The last day of October and the first few days of November have a long history of religious traditions. It’s rather funny how we celebrate Halloween today, as a day to dress up in spooky, gory or funky costumes and beg for candy. Most of the meaning of this holiday has been lost in translation through time.
The Holy or Hallowed Evening
Halloween began as the night before All Saints Day, also known as All Hallows’ Day and Feast of All Saints. This is a Christian festival celebrated in honor of all the saints, known and unknown. Who are these saints? We could say they are all God’s children – those who loved and devoted themselves to God.
In many Christian traditions, All Saints’ Day is part of the 3 day celebration of Allhallows, which lasts from October 31st to November 2nd. It is said that as far back as the early 8th century, Christians in Britain were celebrating this holiday to coincide with or replace Samhain, the Celtic festival of the dead.
As with many religious holidays, over time the celebrations become centered on children. Naturally, parents want to pass on their traditions. Intuitively, we know it has to be enjoyable for children to get something out of it. So, we end up with Easter Bunnies and Egg hunts, Santa Clause and Christmas Trees, and the Great Pumpkin wickedly grinning at the “Trick or Treating” children dressed up as ghosts and goblins.
Honoring the Good
It’s a really nice idea to honor the saints, both past and present. We celebrate Veteran’s Day, Labor Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, Memorial Day and President’s Day. We give thanks for our forefathers and our national heritage. We even celebrate Secretary’s Day.
People like to celebrate what is good. We like to give thanks for all the good things in life, and to honor those who have sacrificed for the greater good. It’s part of human nature to celebrate goodness, and maybe even to make fun of evil.
Where do we get this nature from? We get it from our Heavenly Parent. God wants to celebrate the life, love, and lineage of goodness. No matter how bad the world might seem at times, one of the ways that we find hope, rekindle faith, and stimulate gratitude is by remembering and honoring the good. And maybe God finds hope when we do that.
Happy True Children’s Day
This year on Halloween, Unificationists celebrate the 57th True Children’s Day. Since this Holy Day was established based on the Luna Calendar, it only lands on Halloween occasionally. According to Father Moon, it is the most important Holy Day because without children, God could not be in the position of parent.
The establishment of Children’s Day signified the restoration of God’s direct lineage, and opened the way for humanity to be engrafted into that lineage as God’s true sons and daughters. God is good; which means God’s children also have that same potential to be good. To be the reflection of the parent, the dwelling place of the parent’s heart.
So it’s fitting that we celebrate children, God’s children. And somehow, beyond the witches, ghosts and vampires, these two holidays seem to go together. Both celebrations involve a lot of candy.
