Christians and Halloween: Celebrating All Hallows Eve in a Pre- Christian West

By Deacon Keith Fournier
11/1/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Members of the Catholic Church are invited to transform cultural practices from within through our proper participation. That has been our missionary model for over two millennia

The secularized celebration of Halloween reflects the waning influence of a Christian worldview in the West. However, it also presents an opportunity for Catholic Christians to do what we have always done, live like missionaries in our own culture.

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CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) - As I was writing this article my grandson knocked on my door. I did not turn away from the laptop computer because I was trying to concentrate. He called out in a deep voice "Poppi" - the endearing name he has called me since he learned to speak.

I turned around quickly and saw this wonderful little boy dressed up as his favorite super-hero, the "Incredible Hulk". Having been engaged by him in numerous discussions this past week as to who would win in a battle between Hulk and another super-hero, I knew that his dear mother had just made this Halloween special.

Now pushing sixty, I became almost as excited as I did when I was a child and preparing to participe in Halloween. His anticipation of visiting neighbors and receiving candy, dressed up like the "incredible Hulk", became the subject of a lengthy and humorous conversation.

He ran around the house for an hour dressed up like the Hulk. I delighted as he entered into that wonderful world of childhood play. All this week I have had the joy of listening to him share his excitement about Halloween.

He and his mom, our dear daughter, live with us. I should say we all live with him - given his ability to "occupy the turf" of our home with the amazing little world he has built under our roof. He always reminds me of the gift of childhood, a gift we should never lose.

He has completely transformed our home and our life together. Family is a way of life and, when it is lived as a domestic church, it can be a source of real grace and conversion. It is also meant to become naturally supernatural.

Our grandson will soon be six years old. As the years have passed I realize that he is keeping my dear wife and me from "getting old" in the wrong way. He is a continual invitation to us to keep life simple and receive every day as a gift. We raised five children of our own and have six grandchildren.

The term "Halloween" is derived from "All Hallows Eve", the Christian Vigil of the celebration of the Christian Feast of "All Saints". Tomorrow evening I will serve as a deacon at the altar for the Vigil Mass of All Saints day. The beautiful readings will point us toward the perfection of the Saints in heaven and encourage us to become saints in our own journey here on earth through living the words of Jesus in the beatitudes.

Like many Catholics and other Christians I am concerned that the secularized celebration of "Halloween", with its undue influence on goblins, ghosts and the demonic, reflects the waning influence of the Christian worldview in the West. However, it also presents an opportunity for Catholic Christians to do what we have always done, live like missionaries in our own culture.

Particularly during this Year of Faith I suggest we consider how the Church has transformed cultures throughout her history- and do the same. The Church has always recognized that cultural practices can be "mixed", containing those aspects which elevate the human person and those which do not.

Members of the Catholic Church are invited to transform cultural practices from within through our proper participation. That has been our missionary model for over two millennia.

Many of the dates on the calendar which were "Christianized" and now host Christian "Holy-Days" were originally utilized for "Pre-Christian" ("Pagan") celebrations. This process reflects the wisdom of the Church and her faith based missionary approach. She "baptized" them, recognizing the seeds of what was good and true within them.

By immersing them in the beauty of the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the Word Incarnate - who is the fullness of truth and the source of all goodness - she turns them into vehicles for transforming culture by infusing them with the values of the Kingdom which Jesus inaugurated.

The Church is the Body of Christ. She is meant to become the home of the whole human race. As the early fathers were fond of proclaiming, the Church is the world reconciled - the world in the process of transfiguration. We who live our lives now in the Church do so for the sake of the world.

We should not be afraid of human culture; we are called to continue the redemptive mission of our Lord by transforming it from within as leaven in a loaf.

The early Christians always honored the dead and had a special devotion and affection for the martyrs. We have wonderful accounts like the Martyrdom of Polycarp from the middle of the second century which set forth the practices:

"Accordingly, we afterwards took up his bones, more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more pure than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, so that when being gathered together, as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to celebrate the anniversary ...

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1 - 5 of 5 Comments

Paul-Emile Leray
6 months ago
As always, well written, informative, and a joy to read.
There is no doubt in my mind that one (perhaps of several) calling Deacon Keith has is to write. What a wonderful writer!
Paul-Emile Leray
Terri Kimmel
6 months ago
This is deeply considered and wonderfully written. Thank you!

We have also grappled with this issue over the years. We homeschool our children (nine altogether, one in Catholic high school now and the two oldest in orthodox-Catholic universities), so we have moved in circles with very conservative Catholics. Our family practice is to read the daily readings every morning and, if there is a saint on that calendar day, we look up that saint's life and add that to our reading. The saints are with us every day at home and the kids know what All Saints Day is and why it's important.

I think remembering the damned and talking about hell is a perfectly legitimate way to observe Halloween. I'm particularly sensitive to the demonic (I cannot watch even the mildest horror movie, for instance), so death, blood and carnage are forbidden in our costumes and decorations. However, have a great time on Halloween. Our kids are dressing as an explorer, a ninja, a clown and the color blue this year. I see the trick-or-treating and candy as kind of a secular celebration, much like fireworks on New Year's Eve. It's all good fun and we definitely incorporate the appropriate religious elements into the day's events.

The assumption that those of us who dress up and trick-or-treat on Halloween are missing the religious significance of the next day is arrogant and uncharitable. I appreciate the thorough treatment of the subject in this article. Thank you.
Anna Daniel
6 months ago
I still receive flack from my husband and children for stopping any participation in "trick or treat" about 20 years ago. About that time several things happened. First, I came in contact with (during Divine Mercy conferences) priests who were involved with deliverance, etc. The reality of what happens on this night (a high holy day in the church of Satan) is like something out of your worst nightmare. These priests would advise anyone to avoid "masks" , anything remotely resembling the "occult", and any celebrations of this night in any way that was not connected with giving honor and thanksgiving to God for the saints. Mother Angelica (EWTN) and her nuns spend this particular night in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in reparation for all that is done this night in blasphemy against God. Secondly, I began to read more on the subject especially concerning the true history of Oct 31st prior to the attempt to "Chritianize" the date. It is the one time when Christianity failed to overcome the forces of darkness in instituting a "replacement" for pagan/occult practices/celebrations. Think about it, the Protestant world (especially the Lutherans) celebrate this date commemorating Luther's formal dissent from the church. Who was this a victory for? Thirdly, during Our Lady's apparitions at Conyers, GA, she specifically and in detail requested of Nancy that we not participate in this type celebration on this date. She said if you want to put on costumes and masks and celebrate on another date, that would be different, but to avoid offending God by celebrating this date in such a manner. Now I know that these apparitions weren't "approved", nor were they condemned. It is very difficult to go against the forces of society; "everyone else is doing it and your children will feel like wierdos". God forbid that our children should be "different". When you don't know any better, God doesn't hold you accountable. When you've been informed and cave in to the societal pressure, you will answer for this. I chose to avoid the possibility of offending God and giving glory to His enemy.
Margaret Sidney
6 months ago
As a new convert, I have been obliged to study extensively the tenets of my faith. This has heightelned my sensitivity to those who are quick to judge it with no basis other than their own opinions. I pray that our heavenly Father wil use those with a faithful heart to bring
Light to the darkness! Thank you for this article and others like it. I will share it with my priest(s).
abey
6 months ago
If there be just fun & no love then it is not of God,'cause Love is the deciding factor to the Truth in all things, for God is Love, which Love is Productive.

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