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Rosanne Coury, M.A.E.A., is a Religious Studies teacher.
A member of Kappa Delta Pi, she has been recognized in Who’s
Who Among American High School Teachers and nominated for
the Golden Apple Award.
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| Photo by Carol Freeman |
We’re surrounded! Masks, jack-o-lanterns, skeletons,
witches, cobwebs: the trappings of Halloween haunt our steps
this time of year. Crafty moms, dads and kids conspire to
create notable homemade costumes and scary house decorations.
Others explore ready-made offerings with an eye towards pizzazz
and reasonable price. There are arguments and questions, too.
Do I have to wear a coat over my ever-so-cool outfit if it
is cold or rainy? Must I share my candy? Why can’t I
eat as many sweets as I want before bed? How old is “too
old” to go begging door-to-door? Do ghosts and goblins
really come out on October 31?
Halloween has changed a lot over the past fifty years. As
children, my sister and I would dress up in simple costumes
culled from closets, remnants, and Mom’s old make-up.
We would spend an afternoon making two elaborately carved
pumpkins—one for each of us. Once evening fell, we would
light our jack-o-lanterns, and traipse off into the night!
Even with a parent as guard and guide, we only visited the
homes of neighbors we knew. Of course we walked. No one would
think of driving Halloween tricksters! As we approached each
door, we would call out, “Trick or treat! Help the poor!”
Anxiously we waited for someone to answer as we clutched treat-bags
tightly. And what treasures we collected! A penny or two,
or the occasional nickel; some home-baked cookies; a big apple;
a frosted brownie; sometimes even chocolate candy. Once we
covered the block, we headed home. Mom dumped all the goodies
on the living room carpet. She and Dad checked them over—“Just
in case,” she would say. Then we were allowed a piece
of candy before getting ready for bed. With our pennies safely
deposited in our little blue bank, and the rest of the treats
put away, we went to bed savoring our Halloween adventure.
Today Halloween is still lit up with jack-o-lanterns. However,
the holiday also generates millions of dollars worth of business
annually. Gruesomeness marks the night with eerie headstones
and bloodstained mannequins. Costumes are elaborate, often
tinged with an innuendo that clashes with childlike fun. Simplicity
seems a thing of the past. We have even lost some of the fun
in the face of real fears. We dare not let our children eat
the fruit or home-baked cookies offered. Who knows what might
be inside them. Who are these people who come begging at our
doors? Increasingly we do not even recognize the faces of
the trick-or-treaters who come rapping at their doors. And
then there are the tricks. Devil’s Night escapades are not
restricted to Detroit.
However much Halloween has changed throughout my lifetime,
it still has ties to an ancient past. Our traditions have
roots in distant experiences of spirit, superstition and religion.
But like our little trick-or-treaters, these traditions sometimes
appear in disguise.
Mainstream American Halloween experience probably descends
most directly from age-old Celtic customs. These pre-Christians
were devoutly pagan. More than two millennia ago the peoples
of the British Isles, Ireland and northern France believed
that the barrier that usually separated this world and the
Other World wore thin at the waning of the year. Longer hours
of darkness meant greater vulnerability to mere mortals. In
those cold, black nights, the dead and their Other World neighbors
could breach the fragile boundary. Once across they could
cause mild mischief or serious mayhem. In order to protect
themselves, the Celts formulated a series of practices.
How could you shield yourself and protect your home from
marauding creatures that go bump in the night? Put out sweets
and tasty treats. By satisfying their pride and their sweet
tooth, evil beasties would leave you in peace! Need to hide
from a deceased relation that might want revenge? Wear a mask
or paint your face. Disguises provide safety that weapons
cannot! Whenever possible stay indoors during the hours of
darkness. But what if necessity drives you out into the night?
Hollow out a gourd and place oil or a bit of wax in it. Add
a wick. Light it. A bit of fire carried close frightens monsters
and mischief-makers alike!
When Christian missionaries made their debut in the Celtic
world, they came face to face with many such beliefs and practices.
But they showed great wisdom. Instead of trying to eradicate
all the old customs, they adapted and melded them with Christian
elements. The pagan New Year feast of Samhain morphed into
a Christianized triad: All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day and
All Souls Day. Blessed altar candles, votives and sanctuary
lights replaced the pagan bonfires. The Saints of the new
religion would vanquish malignant spirits who crossed the
boundaries between the worlds. The beloved Dead could be honored
without being feared. Over time, varied protective Celtic
customs transformed into an evening of costumes, sweets, pumpkins
and light-hearted fun preceding the two solemn Christian feasts.
Why do people of the 21st century continue any of these customs?
Why the continued intrigue with encounters between the living
and the dead, with goblins and ghosties and ghoulies of all
sorts? We may never know for certain, but the answer seems
embedded deep within our human nature. Throughout history,
societies consistently entertain a combination of fear and
fascination when it comes to the dead and the “spirit
world.” They dedicate time to honor and even appease
the immortals as well as the dead: deities and creatures death
cannot conquer. Education, sophistication and culture have
not changed us so very much. Perhaps somewhere within that
matrix of fun, fear, questioning and belief we hope to discover
a way to deal with an essential truth: we really do not know
very much about our world, let alone other worlds. There is
so much more than meets the eye. We can control and understand
so very little. But in the experience of Halloween holiday
rituals—the planning of a costume, the carving of a pumpkin,
the journey from door to door, begging for candy—we can
perhaps still participate in that larger, mysterious reality.
Maybe understanding is not the point. Maybe encountering it
is.
I’ll be bobbing for apples this Halloween. How about
you?
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WINNER
- Website of the Year 
