The Origins of Halloween

October signifies to me the beginning of the official “Holiday” season.   Halloween has become synonymous with everything autumn, such as pumpkins, red and orange colors and harvest time.  But it is sometimes viewed as a controversial holiday.  A holiday that glorifies evil and darkness.  I used to be one such proponent of boycotting this holiday.  In fact, as a sophomore in college, I decided to write an entire thesis paper on the origins of the Halloween traditions, it’s associations with Druid worship and witchcraft.  My paper was well written, thoroughly researched and extremely biased, and so was I.

I carried my biased opinion throughout my early adulthood.  I refused to participate in the office Halloween party, would not eat any Halloween candy, and on Halloween nights I turned off my lights and hung a big sign on my front door that read “WE DON’T CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN.  Not surprisingly, my home and car were targeted on more than one occasion for an occasional egg washing with a toilet paper accent.

I was adamant in my “anti-Halloween” sentiment, until I had children.  For the first five years of child rearing, it was easy, until that one fall afternoon when my 5 year old daughter returned home from school, with a wild look of excitement in her eyes as she declared she was going to be a “Princess Angel” for Halloween.  Her three year old younger sister piped in that she too was going to be an angel.  Then they looked at me with innocent, thought provoked eyes and asked the question I feared would be asked, “What’s Halloween?”

Suddenly, my thesis on the evils of Halloween seemed so inappropriate and totally irrelevant.  Certainly, my children weren’t evil, nor their classmates, nor teachers, nor MOST of my neighbors.  We weren’t going to draw a circle of fire in the backyard, recite ancient incantations, and sacrifice our puppy. 

“What’s Halloween?”  I realized it’s a time of imagination, pure fun, and an excuse to eat an unbelievable amount of candy in one day.  It’s also an American tradition, as American as apple pie, baseball, and Thanksgiving.

My personal convictions, still keep me opposed to the ideas of blood and gore, I won’t purchase the “hatchet in the back” costume, nor do I enjoy an “Angel of Death” wielding a bloody knife chasing me down a corridor.  For me, life is full of things to be afraid of, natural disasters, diseases, Wall Street needing government assistance, and my bank going bankrupt?!!!…. So to willingly make myself afraid isn’t my idea of a good time.  But that’s my personal choice and I understand now that other people have the right and freedom to think and feel otherwise.

I’ve also discovered that there are local churches that offer alternative options for celebrating Halloween minus the fright.  One such church is Real Life in Clermont FL.  This Halloween, the church will have a “Fall Festival” where children can dress up like Biblical or Historical characters, enjoy hay rides, roast marshmallows, listen to live music, and yes partake in eating immeasurable amounts of sweets.  This church is one of many in the Central Florida region that offer fright-free Halloween fun.  Next week, I’m taking my family to “SeaWorld’s Spooktacular” which is a month-long celebration of Halloween, and another fun and safe alternative.  I will be sure to write about that experience, from a child and adult’s perspective.  Happy Halloween!