It is that time of year again; Halloween is around the corner, and people want to know, “Is Halloween evil?” We have all seen the day used as an excuse for people to dress in questionable attire that almost always celebrates vice over virtue. I am sure you have also heard of the legends and stories people have told over the years that play into the ghoulish and ghastly nature in which they want to portray Halloween. People have turned it into a devilish carnival over the years. However, it wasn't always this way.
The term Halloween comes from the contraction of Hallows Eve, referring to the evening before All Hallows Day (later called All Saints Day). As good Anglicans, we know that the day begins in the evening; this is why we celebrate Christmas Eve and an Easter Vigil. In the beginning, when God created the world, he made the sun and the moon to govern the night and day, "and there was evening, and there was morning, the fourth day." From the Eve of All Saints' Day to All Souls' Day, which consists of three days, this became known as the Triduum of Death or All Hallowtide. "Triduum" should make you think of Holy Week and the Triduum of Our Lord as we walk through his last three days leading to Easter Morning. However, the Triduum of Death sounds frightful to a culture that prizes the escape of death at all costs.
So, where did All Hallows come from? It is an early Christian feast dating back to the fourth century and the Christian persecution under Diocletian. It has been Christian custom to solemnize or celebrate the death of a martyr for Christ. St. Ignatius of Antioch refers to his martyrdom as his "birth pangs" into eternal life. Under the persecution of Diocletian in 303-313 AD, there were too many martyrs to memorialize all of them. A common day to give reverence to the death of the Saints (All Saints' Day) came into being and was mentioned in sermons by St Ephrem the Syrian (373) and St John Chrysostom (407). Different regions would celebrate it at different times. Under Pope Gregory in the 9th century, he gave a universal date of November 1st (it is contested whether or not this was a response to Samhain, the pagan Irish festival). Since then, the Church has continued to celebrate these three days to remember those who have gone before us into the Church Triumphant.
These days remind us that death is not the end for Christians; it is the birth pangs of moving from the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant, where we have the fullness of life in Christ. And so, we remember those who have lived faithful lives. And it is as we follow their good examples that we ask God, as the Anglican composer Thomas Tallis writes, to "Teach me to live that I may dread the grave as little as my bed. Teach me to die that I may rise glorious at the awesome day." Remembering the life and death of Saints should lead us into lives devoted to God, giving us hope that God will continue to work his grace in our lives so that we too might be Saints.
It is the Anglican practice to pray for those who have died. Just think to our prayers for the whole state of Christ Church each week, “And we also bless thy Holy name for all thy servants departed this life… beseeching thee to grant them continual growth in thy love and service…” Along these lines, the Anglican Tractarian E.B. Pusey writes, "If people really believe that the soul does not die at death, but that then it only leaves the body, still lives and is conscious, there can absolutely be no good reason for not praying for the soul still. It has only gone to another place; prayer can reach everywhere; God can help anywhere; a soul can be blessed by Him in Paradise as well as on earth." So, we pray that those we love who have gone before us might be moved from strength to strength, not that their sins need more satisfaction (Christ has already accomplished this) but that they might continue to grow in sanctification. The distinction between All Saints Day and All Souls Day is that on All Saints Day, we remember the martyrs, the doctors of the Church, the holy Virgins, the Apostles, and the Confessors of the Faith. On All Souls Day, we remember and pray for those whose lives have directly touched ours; our friends and family who have joined the Saints in the heavenly worship of God.
The Church has celebrated these days by getting together and joining the Saints in the heavenly worship by celebrating the Holy Eucharist and by praying Evening and Nighttime prayers together. So where did Trick-or-Treat come from? This also has roots within medieval and Christian communities. In 13th-century Britain, children would dress up and go door to door and perform a brief play in exchange for food and drink. At some point, in Christian communities, children began "souling" on Halloween night. Souling was the practice of children going to doors and exchanging prayers for the souls of deceased family members for a pastry called "Soul Cake".
Of course, the world contorts holy things for the perverse. I don't think that means we should give it over to them. So, is Halloween evil? Can God tell little Tommy, dressed as Tigger, apart from those who seek to worship the devil? The answer: Halloween is not inherently evil, and yes, the almighty and all-knowing God knows the heart and intention of little Tommy. But whether you and your family choose to celebrate and decorate for Halloween (or not), join in this important Christian feast, remembering our hope in Christ and praying for those who have gone before us. And when you hear a knock on your door, if you choose to answer, give out candy generously. And if you find yourself trick-or-treating, say a prayer in your head for each house. And whether you are looking for clean fun or fellowship, join us for our Fall Festival this Saturday at 3 here at the church for pumpkin carving and a treat trail.
In Christ,
Fr. Aaron