Halloween, which is celebrated today, means, ‘eve of all Saints.’ The old English word for Saints is ‘hallows’, and the addendum, ‘een,’ means eve. Hence, Halloween: THE EVE OF ALL SAINTS. All Saints Day falls on November 1 and it calls to mind the example of the holy ones who have gone before us.
Halloween is a very old festival, and has its roots in a pagan custom in Ireland before the coming of St. Patrick, during which the Druids (pagan priests) communicated with the souls of the dead on the eve of November 1. St. Patrick was a practical saint. He did not abolish the Druidic, pagan custom altogether. Rather, he Christianized the custom by praying for the dead. The Church now prays for the dead, not on October 31, but on November 2, the feast of all Souls.
Over the years, the festival of Halloween as the eve of all Saints, like Mardi Gras (the eve of Ash Wednesday), morphed into a secular holiday. It is celebrated today as a secular festival by children and adults alike, is the subject of scary Hollywood movies, and is the second largest commercial feast in America. More candy and costumes are sold on Halloween than any other day of the year. Covid-19 may change the commercial and celebratory aspect of Halloween this year, however.
While Halloween is celebrated as a day of fun and revelry like Mardi gras, it is still important not to lose sight of its Christian origins. For those who have lost a loved one, now is a good time to remember them and to pray for them, especially on the feast of all souls on November 2.
Remembering the souls of the our faithful departed, and praying for them, as the second book of Maccabees states, is a “holy and wholesome thought” (2 Maccabees 12:46). During this time of year, let us not forget to say a prayer for the deceased members of our families and to visit their graves, if possible.
We are all part of the great family of God on earth and in heaven. This is what is meant by the communion of saints : the communion of the faithful in this world and the communion of the departed in the next.
And, that is why we should pray for our deceased family members and friends who have gone before us.
Happy Halloween!
—Fr. Hugh Duffy
1 Comments
Patricia
Beautiful song, beautiful words. T. Y. Fr. My family has a pumpkin patch by which we sell pumpkins and gourds for Autumn decoration and Halloween carving. And if we’re fortunate a harvest variety of squash for a very decent price . I keep trying to think of “food for thought “ All Saints All Souls reminder.