Halloween

As a child, Halloween was only a tier lower than Christmas and my birthday as favorite holidays. (I know that my birthday isn't a holiday - yet) You get to dress up, wander around in the darkness and people give you free candy. What's not to like about that?!? My favorite is anything chocolate.
My brother and I would take a long look at the costumes on the racks at the big box stores, dreaming of the night that we would magically be transformed into Snow White (me) or Darth Vader (my brother). More often than not, my mother would create our costumes. The few times I can actually remember getting a "store bought" costume, the dumb plastic mask would suffocate and blind me and I couldn't wait to get it off.
An advantage of being a P.K. meant that before going out to trick or treat in town, dad would drive us out into the country to predesignated houses so parishioners could give us overfilled treat bags. This was in an age before Halloween was given much press or promotion. Before you had to take your candy to the hospital to get x-rayed before you could indulge. My parents checked our candy thoroughly to make sure it looked safe. Looking back on this now, I think they may have been scoping out our loot for an after bedtime heist. Just a theory....
As I roll my memory back through my Halloweens past, Halloween sticks out as milestones in my life.
Like the year that we moved November 1st. Halloween was a busy time for my mother as she packed up our belongings and got us ready for a new start. She must have been at a loss for costume ideas as was evidence of my completed costume. A box covered with an old tablecloth -- I showed up at the Halloween party as a cook book. Not a super cool costume for an 8th grader.My father was experiencing a rush of artistic talent the year my brother went as a headless man, complete with a suitcoat borrowed from my dad's closet. At least he was warm that year.
Living in the Northern Plains, you never knew what Halloween weather would bring. You may get to wear your pretty princess costume with a turtleneck or you would be wearing your parka unzipped, freezing, but determined that everyone would know you were a princess.
I haven't outgrown the love for Halloween. I have a party every year for children, youth and adults from my church. It gives me the opportunity to see my little ones dressed up. I'm sure that Ariel, the little mermaid and Hannah Montana will make an appearance. I also get to reaquaint myself with my neighbors and meet their grandchildren.
My costume ideas come from the Bible now and the kids get hints about the costume. The first to guess gets a prize. This year's costume is.... Well, maybe you can guess. I'm an Old Testament thing, mentioned in the first ten books of the bible. I'm mentioned in hymns. Anyone? My dog, Lucy, will be going as Duke, the Bushes baked beans dog. Monster is going as herself.
The origins of Halloween date back to the Druids and Celtic traditions of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), a festival celebrating the harvest and preparing for a time of winter. During this festival, people believed that the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead was very thin. It was a time to seek your future from fortune tellers. As time passed, many of these traditions were diluted and the pagan rites of the holiday were lost. When Irish settlers came to America to escape the potato famine, they brought many of their traditions and celebrations with them. More time passed and Halloween, like many other holidays became more commercialized as people took advantage of Halloween to have block parties and get together with the neighbors.
As a Christian, my ties to Hallween are very tenuous. I celebrate Halloween as a time to gather my family and friends for an evening of food, fun and fellowship. I encourage my children and youth to find costumes that are not scary. Halloween is a unique change to shine our light for Jesus through our conduct and witness.
I wish you all a Happy Halloween. If your close enough, stop by. I'm giving out treats sure to satisfy even the most discerning tastebuds. Be safe and say thank you at each house. Enjoy!