What would it mean to reclaim Halloween as a time for remembering ancestors, not just distributing candy to the neighborhood?
Happy Halloween! I’m sure that many of you reading this have been preparing for the holiday – organising costumes for your children, covering your bushes with spiderwebs, and buying inordinate amounts of candy to distribute to the neighbourhood. (Or maybe you are like me and are doing none of those things, because you don’t have children and/or live in a place where modern-day Halloween is not such a big deal. But maybe go out and treat yourself to your favourite candy bar anyway, just for fun.)
I’m always interested in the origins of our modern-day holidays. According to Google, Halloween is part of the Christian tradition of Allhallowtide, a three-day period that begins with All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween) on October 31, followed by All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2 (“hallowed” means “holy” in Old English). Some say Allhallowtide has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain; part of the celebrations include honouring ancestors.
Whichever way you look at it, there is something about this time of year, as the leaves fall off the trees and children totter down streets dressed as ghosts and skeletons, that invites us to contemplate the idea of endings and remember the dead. All Souls’ Day, in the Christian tradition, is a time to pray for all those believed to be in purgatory to help cleanse their souls so they can move on to heaven. Whether or not you believe in purgatory and heaven, I find there is something grounding about taking a moment to pause and remember my lineage – all my ancestors whose choices have collectively influenced my experience of life – and to say a prayer for their souls. I hope someone does the same for me one day.
If you are looking for inspiration, I love this blessing from John O’Donohue. If you are out for a walk this weekend and pass a graveyard, maybe pause for a moment to bless all the souls buried there. May they find ease in the kindness of clay, may their lives unfold further in spirit, and may the remembering earth mind every memory they brought.
