Tis the Season - So to Speak

‘Tis the season, so to speak. Fall has officially arrived and while the temps here on the Texas Gulf Coast are not chilly, they are more easily tolerated than those of 100 degrees plus we experience during the summer months. With the change of seasons come football games, crackling fireplaces and hot chocolate as the holiday celebrations grow closer and closer. Halloween comes first. While I do not agree with the celebration of Halloween, I have attended many Fall Festivals and other events to celebrate the arrival of Fall. Have you ever heard the story behind Halloween? Let me enlighten you if you haven’t.

Halloween is typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain. The name is derived from Old Irish and means summer’s end. A similar festival was held by the ancient Britons and is known as Calan Graef. The festival of Samhain celebrates the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half", and is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year." The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. The family's ancestors were honored and invited home while harmful spirits were warded off. It is believed that the need to ward off harmful spirits led to the wearing of costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit and thus avoid harm.

The word Halloween is first attested in the 16th century and represents a Scottish variant of the fuller All-Hallows-Even ("evening"), that is, the night before All Hallows Day. I’ve always been proud that my birthday (November 1) is known as All Saints Day.

Symbols associated with Halloween formed over time encompassing customs of medieval holy days as well as contemporary cultures. The souling practice of commemorating the souls in purgatory with candle lanterns carved from turnips became adapted into the making of jack-o'-lanterns. In traditional Celtic Halloween festivals, large turnips were hollowed out, carved with faces and placed in windows to ward off evil spirits. The carving of pumpkins is associated with Halloween in North America where pumpkins are both readily available and much larger – making them easier to carve than turnips. Many families that celebrate Halloween carve a pumpkin into a frightening or comical face and place it on their doorstep after dark. I do not imagine they have any idea that the custom of doing so is to ward off evil spirits.

The imagery of Halloween is derived from many sources, including national customs, works of Gothic and horror literature (such as the novels Frankenstein and Dracula), and classic horror films (such as Frankenstein and The Mummy). Halloween imagery includes themes of death, ghosts and monsters. Traditional characters include ghosts, witches, skeletons, vampires, werewolves, demons, bats, and black cats.

The colors black and orange are associated with the celebrations, perhaps because of the darkness of night and the color of fire, autumn leaves or pumpkins. When my son, Bill, was about 6 years old we attended Sagemont Baptist Church (now Sagemont Church). I remember one Halloween season Billy (as he was known then) went to talk to the pastor, John Morgan, about why the colors black and orange represented Halloween. Morgan knelt down and listened intently as Billy explained, “You see, black represents sin and the orange is like the flames of Hell.” As only Morgan can do, he smiled his famous smile and told Bill he had to agree with him. Out of the mouths of children . . .

I cringe when I see devil costumes for little children. It’s okay to explain even to small children why they should not wear a ghost or gremlin costume. Our children learn by the example set before them. There is nothing wrong with celebrating the beginning of a new season, but we should not blindly allow our babies to dress up as ghosts, demons and heaven forbid – the devil himself! Satan is very real and not a force to make fun of or imitate in any way. Satan is alive and well and certainly taken too lightly by the world in general and by many professing Christians.

If your child wants to dress in a costume, why not encourage a friendly costume? Some of the best costumes my kids ever had were homemade. One year the whole family went to a Fall Festival as hobos. We looked the part and had so much fun. My kids have been clowns, tigers, and a vast assortment of characters over the years. One year Jon was a wise man and Summer and Krystin were sheep. They were so cute in their black leotards with cotton batting stuck all over them. Another year the girls all put on heavy makeup and tons of hair gel and lots of jewelry. They resembled a rock and roll band. Their look was definitely original! It was fun applying all the makeup (eye shadow on lips and lipstick as eye shadow, etc.) and putting glitter and spray painted color on their hair.

My point is simple – have fun. Family time is so important. Take your kiddos to one of the many Fall Festivals planned in the next couple of weeks in your area. Check your local newspaper and I am sure you will find a fun, safe atmosphere for your children to make some happy memories. I am sure not everyone will agree with my opinion, but this is my blog so my opinion is what is expressed. The older I get, the more I am convinced we are not serious enough about the evil influences that we accept into our lives needlessly. Take care of your babies because they only know what you teach them. Don’t let the world be their teacher. Your input is definitely required!

Love ya!
Candy