HALLOWEEN CANDY OF DEAD

The Day of the Dead is observed in different ways throughout history and around the globe. Halloween is among those celebrations. Halloween is derived from All Hallows Eve. It's held on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar, and marks the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain meaning summer's end. For hundreds of years Christians and Pagans held festivals to celebrate the cycles of both season and life. To counter All Hallows Eve the Christian world instituted All Saints Day, which is held on November 1st, to modify and hopefully convert the Pagans. All Hallows Eve probably came from the Druids of Ireland. This Celtic culture was polytheistic and also dwelt in Wales of Britain, Scotland, Ireland and norther Europe.

All Hallows Eve, now known as Halloween, was a harvest fire festival meant to honor the dead. The dead, according to Celtic belief, roamed the earth at this time of year as they awaited their crossing over to the other world. These spirits, good and evil, were given their due respect by the Celts. In order to satisfy all spirits during this time of harvest and change the Celts even offered gifts and treats outside their homesteads. This, they hoped, would ensure positive relations with the dead in hopes of productive coming crops and harvests. This may be how we've come to the tradition of "trick or treat." Hallow means to make holy or sanctify and thus they endeavored to sanctify their lives, harvest and relations with the dead by honoring them and the cycle of life.

All Saints Day was meant to be the opposite of All Hallows Eve or Halloween. A day to honor the many Christian saints was hoped to influence the Druids to penance and to hopefully convert them from their pagan beliefs. Pope Boniface in the 7th century sanctified May 13th as the observance of All Saints Day. This was later modified to November 1st by Gregory lll. All Souls Day, another Christian rooted observance, is on November 2nd and was instituted for prayer of all the lost souls in purgatory.

All Hallows Eve has it's varied names depending on the country observing it. The Welsh knew it as Nos Galen-gaeof or the Night of the Winter Calends. The Irish knew it as Samhein (La Samon) or the Feast of the Sun. Scotland, however, knew it as Hallowe'en. Each observed in honor and each observed in reverence and under positive human action. So now we have Halloween that has now modified itself into expensive and makeshift costumes. Our children go forth in fervent passions of candy and other treats. We entreat assemblies with masquerade parties with witches bearing brew chilled by dry ice. Homeowners become living icons of "must go" places for kids and the kid at heart to be scared witless by ingenious and gruesome gags of moving monsters, spider web shaded lights and deep groans. True, this can be a fun and light-hearted holiday but the need to educate the people of it's roots is as ever important now as it's ever been.

Safety is paramount in today's discharge of Halloween traditions. Recent history over the past fifty years have manifested poison laced candy and candy encompassing various metal objects marked for harm of the human body. Occasions like this has marked the clamp down at most schools as to their Halloween observance in the classroom. Parents are alert more than ever, though no nearly enough, of the safety of their children marking the tradition of door-to-door trick-or-treating. There is a growing trend of a safer outlet of this tradition known as Trunk-or-Treat. Many churches, communities, neighborhoods and groups are adopting this venue for the sake of not only safety but also fellowship. Learn how one group celebrated Trunk-or-Treat!

Celebrating the dead is a deep rooted tradition observed all over the world. The following are but a few:

• Vietnam celebrates the Day of the Dead known locally as Thanh Minh. This is celebrated on the third lunar month. Incense sticks, food, flowers and graves cleaning are all facets of respect in honor and reverence for the dead.

• Dias de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico on November 2nd. It is believed that on this, and other festivals, the dead return to family and friends in an uplifting and atmosphere of positive frivolity. For them death is an equal part of the cycle of life. The Sugar Skull Fair, or Feria de Alfinique, is a huge and highly expensive occasion.

• Araw ng mga Patay is a celebration of the Philippines. In this Filipino culture families clean and groom the tombs and graves of deceased family members. Often culminating in a multi-evening event families share in song, dance and games.

How we observe this holiday and time of year determines the origin of our heart in the sacred or non-sacred observance. As long as the people are educated in the origins of any holiday or occasion there is no reason to condemn any holiday celebration as we mark the event. Halloween can be fun and harmless regardless of many who reject it’s roots. Whether you honor the dead at this particular holiday occasion or just plain go trick-or-treating it is still a therapeutic time to just let your hair down and have fun!