In Defense of Halloween

This time of year, when the leaves turn to warm hues and begin to fall, and the crisp air of darker nights begin to become more evident, there is undeniably something in the air. Something dark and mysterious. There is a sense of mysticism that far exceeds explanation.

Nowadays, most will tell you Halloween was “invented by candy companies.” This statement is always the cue for something crazy to happen in every Disney Halloween Movie (i.e. that’s what Max said before he lit the Black Flame candle in Hocus Pocus and what the mom in Halloweentown said before her kids snuck out to follow their Grandma).

The modern sense of Halloween wasn’t actually invented by candy companies… although it quickly turned into the focus. Regardless, the actual roots of Halloween, are far deeper than an ordinary day for sugar companies to capitalize on. Coincidentally (or not), many countries and cultures thought of this time of year (signaled by “Summer’s End” or “The Last Harvest”) as a time for mingling with the dead and various forms of mysticism. For me, the universal correspondences of death and mystery is evidence that there is truth to the meaning.

The History of Halloween

As stated, there were dozens of holidays associating this time period with death. Some being: Samhain in Celtic tradition, Hop-tu-naa in Manx, and el Día de Muertos in Mexico. It was the end of the year in many of these traditions, so the ancestral origins of Halloween were partly considered a New Year celebration.  

Globally, our ancestors paid great attention to the cycles and seasons within each year, so intuitively- speaking, it makes sense that the death and hibernation of the natural world is also associated with the inevitable human death. It was a time that the dark was not only talked about, but honored. The macabre was celebrated in tales, lore, dances, and feasts. It was thought that this season brought on a thinning of the veils between the otherwise imaginative, spirit worlds and the physical. So during this time, ancestors became closer, psychic abilities became capable, and mysteries of the world started to unravel.

The Attack on the Deeper Meaning

Throughout the centuries, there have been many attacks on the sacredness of this time period. One being religious. Although the Church tried its best to wipe Halloween from the calendar, the meaning behind this so called “sacrilegious holiday” was so powerful and unparalleled by any newer age holidays that most religious folk did not want to give up their day to honor death. Surprisingly, the stern Protestants of the 17^th century, could not help but continue their Halloween traditions from the ancient times and brought their customs to the new country of America.

The second, more recent attacks, were in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, where Halloween pranks and trickery turned into blatant vandalism by the American young folk. The modern sense of American Halloween, came from efforts to subdue and distract the youth from burning down the towns. These frantic, distraction efforts, like costume parties, began to diminish the holiday’s meaning and turned the attention to candy and costume contests.

No Place for Darkness

The holiday held great importance for thousands of years and sucking that out of a society may have detrimental consequences. In today’s society, the focus is much on remaining full of love, light, and positivity. It can feel like the ever- present, dynamic and opposing forces of darkness are often cast aside, without any place, hidden in corners of our psyche. The rose- colored glasses may be isolating us- we have no outlet to talk about things we struggle with or people we miss who have passed. We are becoming less comfortable with reality and the precariousness of life and more disconnected from our true cycles and seasons. The expression and celebration of the cycles of light and dark are a vital component to any society.

Flowing with Your Inner Mysteries

If you listen closely, a new mentality or focus may pop into your life during this time. Deep questioning and spiritualism may become the forefront of your thoughts. Mingling, sensing, or deep remembrance of ancestors may become forefront at this time. Heightened sensitivity to negativity, intuition, or odd coincidences may become forefront at this time. The ancient faiths would say to flow within these cycles, relish in them, write about them, share them with your loved ones, celebrate them.

You may not have time, space, or energy to have a full ritual, such as a dumb supper, cemetery walk, or ancestral meditation, but I encourage you to incorporate the beauty of the season into your Halloween celebrations, however it feels right to you.

Some ways to celebrate:

• Call up or visit an older member of your family to talk about their life
• Write down and dive deeper into any feelings you may be having, both positive and negative
• Give thanks and gratitude to your family members by having them over for a feast
• Recall memories from those who have passed
• Take a nature walk amongst the fallen leaves
• Recall the happenings of your past year: all of the highlights and ‘downlights’
• Take pictures of the fallen leaves or remaining fall flowers
• Find a creative outlet like dancing, singing, or artwork
• Create a pray circle where each person states something they would like the rest of the group to pray for them

In Conclusion

The art of intentional living is in part, diving deeper into why you do or celebrate certain activities. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing something just for fun but when we open up to the intricacies and richness of life, we become fulfilled in ways typically unknown. I love following the history of certain culture traits and believe cracking open the roots and meanings gives us a chance to infuse ancestral wisdom into our lives.

Have a safe Halloween and thanks for reading! xoxo