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As you shut down work (perhaps a bit early today) to prepare the kids for tick-or-treating or yourself for some other Halloween celebration, take a moment to remember what it is you’re celebrating.

I received the following e-mail from Sr. Dympna Doran, IBVM, pastoral associate at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral about her memories of Halloween: 

I was born and raised in Ireland, where we celebrate Halloween big time. As I grew up, it was always referred to as Hallow Eve. We knew it was the Eve of All Saints Day – the Eve of all the Holy Ones! We knew that all these holy ones were in heaven redeemed by Jesus Christ, who, when dying on the cross overcame all sin, overcame all evil.

Therefore, because of this, and because of having all the holy ones to call on, we could laugh at evil and make fun and have a wonderful time playing tricks and doing scary things and pretending to be afraid on Hallow Eve, because we had it made!  — We had Jesus and all the saints to call on, and no way should we be afraid!!

The trick or treat thing hadn’t started there at that time — just the tricks —simple things like ringing people’s doorbells and running away, or putting a hollowed out turnip (not a pumpkin) with a scary face and a candle on someone’s windowsill. Costumes were scarce — sometimes burned the end of a cork and put black marks on our faces with it, and maybe tie a kerchief around our heads!!

My family had a great party  — mother and older sister baking all day, and we ate hazel nuts (filiberts, I think they call them here) until they came out our ears!! These had been collected in our schoolbags after school for weeks before — went to the ‘nuthills’ and shook them off the trees — didn’t matter whose property they were on, no one said anything, no one cared!

Sr. Dympna, Courtesy of Ss. Simon and Jude

We played games and bobbed for apples — apples from my aunt’s orchard. Also we ducked in a basin of water for coins. Cutting the brack (raisin loaf of bread) was a big event at the teatime. The Hallow Eve brack had a ring in it and it was said that whoever got the ring was next to marry!! Then followed all the teasing and speculation about who would be the lucky future partner in life!!

So, these are just some of my thoughts and memories of Halloween – great family fun!!