Tonight, October 31st, is the Feast of All Hallow’s Eve. You may know it better as “Halloween.”
Halloween was, originally, the eve of All Saints’ Day. Its original purpose was to prepare for and anticipate the celebration of the saints in Heaven. “Halloween” comes from All Hallows’ Eve, the Vigil for the Solemnity of All Saints on November 1.
All the saints in Heaven are honored, not only those who have been formally canonized by the Church.
The feast reminds us of:
• The reality of heaven.
• The communion of saints.
• Our calling to holiness.
• The hope that we, too, may one day join the saints in eternal life in our true home, Heaven.
The following day is All Souls’ Day, when Catholics particularly remember and pray for the faithful departed who are undergoing purification in Purgatory.
These three observances form a connected sequence, like a triduum:
October 31: All Hallows’ Eve, serving as the preparation for the feast.
November 1: All Saints’ Day, the celebration of the saints in heaven.
November 2: All Souls’ Day, prayer for the faithful departed.
When you take a look at that, we the Church’s structure as the Church Militant (us, still living down here on Earth,) the Church Triumphant (those in Heaven,) and the Church Suffering (Holy Souls in Purgatory.)
Some of the older customs that were practiced in Catholic Medieval times:
Souling: People went door to door offering prayers for deceased family members in exchange for small cakes called soul cakes.
Costumes: In some places, people dressed as saints, angels, and occasionally representations of the dead.
Candles: Lights were placed in windows and sometimes carried to cemeteries, symbolizing remembrance and prayer.
Church bells: Bells were rung for the departed.
Food: Special foods were prepared in remembrance of deceased relatives.
These customs varied considerably by region, but they demonstrate how Halloween was once connected to the Catholic understanding of death,
prayer, and eternal life.
The spooky traditions of ghosts and goblins and witches and so on come from pagan traditions that have been partially or greatly influenced by modern secular pop culture.
Remember, stay sober. Indulge on candy, instead!
More resources: The Catholic roots of Halloween, the Vigil of All Saints’ Day
Where did Halloween come from—and should Catholics celebrate it?
A brief history of Halloween, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day
What is the significance of Halloween to a Catholic?
I am not linking to anything specifically about Samhain.
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