Halloween?

When I lived in Colombia, I heard that Halloween is evil. Some people say that Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which celebrated the end of harvest and the beginning of winter, a time when the veil between the living and spirit worlds was believed to be thin. This day is celebrated on October 31st. But, I wonder, is Halloween really evil? Are we calling a celebration where children dressed as superheroes, princes and princesses, police officers, priests, robots, and so on, evil? Is it evil to go door to door, having interaction with our neighbors and asking them for candies for fun? Is it evil to share with family this tradition of decorating our houses and eating pumpkin treats? I do not think this celebration is evil, but we need to understand the Catholic point of view of Halloween.

According to catholiccompany.com, “The true substance of Halloween belongs to the Catholic Church.” Of course, “violence, gore, sensuality, or demonism now commonly associated with Halloween is not, in fact, true to the origins of this holiday.” The real meaning of the word Halloween comes from All Hallow’s Eve. In other words, Halloween refers to the evening or vigil of the Solemnity of All Saints, which is celebrated on November 1st. In Mexico, there is a celebration commonly now called “El día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead); however, the original name of this celebration is also called All Saints Day, which goes from October 27th to November 2nd (this day is All Souls Day). Even though Mexicans go to the cemeteries and create altars to their beloved ones with flowers and food, they are praying for their beloved one who died, and celebrating the fact that some are now in heaven.

Therefore, let us celebrate Halloween understanding the true sense of this tradition, not dressing our children as demons, monsters, or something evil, but as saints, such as St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila, or your favorite Saint. You can also dress your children with costumes that promote good, such as superheroes or cartoon characters.

Let us celebrate and have fun in Halloween, exalting our beloved ones who are now in heaven.