Halloween

HALLOWEEN

Reclaim it for CHRIST

Kristina Cooper encourages us to make Halloween a Night of Light

As a child, although I enjoyed hollowing out my turnip and dunking for apples, there was something that I intuitively didn't really like about Halloween. It was as if the presence of a malevolent spirit had suddenly being given permission to seep into the atmosphere. For many in our secularised culture, however, because they don't believe in the reality of the spiritual world, Halloween is seen as a bit of fun, simply a colourful tradition which helps give a focus to the autumn months. This is certainly true in the shops, which thanks to aggressive and attractive merchandising, are full of flying witches, chocolate pumpkins, rubbery spiders and horrible masks. In many primary schools, moreover, including Catholic ones, children are happily encouraged to join in the festivities, making witches' hats and drawing goblins and ghosts, often perhaps without realising what is actually being promoted. Apart from celebrating a feast of darkness we are also allowing the true meaning of "All Hallows Eve" to be forgotten. Ironically the date when we celebrate a feast of darkness, is actually the vigil of the feast of All Saints when we should, as Christians, be celebrating the victory of light, and the glory of God's saints in heaven.

People always like celebrations, and often it's the party and festivities that people are attached to rather than its original meaning (eg Guy Fawkes night). Thus it is important, in our attempt to evangelise culture, that we don't just condemn Halloween, but that we provide our own more attractive alternative. This happened in France a few years ago, when the bishops realised that Halloween was threatening to displace the Catholic feast and traditions of Toussaints (All Saints). Not only did they start to organise all kinds of special festivities and parties round the feast of All Saints, with rock concerts and prayer events for young people, but they even had a famous patisserier create a special Gateau de Toussaint!

In England, Cor et Lumen Christi community, a small Catholic lay community, have been doing something similar, and encouraging Catholics to celebrate a Night of Light on 31st October. This has been going for several years now. They have a web site which has lots of ideas that people might like to follow. These include having a vigil Mass with a collection for pro-life work; a time of adoration of the blessed Sacrament (all night for the really keen!) and an All Saints party for children(and adults) with treats and fun.

Other ideas include placing a light in your window as a sign that Christ is your light and yours is a Christian household. Some people even wear an item of white clothing.

Do visit the night of light web site - www.nightoflight.org, which has some very useful ideas for children's activities - including making halloween lanterns with happy smiles instead of sinister expressions. And be creative yourselves organising an All Saints Celebration for your family or your parish! When trick or treaters come to your door, morover, why don't you try giving them miraculous medals or rosaries, as well as sweets, interestingly these are considered pretty cool by today's secular youth!

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