 13. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01315a.htm It was moved in the 700′s to October 31 simply because the Pope dedicated a new chapel for All Martyrs (and by extention, Saints). The Irish, and a growing portion of Europe are Christians already. It was not created to Christianize a pagan feast.
In the Middle ages, it was customary for groups of people to roam in groups through their town singing for ‘soul cakes’. It was like Christmas Carolling, but for each cake you got at each house, you were obligated to say a prayer at the church for the dead of that family. This took place on All Souls Day, on Nov. 2.
The costumes come from the English celebrating Guy Fawkes day. (Guy Fawkes was the unfortunate Catholic who was blamed for plotting to blow up Parliament in 1605.) In the Colonies, it was not unusual for grown men to harrass their Catholic neighbors on Guy Fawkes day (Nov 5) by putting cloth masks over their eyes or faces and demanding “cakes and beer”. (Now every man wonders why THAT tradition didn’t keep!)
As we run to the 1900′s, Catholics, being good sports, eventually joined the Protestants (who had by this time forgotten Guy Fawkes) and also joined custom of soul cakes with bribing for beer and children began asking for sweets – trick or treat – on the vigil of All Saints instead of All Souls. No one is sure why it happened or exactly when, but I would guess it probably got its start in the rural communities.
The pumpkin carving and other incidentals began much later in the 20th century, too. No Druid carved pumpkins (since this kind of squash are native to the New World). It is claimed that the Scots & Irish carved turnips and put coals into them as lanterns, but I’ve not met anyone from Ireland or Scotland that knows anything about that. And they would be lousy lanterns if you think about it! Turnips are solid roots and not easy to carve, damp inside once carved so your coal would get damp too, and it woudn’t throw much light even if you took the time to bother. And why would anyone bother when they have real lamps?
I think pumpkin carving started right here in America – for fun. Just for fun. Pumpkin fields can yeild many more squash than one can eat before they go moldy – so why not carve one out and put a candle in it as a decoration? Much easier than turnips!
The ancients did light bonfires, though, but much later in November/December (remember the calendar changed too).
The skeleton images come from the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations, and the French Dance of Death memorials and tableaus after the plagues in Europe. They call each man, woman and child to remember that death comes for us all, and we know not the hour. All Christians should live as if today were the day.
Modern witchcraft took halloween as a feast, it wasn’t ‘theirs’ originally. (No one really knows the exact dates of Samhein, as mentioned, the calendar was numbered different in ancient times and they had no leap years so the Julian calendar was also off considerably.) So why is it claimed that Oct 31 is an ancient holy day for witches? That was all invented by Gerald B Gardner in the 1950′s. http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2001/01/allen.htm
Halloween is ancient, but it is Christian. Its the vigil of a Feast honoring the Martyrs and Holy Ones of God moved from spring to autumn because a new chapel was dedicated. Our current practices are a combination of ancient piety, of vandalism and bribes, of remembering the that life is short, and of modern myths.
Just have fun with it!
Hooray for you, Anchoress! Christmas is, has been and always will be the Big Day in the year for me, but Hallowe’en is close behind.
As for religious quibbles about the day, I think they are nonsense. I used to teach Sunday School, and Hallowe’en fell on a Sunday one year. I jumped at the chance to expound on my personal theory of the proper, necessary place of darkness in our world.
I feel that Hallowe’en is a time for spiritual housecleaning. The days are growing short and cold, darkness is encroaching on us from every direction. Why not acknowledge this as mankind has done forever?
I told my students that Hallowe’en lets us give vent to all that is spooky, dark and disturbing. Let it out, so that your heart can be ready for thankfulness at Thanksgiving and for joy at Christmas.
Happy Hallowe’en!
I love these pictures, especially the ones with the boys laying in the grass together. How sweet!
Sorry you are still not feeling well. I will keep you in my heart and prayers. When you get a minute, look at my post and then, please keep me in your prayers as well.
Yesterday, I finally took the time to order more Mystic Monk coffee after Hurricane Ike destroyed our last batch. They asked me where I heard about them and told them through you. The lady laughed and said that you have really sent a lot of business their way and that you are doing great. Good for you, Anchoress!
Oh, for the love of Pete! When are people going to figure out that evil doesn’t come with horns, a pointed tail, and a pitchfork?!? If it did, we would run from it — it would scare as much as it *should* scare us. The Prince of the Power of the Air cannot be cast out by except by prayer and fasting because he’s attractive and we don’t have sense enough to run from what attracts us. Rather, we frail humans are atrracted to evil like moths to flame — and like the moths, we get burned before we recognize it.
Like you, dear Anchoress, I have faced evil in my life — twice in fact — and both times it came in the form of a human being overtaken by the desire to have what they wanted and have it now. I was incredibly hurt both times and only recently in the first case did I find the grace to forgive. In the second case, perhaps because I was older when it occurred, the forgiving came easier.
Anyway, I’m trying my best to teach my kids to recognize evil — and making them skip Halloween fun to do it is out of the question.
I have candy already to go stationed next to my front door (talk about lead us not into temptation) and the carpool ladies (Sis and Joyce) and I are leaving work at 3 p.m. in order to be home to actually see the kids this year. To me it is more about defying evil than embracing or promoting it.
And I have to say – you have the HANDSOMEST boys!
Feel better – I spent the weekend flat on my back with brochitis and a fever on Saturday night and early Sunday. I stayed home from work on Monday and other than a necessary trip to Wal-Mart (out of cat litter – not a good thing with a 26 pound cat who eats with the inevitable results), I never left the house and spent a lot of time sleeping. So I do understand and will be thinking of you all day with love and concern.
We in Israel have Purim as our big costume party-junk food giving (and drinking) day, and it’s nice and unambiguous. As someone once said, the essence of all Jewish holidays is, “They tried to destroy us; they didn’t succeed. Let’s eat!”.
Ecumenically speaking, one year, while heavily pregnant, I dressed up as a nun. (A Catholic friend suggested it was a previous incarnation.) It was easy to make a snood into a wimple (if that’s the right word), and convenient to have a costume for which covering my hair wasn’t a challenge.
I do miss the American tradition of carving the jack-o-lantern and roasting the seeds, though.
[...] The Anchoress reminds us that, politics aside, Halloween can be a lot of fun. [...]
I appreciate that the other parts that the Scots daubed with blue dye was not shown!
[...] To see some adorable Halloween photos drop by The Anchoress. [...]
With a birthday on the day before Halloween ( oh that’s Today!) I never had a birthday party that didnt involve costumes and orange icing on the cake. The nuns at St John the Baptist didnt get into classroom parties but back then the schools didnt feel they had to provide all your experiences. Halloween and trick or treating was a family/neighborhood event. I continued the practice with my children and now my grandchildren have a healthy love of the holiday.
Theres an article in St Anthony messenger about the Christian roots of Halloween.
Love your Halloween photos.
Kathleen
I look at it this way:
It’s a fun day. But behind that, is a chance to laugh at things that we think scare us – all of the gory dress-ups, all the monsters.
I would think people of faith wouldn’t be so troubled by Hallowe’en – after all, you know all the scary stuff really can’t touch you, if you have faith and God’s protection…even things that can kill your body, they can’t kill your soul, can’t kill that you will live on with Him.
Evil may be real, but it has already lost the battle. It just hasn’t figured that out yet.
I was never troubled by Hallowe’en…as a kid, I loved it, the chance to dress up and be out after dark. As an adult, I enjoy seeing the kids running around in their costumes having fun.
But I cannot accept that it is a “day of the devil.” I do not agree with the Christians who believe that.
Thank you, Anchoress, for articulating what I can’t quite get out. Lots round us are hyper-sensitive to the occult angle. For years, I have called it in the presense of my 10-year old “The Festival of Candy” and that seems to put the right spin on it.
My DH is a sort of Muscular Christian who snorts at those who can’t figure out that a rubber mask is fake. I love seeing all the neighborhood children — when else do you get to even meet your neighbors these days? — dressed as little fairies, princesses, Deaths, ninjas and the rest. It’s a sort of seasonal balance to Easter.
Then, too, our homeschooling group always has an All Saints’ Party. Hmmm…..should I be concerned that her favorite saint is St. Dymphna?