Celebrate Halloween? Here's Why We Should

Halloween's true meaning is far closer to Christmas than most people know

For some, Halloween connotes "darkness," witches, etc. The true origins of the holiday, however, tell of an entirely different story.Photo by(The author)

This morning I asked a friend about her Halloween costume.

"Sir, I don't celebrate that evil holiday!" she fired back.

I scratched my head. After all, given that the word "holiday" comes from the root holy-day, I failed to catch her drift.

(*Note: our modern English spelling of "holy" comes from the Old English hāligdæg, i.e., we substituted the "y" for an "i," resulting in holiday.)

Like my pal, many believers consider Halloween to be unworthy of celebration. Perhaps a slight shift in perspective could help ease the tension surrounding our nation's most misunderstood hol(y)day.

Halloween's true origin

According to historians, Pope Boniface IV first introduced the holiday called ‘’Hallotide’’ in the 7th Century. He did so to commemorate martyrs and saints.

They later changed the holiday to ‘All Saints Day’’.

All Saints Day was ordained for celebration on the 1st of each November. "All Souls’ Day" on the 2nd.

Believers prayed for those who died and were believed to be in Heaven. On the following day, or All Souls Day, they prayed for the dead who were believed to have been trapped in Purgatory (stuck in a "halfway house" between Heaven and Hell).

In short, on the eve of All Saints Day (October 31st), believers called it "All Hallow Eve." All Hallow means "holy man."

Traditionally, people dress in costumes and go from house to house on All Hallow Eve, or Halloween.

They exchange gifts. Such gift-giving symbolizes life, which is the greatest gift of all. Yet just as we've all been given this gift called life — one day we'll have to give it back.

The Takeaway

The greater the known, the greater the judgment...

...In short, the next time you hear a "Halloween Scrooge" poo-poo the holiday renowned for giving gifts to children and allowing adults to revert to childhood, if only for a night, remind them of this:

Halloween is a hol(y)day.