It’s that time of year again... no, not Christmas (not quite – give the shops another week to go big on that one) but Hallowe’en! A few years ago Hallowe’en wasn’t any big deal and apart from the party shops and newsagents, it didn’t make that huge a retail impact. Now plastic pumpkins, zombie costumes and ghoulish recipes abound in every store from M&S to the supermarkets. And probably the pet shops too – I haven’t been in one recently but I daresay I could find my cocker spaniel a trick ‘n’ treat pack and a fetching devil horn headband with matching tail piece.
“So what?” might be your reaction. “It’s a bit of fun for the children and a chance to dress up and have a party. No-one takes the devilish side of it seriously.” Somehow I suspect that therein lies the danger. The things we don’t take seriously might be exactly those that give the Evil One a foot in the door.
In any case, it seems to me that at this time of year we Catholics can often miss the opportunity to have a positive celebration, rather than a not-taking-it-seriously one. “Hallowe’en”, of course, means “All Hallows' Eve” (i.e. the eve of All Saints' Day) and originates from the Church’s taking over a pagan festival and reinterpreting it in the light of its own liturgical calendar. We celebrate the Christian way of relating to the dead, so that rather than lighting fires and wearing scary masks to scare off earthbound spirits, we venerate our brothers and sisters who provided us with examples of Christian living when on earth and who are now with God in Heaven and ready to assist us with their prayers. The forces of evil are hardly anything to celebrate, but the assistance and example of the Saints definitely are. So why celebrate the former when we can celebrate the latter? If we think the ghouls and ghosties are more fun, maybe that indicates that some soul-searching and meditative prayer is in order...?!
The great advantage of partying in honour of All Hallows' Eve rather than Hallowe’en is that it gives us the opportunity to provide our children, or grandchildren, with some painless and enjoyable catechesis. As the performers of medieval mystery plays and designers of magnificent stained glass windows knew, the visual and dramatic are excellent learning tools, particularly for the illiterate (in those days) or the young. What better way of getting children to learn about this great feast of the Church, find out about a variety of Saints and perhaps begin to think about why it’s good to dress up as holy people rather than vampires as some of their friends might be doing...?
For young and old alike, this is a fun way of witnessing to the world about our faith. I would like to commend the “All Hallows in Horsham” party being held at St John’s Catholic Church in Horsham on Sunday 30 October, thanks to an intrepid lady named Celia and her band of helpers. There will be pumpkins, treats, lots of the traditional games and a costume parade, but the dressing-up will be strictly on the theme of saints not spooks. Some fab outfits were worn to last year’s party: much more impressive than your average dripping-with-blood-and-gore get-up! (The photo shows St Lucy, aka your Vice-President's wife, with party organiser St Therese of Lisieux - the aforementioned Celia. The children all looked much more impressive than we did though!) Parishioners can find details in the church newsletter.
Go over to "Five Feet Above Sea Level" to read an excellent posting by Katherine, one of Celia’s team, on the subject of Hallowe’en. And have a very happy All Hallows!
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