October 31 and another Halloween. Did you know that this holiday begins what was once referred to as the second triduum in the Church’s liturgical calendar? It was called the Triduum of Saints, the Fall Triduum and Allhallowtide. This triduum is a three-day remembrance of the dead, including the saints, martyrs, and all the faithful departed believers. Let’s start with All Hallows’ Eve.
The Ancient Beginning of Halloween
Halloween started with the ancient Celtic tribes who lived in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. For the Celts, November 1 started a new year and marked the beginning of winter. The night before the New Year, they celebrated the festival of Samhain (meaning “end of summer”). The festival was celebrated when the weather started to get cold, their livestock were brought down from the hills and the people began to prepare for the winter months. They also celebrated the last harvest.
During this festival, the Celts believed the souls of the dead returned to mingle with the living. So, to scare away the evil spirits, the ancient Celts would dress up in ghoulish outfits and parade out-of-town to lead the wandering spirits away.
Equally interesting, Celtic children would walk door-to-door to collect firewood for a giant communal bonfire. Once the bonfire was burning, the people would extinguish all the other fires in the village. They would then relight every fire with a flame taken from Samhain bonfire, as a sign of the people’s connection to one another. People carried the flames back to their homes in a hollowed out turnips. Irish families who immigrated to America brought this tradition with them, but replaced turnips with pumpkins since they were more plentiful in their new home country. Hence, the birth of the Jack-O-Lantern!
After the Romans conquered the Celts, they added their own touches to the Samhain festival. They added centerpieces out of apples and nuts in honor of their goddess of the orchards, Pomona. The Romans bobbed for apples and drank cider. Sound familiar?
What is the Christian connection to the pagan festival?
In the year 835, Pope Gregory IV moved the celebration for all the martyrs (later all saints) from May 13 to November 1. The night before became known as All Hallows’ Eve or All Saints’ Eve. Eventually, over time the name was contracted to Hallowe’en then became Halloween.
Medieval European All Hallows’ Eve Traditions
In Medieval England, a soul cake (small round cake) was traditionally made for All Hallows’ Eve, All Saints Day and All Souls’ Day. The cakes were given out to “soulers” (children and poor people) who would go from door to door begging for the cakes.
For every cake collected the recipient would say a prayer for the dead relatives of the person who gave the cake. The soulers would spend the days of Hallowtide singing and praying for the dead.
Both Catholic and Protestants in England continued the tradition of souling until the 1930’s. The custom of giving and eating soul cakes continues in some countries today such as Portugal, Mexico, Spain and Italy. Some social historians see souling as the origin of trick-or-treating.
How do we link Hallowe’en to our faith journey?
First, we should remember that Hallowe’en is All Saints’ Eve – that great solemnity when we honor all the saints, named and unnamed, in Heaven. It is one day of three-day commemoration of the dead.
Sadly, the spiritual significance All Hallows’ Eve has been erased and it has become only a day of revelry by many people. But, we can find ways to bring God and our Catholic faith into the day. For example, we can attend Mass, make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, or get in that one last Rosary during the month of October.
You will probably be, like many of us, answering the door as youngsters come begging for candy. Perhaps after you’ve given out the last piece of candy, you can ponder over the reading from the Night Prayer for October 31:
What you have come to is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem where the millions of angels have gathered for the festival, with the whole Church in which everyone is a ‘first-born son’ and a citizen of heaven. You have come to God himself, the supreme Judge, and been placed with spirits of the saints who have been made perfect; and to Jesus, the mediator who brings a new covenant and a blood for purification which pleads more insistently than Abel’s. (Hebrews 12:22-24)
Have a blessed All Hallows’ Eve!