Early on in my children's life we passed out candy on Halloween and the kids enjoyed dressing up as they do everyday of the year. Costumes and pretending is a huge part of growing up and playing, there is nothing wrong with that.
Halloween is no exception!
I remember one Halloween, my oldest was three years old, and we were passing out candy together when we opened the door for my son to see his first "Scream Movie" mask. He screamed and ran away, the boy took it off and said "don't be scared I am just a kid" this made me think.
How could a child who knew nothing of these scary images become so scared at his first reaction to it? I thought about how it was so natural to us as humans to get scared, especially when it is something that symbolizes something evil.
How did my three year old son ignorant to evil and what evil is, become so scarred at his very first reaction? This told me that being frightened of evil and running away from it was a very natural human response.
After that we decided not to celebrate Halloween with these negative images and I began to see Halloween for what it was designed to be about by the Church. We had already decided that our children would not go trick or treating, and that was a good choice for us.
I never thought it logical to tell my kids all year long not to take candy from strangers then once a year take them to all the strangers houses we could to ask for some candy. Trick or treating may fit into your logic, and that is OK, just please be safe.
As a child I enjoyed trick or treating with no danger, and I survived!
Last year, we did take the kids around to close friend, and families houses. and will likely do some of that this year as well.?My children today still do not like the scary images, and symbols that most people enjoy during this time of year.
Upon my research of Halloween I learned that the word Halloween itself does not refer to evil as much as it is about the Saints, and Souls in general.
Halloween?or?Hallowe'en?(a contraction of its original title "All?Hallows'?Evening"),?also known as?All Hallows' Eve,?is a yearly?holiday?observed around the world?on October 31, the eve of the?Western?Christian?feast of?All Hallows. Simply?means the eve of All Saints Day.
The three day Halloween celebration is referred to as the All Hallow Mass in reference to the eve of All Saints Day, All Saints Day on November 1st, and All Souls Day on Nov 2nd.
The word Halloween was first used in the 16th century, and represents a Scottish variant of the fuller All-Hallows'-Even 'evening', that is, the night before All Hallows' Day. Although the phrase All Hallows' is found in Old English (ealra h?lgena m?ssed?g, mass-day of all saints), All-Hallows-Even is itself not seen until 1556.
So what is it all about?
Halloween reminds us of our own mortality and should be a time when we also remember those who have passed before us. On All Saint's day we remember those faithful Christians who in their earthly life suffered many things for Christ, and many of them dyeing for the Faith.
We can ask the Saints to pray for us, which I make it a point to do. In return they Glorify God with their prayers on our behalf, right there in Heaven! Prayer being the most fundamental and powerful way that we worship and Glorify God. What a gift God has given us in the Saints! I encourage everyone to study the lives of the Saints, as an addition to your faith based reading.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us." Heb 12:1
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples." John 15:7-8
"Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." Rev 5:8?
"And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel?s hand." Rev 8:4
On All Souls Day we are reminded of all the souls, even our own, many of whom really need us to pray for them! Also during Halloween the images of Zombies and bodily resurrection can remind us of the our Christian Resurrection although our Zombie stories, and images don't do it much justice!
The Halloween Samhain link
Halloween also falls on the same day as many popular harvest festivals of the past, like Samhain. Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the 'darker half' of the year.
During winter they believed that the invisible world, and the physical world came together, causing many mischievous things, and some horrible things to happen to the people. They also believed that the sun god died in winter, and came back to life in spring.
In my research on Halloween, and other festivals of the same day, Halloween is a separate day to any other celebration, even if celebrated on the same day. Clearly a holiday being held on the same day as another does not constitute saying that they are the same celebration, unlike what many people may claim about Halloween, and Samhain, or any other Pagan holiday for that matter.
Just because a method of celebration, or an individual practice used in a celebration is similar, or the same even, to another holiday, this still logically does not constitute the claim that one holiday originated in the other.
Costumes, for example are used in many celebrations around the world such as the Jewish holiday of Purim. ?We would not say that the Jews are celebrating Halloween when they celebrate Purim due to the fact that they participate in costume wearing.
We also would not associate one holiday with another just because it falls on the same day as another holiday. I really feel strongly that intention has everything to do with it, but we still must be careful about the messages that we put out into the world that is why logic, and common sense must always come into play.
My final thoughts
When it comes to Halloween it is a matter of doing what feels comfortable to your family, and your beliefs this may mean adapting Halloween to your families needs as I have done, or simple not celebrating at all, but that is up to each individual family.
I hope you enjoyed this post, I know it was a long time coming. I hope to continue to write interesting articles relevant to your life in the near future. I especially enjoy writing about the Christian Faith so you may see some of that in the future as well.
Please enjoy the video below and please visit the blog JimmyAkin.com. I have been a reader of this blog for a while now and am learning a lot, about a lot of things, especially my Catholic Faith. One thing I like about Jimmy's faith articles, and videos is that he has a great way of using logic and reason to faithfully explain and defend the Catholic Christian Faith.
?Are Scary Halloween Costumes Okay? This was posted by my Friend Jimmy Akin on his blog JimmyAkin.com
Source: http://home-schooling-works.blogspot.com/2012/10/halloween.html
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