If you don't believe in Saints, you did not celebrate Halloween last night. You dressed up and went trick or treating for the fun of it, on the last night of October. Call it what you want, but it wasn't Halloween. Because "Halloween" means "Holy Evening." November 1 was instituted as a Holy Day in the Church, to honor all the holy men and women in Heaven, the saints. All Saints Day is November 1. HALLOWEEN is basically the Christmas Eve of that holiday. Word? Word.
 | |
| Saints. Word. |
Halloween and trick-or-treat are two completely separate things. One is a night of joy and preparation for the Holy Day that follows. The other is a mix of traditions from this time of year that has morphed into a night of fun for kids. I get it. I like it. My kids will dress up and trick or treat. Heck, I'll even let them choose to be whatever they want, and not make them dress up like saints (though I'd love it if they did, and I make certain to tell them what the night is really about... not candy, but the holy men and women in Heaven) - with stipulations, of course. We don't do anything creepy because I don't like it, and do not want to invite anything undead or evil into my home and life... they try to get in as it is, why open the door for them? (I don't see dead people, except for one time in Santa Rosa at a La Quinta, but that's a story for another time... just saying that I know that bad things are real, and witches exist, and evil is true... and I don't want to invite it in or mock it. I don't think it's funny to mess with that stuff...)
But the next time someone tells me that Halloween comes from legends of evil spirits or the dead roaming the earth, or tells me that Halloween is a celebration of Shamain, I'm going to puke. Halloween, the evening itself, is not anything other than the eve of a holy day. All those other traditions just make it fun. THEY add to IT... not the other way around.
 |
| Happy Halloween! |
You know in Belgium kids get an entire week off school and all business close down on All Saints Day? Doesn't that rock!
Ok, moving on.
Next, Christmas. If you do not believe in Christ, you do not celebrate Christmas. You and your family think it's fun to get a tree and give presents. So don't call it anything other than what it is. A made up day to have fun, eat, get together, and give presents. Call it something. But don't call it Christmas. Because Christmas means "Christ's Mass." It is the day that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Again, all the other stuff just adds to the fun and whimsy and magic (Santa - who is a spin-off of Saint Nicholas, reindeer, presents, music, you name it. Fun? Yes! Necessary? No!)
| Jolly Ol St Nick |
If all the trick-or-treating and costumes, presents and Santa photo ops end, these Catholic Christian traditions carry on. We will forever celebrate All Saint's Day, and the evening before. We will forever celebrate Christmas, and the evening before (Catholics have midnight Mass the night before Christmas. We bring in Christmas with, none other than, Christ's Mass. Hardcore, right?).
Quit boring me by acting like you know when you don't know. Quit trying to make my kids think that these holidays are secular and all about having a good time. Because they're not!
If you invent a holiday that is all about having a good time, we'll take part, for sure. We'd be crazy not to. But I will NOT tell your kids that "Fun Day" is actually a Catholic tradition. I'm so sure. I don't celebrate Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, and if I took them and made them mine, a couple groups, who really like and enjoy and understand those days, might be miffed, too.
You know, while I'm at it, quit calling everything a "holiday." Holiday MEANS "HOLY DAY."
This country is becoming so anti-Christian it's ridiculous, yet it holds on to the fun things... the things that give you a day or two off and an excuse to get together. "Give us your great holidays, but don't you DARE say Christ's name at the State Capitol, you LOONY!"
Take Grandparents' Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Administrative Assistant Day... have fun with all of those! They're awesome and fun. But Halloween, Easter, Christmas, and even Mardi Gras are ours. They've just been twiiiiiisted into something so far from what they are!
Okay, rant is done. I'm just really, really mad that my daughter was introduced to the legend of Bloody Mary yesterday, but heard nothing, I mean, not one single thing, about Saints, except from me. I'm ready to lock up the house and bar the windows and protect her little soul with all my might.
The end.
Preach on sister!
ReplyDelete