All Hallows’ Eve: Commonly known as Hallowe’en

The secular (read pagan) celebration of this holy day (yes, holy day) is close upon us. We see it everywhere we go. On my street several houses have their lawns decorated with ghosts, black cats, skeletons and one (well done) elaborate “cemetery” scene complete with warning signs, gravestones, creepy hands “climbing” out of the ground, and so on.

When I was a child we dressed up, supposedly to hide ourselves from the demons and ghosts that were prowling about to mischief (or worse). Back then, even in public school, we were taught that “Hallowe’en” was short for “All Hallows Eve” because it was the eve of the Feast of All Saints. It has since become a more pagan “festival” and has been perverted by witches, satanists, and many who don’t realize they are in league with the devil.

In fact, Hallowe’en, as the name suggests, is Catholic in origin. The eve of the day dedicated to all the saints in heaven, those recognized by canonization and those we don’t know but have successfully made it to their heavenly home; the destination to which we all should aspire.

According to goodcatholic.com:

“The exact origins of [All Saints Day is] uncertain, although, after the legalization of Christianity in 313, a common commemoration of Saints, especially the martyrs, appeared in various areas throughout the Church…
The primary reason for establishing a common feast day was because of the desire to honor the great number of martyrs, especially during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian (284-305), the worst and most extensive of the persecutions. Quite supply, there were not enough days of the year for a feast day for each martyr and many of them died in groups. A common feast day for all saints, therefore seemed most appropriate.”
Fr. William Saunders, “All Saints and All Souls”

The website goes on to explain that there is no connection between pagan rituals and celebrations and Hallowe’en, although many today think there are.

So what are we Catholics supposed to do about Hallowe’en? First of all, remember that it is the eve or vigil of All Saints Day, which is a holy day of obligation. Get that into your mind and prepare to go to mass on All Saints Day. Goodcatholic.com has several suggestions for how to celebrate Hallowe’en from a Catholic perspective, including praying to saints for their intercession on our behalf, holding a “saints” party (our parish is doing that this weekend prior to Hallowe’en) and, if “trick or treating” dress up as a saint, perhaps even having your child learn about a saint whose name they bear (as a “Thomas” I have several to choose from, including the apostle, Doubting Thomas).

On a darker side, there are likely to be many stories and superstitions that you and your family will be subject to, beyond the imaginative decorations. As Catholics we need to know our faith so that when we are confronted by them we know how to discern what is true and comports with our faith and what might lead us down an evil path. As first educators of our children, we should teach them what Hallowe’en is really about and guard against their being misled. With all of the commercialization, decorations, TV ads, and so on, they are likely to have questions, even if they don’t voice them.

One of the darkest events that occurs at this time of year is what is called a “Black Mass.” A group which calls themselves the Satanic Temple was planning on conducting a black mass in Atlanta on October 25th. As reported in the National Catholic Register, “The Satanic Temple does not believe in, nor advocate for a belief in, the supernatural, nor is it the place of another religious organization to define for us how our rituals must be conducted to conform with their assumptions,” the Atlanta Satanic Temple continued. And yet they claim religious rites, including a “religious abortion rite.” They claim to be a political organization at the same time they call themselves a religious organization. One has to wonder why a group would gather under the name of Satan which represents supernatural demonic activity and yet claim to not believe in the supernatural. At the same time they have made efforts to insert their “After-school Satan Clubs” in various locations as a specific counter to Christian clubs in schools around the country. They claim these clubs are fun organizations that do not promote Satan, yet their use of the name, their actions, and their rituals speak loudly that Satan is there somewhere, even if trying to hide. At the very least they are cooperating with Satan’s effort to make people think he is not evil, but the evil exists in the very name. Actions speak louder than words.

And despite their claim to be a fun organization, their arguing for a religious right to abortion is evil personified, notwithstanding the use of Satan’s name. They claim to be acting for good but “one may not do evil that good may come from it.” (CCC 1756)

So, this Hallowe’en, plan for going to mass and engaging in faith filled activities and discussions with your family and be careful to avoid the evil lurking behind the scenes.

“Very few people believe in the devil these days, which suits the devil very well He is always helping to circulate the news of his own death. The essence of God is existence, and he defines himself as: ‘I am who am.’ The essence of the devil is the lie, and he defines himself as” ‘I am who am not.’ Satan has very little trouble with those who do not believe in him; they are already on his side.” Fulton J. Sheen, Life of Christ