The original traditions that Halloween grew from were intensely religious and meaningful. Modern Halloween for most people is less so: many of us enjoy Halloween as a little holiday with hardly any religious significance. Nothing more than a secular event, without even the powerful significance of the Fourth of July, or Thanksgiving. Then why do we celebrate this day with so much delight and enthusiasm?
For some it remains a day of religious significance of course. Both Christian and neo-pagans find holiness and meaning in a day that marks the recognition of the dead, and of supernatural forces. Many Latinos and Latinas celebrate Halloween as part of the lead-up to Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, celebrated after All Saint’s and All Soul’s, on November 2. For those who group the holidays in this block Halloween can be a light, joyful punctuation in the midst of more somber religious themes.
Most of us however can’t claim to be celebrating for such serious reasons. The truth is Halloween may be the one holiday we celebrate for the pure joy of the event. Our culture can be very tiresome. Even children are expected to give up much of imaginative play at a very young age, and adults often feel obliged to behave as though they never played at all.
In a life of early-to-bed and early-to-rise, when good sensible people stay home at night and maybe do a bit of accounting or bring home some work from the office, Halloween is a glorious excuse to play. Children and adults alike race into Halloween with a whoop and a grin.
Like Mardi Gras, Halloween is seen as a holiday when normal life is set aside. Unlike Mardi Gras the rule breaking is expected to be mild, child-safe, and centered around home, family and friends. Costumes, magic, a bit of mystery and imaginary horror, a touch of night shadow and autumn frost: it all comes together in a cascade of shimmering jack-o-lanterns, masquerade parties, and giggling mobs of kids out collecting a year’s worth of candy. We celebrate Halloween because it mixes just enough fear, just enough rebellion, just enough enchantment, with more than enough party, laughter, and play.
There are many sober holidays and many profoundly meaningful religious celebrates. For those whose faith and tradition see Halloween as part of a great cycle of faith based celebrations the day can remain a holy event. But for the thousands of more secular celebrants the night of Halloween is celebrated because it is good, sweet, joyful fun.
It is something remembered from childhood, and passed on to new generations. It is a bat flying across a harvest moon, the scent of bonfires, a cat arching on a fence, and maybe a ghost story told at midnight…with candy and costumes and jack-o-lanterns thrown in. For most of us that is more than enough reason to celebrate Halloween.