Dear Friends,
We’ve been here before – by which I mean, writing one of those emails that’s about making sure we’re all ready for big upcoming events, in this case Allhallowstide. So, let’s chat.
Allhallowstide is a strange entity for mainline, mostly white, American churches. We’re subject to a messy combination of recognitions - often a combo platter of All Saints and All Souls, as well as the occasional Reformation Day celebration. (I was raised ELCA, after all. There’s no forgetting Reformation Day!) And then, to go along with these serious days, we have Halloween. And Halloween comes with a lot of cultural baggage.
This is not to say I grew up without any particular set of feelings or beliefs about Halloween. My mother or grandmother dressed me up, I felt anxious about knocking on doors and usually let my cousins do it, and because I lived in a dense suburb, we collected enough candy door to door that we could eat it until Easter. But I also didn’t exactly live in an area with a strong Evangelical culture, and that’s so often where the complicated Halloween feelings start. Well, Evangelical culture and the 1980s (razors in your treats, anyone?).
Many of the complications that ensnare Halloween in the popular imagination are in fact built into the religious roots of the holiday. And sure, like many Christian traditions it has pagan roots, but let’s be clear what we mean by that. To refer to an ancient practice as pagan is simply to say that it was decentralized, a practice that didn’t belong to either Jews or early Christians. It’s hardly the useful or substantive condemnation that some people think it is.
As far as Halloween being pagan or, worse, demonic, if you’re reading this newsletter, I know that’s probably not something you’re fussed about. But, like me, you may be wondering how to more fully recognize this *other* triduum. For early Christians, adopting and transforming Samhain may have had a particular conversion-driven function, we’re retained it and integrated it into something much greater. Our calendars and holy days are intentional. So let’s get back to basics.
Darkness & Light//Mystery & Clarity
One of the defining aspects of the Allhallowstide Triduum is a closeness to death and a growing darkness in the world, literally the darkness of the winter months. And indeed, so many people in my life have begun complaining about the hastening of nightfall. (Personally, it just means the sun has actually been down for a bit when I get in bed for my very early bedtime). That darkness is holy, a repository of mystery. But as for the closeness to death bit, well, that’s holy too - just in a way we can find it hard to talk about. So how do we tackle this?
I written before about talking about death and loss more generally, but Allhallowstide offers us an opportunity to think about death historically, especially given the place of All Saints within this set of days. So, what can you do to mark this season in a way that retains the sacred? A few thoughts -
Consider Some Names. Yesterday I was texting with my younger sister about how we don’t have particularly meaningful names; they’re also modernized enough that we don’t directly share our names with any saints. Our youngest sister, however, has a family name, and one that ties her (though uninentionally) to a Saint. Do people in your family share a name with a Saint? Is there a reason for that? Spend some time uncovering the tradition behind those names, learning about the associated saints, and even writing icons.
In addition to family names, if you go to a church named after a saint, you might explore that saint’s story collectively. In my community, we hope at some point to work with some youth to develop a Godly Play-style story about St. John the Evangelist!Tell Family Stories. The stories we choose to tell offer us a lot of insight into who we are. They also get lost quickly. With younger children, choose a few foundational stories to tell. Older children might enjoy considering what stories they know and what questions they still have, then interviewing older relatives about those questions. Find ways to preserve these stories and explore them together over time by adding contextualizing history, talking to other people about their perspective, illustrating them, or looking for old family photos that depict these events.
Visit A Cemetery. Cemeteries and memorial gardens don’t need to be scary or sad. They’re just part of our history, as any archivist or historian can tell you. Even if you don’t have family interred nearby, cemeteries are full of symbolism that tell stories about those who have gone before. Depending on where you live, you may even have a historic cemetery nearby where you can go on tours and learn about this special place.
Death is part of the great story - our own personal story and the stories of our faith. Allhallowstide invites us in, to come closer. The mainstream version of Halloween still seeks to remind us of this, but with a little attention, we can have both – the candy and costumes and the holy mystery that resides in death.
Peace,
Bird