The history of Halloween is not horrifying, but it is pretty uncertain. Nevertheless, Halloween is not a scary day, but a holy day that has been celebrated since the early Church.
The first mention of a feast of this kind comes from the East and dates back to the mid-4th century, but it was specific to martyrs only. This feast was not always celebrated on November 1st either. The Friday after Easter was used to commemorate martyrs, as well as the Sunday after Pentecost (this is the current observance day for Byzantine Catholics). Eventually, non-martyrs were also commemorated.
The West also celebrated the martyrs of the early Church but it’s not very clear how the holy day came to be celebrated on November 1st. Consequently, there is no scholarly consensus on the matter of how All Saints day came to be on November 1st. It may be linked to an anniversary of an oratory-dedication at St. Peter’s Basilica by Pope Gregory in the mid 8th century. Some indicators show that it may have its roots in Germany during the late 8th century. It may also be the case that the November 1st date for All Saints Day was a response to the Druid festival of the dead, Samhain, which was celebrated in Ireland.
There is nothing wrong with the playfulness of Halloween (trick-or-treating, wearing costumes, decorating, etc.) Those who reject Halloween as a "devil's holiday" are dreadfully misguided, most likely because of bad research. There is nothing satanic, in principle or in origin, about carving pumpkins or dressing up as a chicken and going door-to-door to get some candy.
That being said, let's try not to loose sight of the real purpose of this great holiday: the celebration of those who lived and died in friendship with Christ. In fact, the entire month of November has been dedicated by the Church to remember the dead, especially those in Purgatory. Halloween can also remind us of our own mortality and that at the end of our lives, we will face God himself. Are we prepared?
More on Halloween here.
That being said, let's try not to loose sight of the real purpose of this great holiday: the celebration of those who lived and died in friendship with Christ. In fact, the entire month of November has been dedicated by the Church to remember the dead, especially those in Purgatory. Halloween can also remind us of our own mortality and that at the end of our lives, we will face God himself. Are we prepared?
More on Halloween here.
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