More about celebrating Halloween, from a non-expert in the field

To follow on from my recent post about the Halloween cultural divide, I thought I'd elaborate on the religious aspect of abstaining from Halloween. Please keep in mind, I'm not a scholar, an expert, or even an amateur practitioner in Biblical scholarship; in the capacity in which I discuss this topic, I'm simply a regular church goer who can do research.

From what I have experienced, the issue with Halloween in our Anglican church is about comsumerism and sending children out into the streets to beg for sweets. I think both themes are supported by Ephesians 6: 11 - 18, certainly with issues of pandering to the fleshly lures of free chocolates and spending unnecessary money on custumes and such. There's also the mentioned "breastplate of righteousness", which certainly covers the same.

I know the dressing up to resemble departed souls doesn't seem to be the problem. This custom is embraced by many cultures and the Anglicans mark this event with an all souls service. As Encyclopædia Britannica explains:

All Souls’ Day, in the Roman Catholic church, a day for commemoration of all the faithful departed, those baptized Christians who are believed to be in purgatory because they have died with the guilt of lesser sins on their souls. It is celebrated on November 2. Roman Catholic doctrine holds that the prayers of the faithful on earth will help cleanse these souls in order to fit them for the vision of God in heaven.

From antiquity certain days were devoted to intercession for particular groups of the dead. The institution of a day for a general intercession on November 2 is due to Odilo, abbot of Cluny (d. 1048). The date, which became practically universal before the end of the 13th century, was chosen to follow All Saints’ Day. Having celebrated the feast of all the members of the church who are believed to be in heaven, the church on earth turns, on the next day, to commemorate those souls believed to be suffering in purgatory.

Priests celebrate mass wearing vestments of varying colour—black (for mourning), violet (symbolizing penance), or white (symbolizing the hope of resurrection).

OK, that was clearly way more than necessary but it does confirm the acceptance of dealing with the dead. The church clearly isn't afraid of people dressing up to look like dead people.

Here's more on the topic, from the 20 October 2006 issue of Church Times:

"The restoration of All Saints Day and All Souls Day in the national consciousness is clearly some way off. A trip round the displays in Woolworths or Clinton Cards reveals that the 21st-century Halloween has considerable bulk, but no substance, and not the slightest connection to ths Christian teaching behind the season that is, a joyful celebration of the saints in glory, and a sober contemplation of death and what lies beyond."

However, this school of thought was contradicted, in my opinion, by the Bishop of Bolton, the Rt Revd David Gillett, who met with the five biggest retail chains in this country and urged them to offer less scary alternatives to the typical goulish Halloween junk. If the primary concerns have to do with consumerism and righteousness, why ask stores to offer more stuff that families can buy?

All of this is food for thought, and I'm sure there are indeed better ways to use the money I spent on Halloween candy for the trick-or-treaters. I do, however, think the gesture of going around to see your neighbours and having a quick nice word is indeed a good thing, and something that is a real pleasure in being the grown-up on Halloween. You get to see everyone enjoying the evening, see several neighbours I don't see any other way, and get to have a good laugh at the fabness of the costumes. Surely that has a value that the church hasn't considered?

Yet another aspect of the cultural divide

Celebrating Halloween is yet another aspect of the US-UK cultural divide. I didn't understand this until I became a parent and am raising a child in the American ways of addressing the holiday. Each year Bailey's grandmother sends Bailey lovely Halloween costumes from the States and each year when I take Bailey trick-or-treating, there are remarks about how sweet she looks. Of course she looks sweet but anyone would compared to how locals dress for Halloween. It seems the local English way is to dress up as scary/gruesome/upsetting as possible and then go beg for some chocolates. Accordingly, over half of the houses in our family-based neighbourhood were completely dark last night.

There are some insights into this division. The Independent has an interesting op-ed on the topic. The BBC also sheds a little light. I too have an insight. I thing it comes down to begging. Most people don't want people turning up on their doorsteps asking for food, and trick-or-treaters seem to fall into this category.

In truth, I prefer the ideal of the US model, where Halloween is an event for little kids to dress up and visit friends and family, and get decent sweeties. I'm doing my best for the cause, with our carved pumpkins and welcoming demeanor, and of course by taking a very well costumed little girl around the neighbourhood.

There's also the issue of how the Anglican faith deals with Halloween and it's Pagan origins, but that's another topic for another day...