Halloween: Our Day of the Dead

   

          Halloween! It’s that time of year when we have meaningful discussions about death and talk about the people we’ve lost. If only.

            You have probably bought all the candy that you think you’ll need (eaten some, had to buy more), and maybe put pumpkins and a bale of straw by your front door. Perhaps you’ve been working on sparkling costumes that express your fantasies or deny and deflect your fears. Originally known as All Hallows’ Eve, Halloween is the first of three days for memory, honor, and prayer on the Christian calendar. All Saints Day is on November 1, followed by All Souls Day on November 2.

 

Halloween and Holy Days

For a number of years, Halloween was a chore.I felt pressure to carve the gourds, dress up in a ghoulish costume, ooh and aah over neighborhood children who came to the door being cute, and dutifully eat whatever candy was left over, even if it had coconut. 

Nights of Remembrance

On Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, many of us took time to remember and honor our loved ones who had died.

We celebrated their love, humor, and compassion, and gave thanks for their continued presence in our lives. On these nights, people around the world lit candles and held them up in defiance of death.

We held our candles high, for the darkness shall not overcome our lights.