It’s the Most Macabre Time of the Year

Two little boys excitedly approached what looked like any other house in their small-town neighborhood. One dressed like a pirate, the other like a ghost, they were eagerly going from door to door, boldly holding out their pillowcases and declaring “trick or treat” as they held their receptacles open in expectation of another treat.

They were, of course, simply two little boys in a parade of other young children doing exactly the same as they were. And this house was simply another house in a long string of houses that stretched through this quiet old midwestern neighborhood. At least that’s what they thought.

Boldly they knocked on the door, and while it was still opening they shouted “trick or treat” as they held out their pillowcases in the expectation of receiving yet another goody. The door didn’t open all the way. It cracked open just enough to reveal an entryway full of cobwebs and spiders. An eerie mist filled the room, and moon-blue lighting cast contorted shadows that danced uncomfortably on the walls, floor, and ceiling.

At first, there was no response to the boys’ demands for treats. The only sound they heard was the unsettling creeks of floorboards, an intermittent scream, and an occasional maniacal laugh. Suddenly a hand reached out from behind the door, dropped a couple of pieces of candy into each boys’ pillowcase, then slammed the door shut in their faces.

Even at their young age, the two boys realized that they’d just approached the house of a Halloween genius—someone who really knew how to scare the bejeebies out of you without making you feel like your life was simultaneously being threatened.

To Trick-or-Treat or Not To Trick-or-Treat

For many of us, Halloween is a time filled with fun memories of similarly creepy stories. It’s also a time for families to come together, carve pumpkins, share food, and sit around little bonfires sipping pumpkin spice lattes while passing out (or seeking) delicious little candies.
 
But for many Catholics, this time of year is fraught with uncertainty. Many get caught up in the question of whether or not we should celebrate Halloween and allow our children to go door-to-door chasing after their annual sugar rush and resulting stomach ache. Much of this concern comes from reports that Halloween is actually a pagan holiday with modern ties to the occult. A time for Wiccans and modern-day pagans to cast spells and celebrate the demonic.
 
Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. Halloween is, in fact, a thoroughly Catholic holiday with roots in Catholic spirituality going all the way back to the 8th Century!

A Long Time Ago, On Another Astral Plane… (Not Really)

The word “Halloween” is actually an 18th Century contraction of the phrase “All Hallows’ Eve”—the evening before the liturgical celebration of All Saints Day.
 
Pope Gregory III established the feast of All Saints while consecrating the chapel dedicated to all saints in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Following the liturgical rhythms of the Church—which are themselves rooted in the liturgical practices of the Judaism of Jesus’ day—the feast of All Saints actually begins with Vespers, celebrated at sundown the day prior to the feast.
 
In true Catholic spirit, it’s not uncommon for the celebrations, parties, festivities, and masquerading of a feast day to begin the night before. Just think for a moment of Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday, which is really a celebration of the beginning of Lent. Or consider the festivities of the Easter Vigil and the parties that often follow immediately after. The celebration of Halloween itself is nothing more (or less) than the kick-off of our celebration of all the saints in heaven. But where did all these strange customs of handing out candy, dressing up in creepy costumes, and carving pumpkins come from?

The Catholic Roots of Our Weird Halloween Traditions

It’s interesting to note that Halloween, as the national holiday we all know and love today, is something only observed in the U.S. It’s completely unheard of in other countries. Why? Because our celebration of Halloween is actually a hodge-podge of All Hallows’ Eve traditions drawn from European immigrants to the U.S.
 
In parts of Europe there was a tradition of baking “soul cakes” (which is the origin of the doughnut) on All Hallows Eve in remembrance of the souls in purgatory. Children would go from house to house asking for a cake, and in return they’d offer to pray for the loved ones of whoever gave them a cake. Sometimes the children would even disguise themselves as a soul in purgatory. Since this took place in the evening, they would carve out a gourd, pumpkin, or turnip and use it to shield their candle from the wind as they’d walk from house to house (origins of the jack-o-lantern).
 
The Irish celebrated “All Damned Day” during the day of October 31. They were concerned that, since the Church had All Saints Day on Nov. 1 and “All Souls Day” to remember the souls in purgatory on Nov. 2, the souls in Hell would become jealous that the other two groups were being remembered while they were forgotten. The Irish were afraid that damned souls might cause mischief if they weren’t remembered as well, so they would bang on pots and pans on All Damned Day (Oct. 31) to let the souls in hell know that they weren’t forgotten. Although the practice was never sanctioned by the Church, and it didn’t last, it enjoyed some popularity in Ireland for a short time.
 
Finally, in 14th and 15th Century France, Catholic spirituality became more concerned about the afterlife thanks to repeated outbreaks of the bubonic plague (Black Death). Many Masses were offered on All Souls Day (Nov. 2), and artists painted representations of the dead, known as the “Danse Macabre” or “Dance of Death,” on the walls of cemeteries and for display in churches. Sometimes the people themselves would dress up as a living image of the dead that were being celebrated.
 
These European traditions were imported into America, and as Irish, French, and other European immigrants began to intermarry, the traditions they brought over from Europe were gradually combined into what we now recognize as our Halloween traditions.

So the next time someone you know expresses concern over Catholics celebrating Halloween, help them discover the true Catholic origins of this holiday. And if you’re looking for a safe, family-friendly and faith-friendly place to celebrate this fun holiday, please come and join us at St. Faustina’s “Trunk or Treat” from 12:00 pm until 2:00 pm on Saturday, October 26. We’d love to see you there!