“All Saints Day 1” by Kadinsky Like most American’s, I am prepared to greet young costumed visitors at my door with small bars of chocolate and a smile. In this part of the country, unlike the east coast, weather is cooperating with crisp air and clear skies. I have never been one to jump into this holiday with extravagant costumes, but I did enjoy the years my children came up with creative outfits. There was the “laundry basket,” that was a big hit with everyone who saw my daughter approaching in the middle of a plastic hamper with bottom cut out for her legs, stuffed with towels. She carried a cleaned out laundry detergent bottle to hold her loot. She wasn’t as fond of the costume since it made climbing steps difficult.
We had a pac-man that won “most original” in the school contest, and a cheetah with spots hand-painted on orange sweats and a homemade head cap with ears. We have let loose on the streets a Magic Parrot (don’t try to find it. It is an obscure Disney film character.), a ballerina, mad scientists with smoking beakers, egyptian gods, well, the list goes on and on.
I remember my first grade year when my mother borrowed a poodle costume from my aunt. It was a hit, but I had to appear in many classrooms and bark when asked to show it off. Not my favorite halloween.
Later, the Catholic schools I attended had “All Saints” day celebrations instead of Halloween parties and the halls were filled with white garbed Marys with heads draped in blue, bearded St. Josephs, and the ever present St. Patrick. A couple angels made appearances too.
I don’t go in for the fear tactic of evangelizing would be halloween celebrants with “Hell Scare” scenarios popular with some evangelical churches. I say, let the kids trick or treat, count and sort their candy (good math practice if you think about it), and eat it til its gone. You might want to help a bit. I’ve been known to raid one of my children’s stash on a gloomy November day when I convinced myself that a piece of candy would remedy my mood.
Still, knowing the history of the name “Halloween” and celebrating the two days that follow are good practices, too.
“Halloween” evolved from the Old English “All Hallows” and in the 16th century, the Scottish “Hallow Even” (Hallow Evening) that named the vigil of the feast of All Saints, which in the Roman Catholic tradition, is celebrated on November 1. That is a good day to remember not only those people canonized by the RC church, but also the unnamed millions who lived a good life, faithful to who God made them to be, who have passed from earthly life. I am sure we all know many. The variety and vitality of “saints” is captured in Kadinsky’s painting.
All Souls Day, a day of prayer for those who have died but are not yet purified of the result of their sins, is commemorated on Nov. 2 in the Roman Catholic church. Those still waiting to be in the presence of God, the “beatific vision,” are those in need of prayer. In some countries, people visit cemeteries and decorate them with flowers and candles on Nov. 1 and 2.
Both these feasts celebrate those who have lived life with all its difficulties and challenges. This is a day to remember the saying often attributed to Plato but of unknown origin: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
Life is hard. Period. For some, harder than for others. Being faithful while living it requires strength of will and soul. I believe the Holy One looks upon all who make the journey with mercy and a loving embrace. That makes me a believer in universal salvation, I suppose, but I don’t claim to know, just to believe in a God who can and does love into Love the worst as well as the best of human kind. One could resist. C.S. Lewis’s book, “The Great Divorce,” comes to mind. Being created as we have been, we are free to refuse God’s love and choose isolation instead. Such a reality is difficult for me to imagine, but I suppose it could happen.
One of life’s challenges is to live it in a way that allows the Love that is irresistible to touch those we meet; to move those who most need to feel it.
Remember that when you smile at the little ones and their parents who show up at your door tonight.
Hapy Hallow E’en!
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