“Hallowe’en, All Saints and the Church” A sermon based on Hebrews 12:1-2, preached on November 3, 2019 at York Pines United Church.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a
great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin
that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out
for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the
joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at
the right hand of the throne of God.”
This sermon is dedicated to my Dad, Rev. Russell Vickers, who died at the end of January 2004. In going through Dad’s sermons, I found one specifically about Hallowe'en, All Hallows and All Saints. The sermon is also dedicated to my mother, Kay Vickers, whose birthday was November 1, All Saints Day. The sermon grew until it became a paper presented at a conference on Hallowe’en in Glasgow, and the following year was published in the book “Treat or Trick:
About 15 years ago, I saw a news item about a family which considered Hallowe’en 'un-Christian', especially the dressing up part. Then a couple of days later there was an identical conversation at the check-out counter in the grocery store, about Hallowe’en not being Christian. The dejected look on the little boy’s face was too much. Then I saw an article about an evangelical church in the US which was celebrating “Jesus-ween” as an alternative to Hallowe’en. It became clear that people don’t know where Hallowe’en originated, along with All Saints, All Souls and the Dia de los Muertas, the Day of the Dead – and because of a lack of knowledge they try to put Jesus where Jesus has been for hundreds of years anyway.
In a zeal to be 'right', without even knowing the background of where our holidays come from, we can surely suck a lot of the joy out of life. To me, life would be flat and stale without at least one witch on a broomstick, or a ghost or small-sized devil, or a pumpkin out collecting plunder at the door! A couple of years ago one of my grandchildren was a firefighter, one was Xena, the Warrior Princess, and one was a knight. They had a wonderful time, and so did their Grandma.
Hallowe'en is as Christian a celebration as any of the other observations. Yes it incorporates some aspects of what we view as “pagan” beliefs – but so do Christmas and Easter. The Advent wreath was originally a huge wagon wheel hung from the ceiling of a Celtic meeting hall, decorated with evergreens and lit with candles. The egg at Easter is a pagan symbol, yes, but it denotes rebirth and new life. The early missionaries to what is now the British Isles used existing celebrations and drew parallels with Christianity.
Hallowe'en's origins go back to the ancient Celtic tribes of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany in what is now France. For the Celts, November 1 marked the beginning of a new year and the coming of winter. The night before the new year, they celebrated the festival of Samhain (Saween), in which the god of the earth died, to be reborn in the spring when new life returned. At the spring solstice, Beltane, the god rose again, the days lengthened, and life returned.
With the rise of Christianity, Samhain was changed to Hallowmas, or All Saints, to commemorate the souls of the blessed dead who had been canonized that year, so the night before became known as All Hallows Eve, or Hollantide. November 2nd became All Souls Day, when prayers were to be offered to the souls of all departed and those who were waiting in Purgatory for entry into Heaven. Throughout the centuries, pagan and Christian beliefs intertwine in celebrations from Oct 31st through November 5th. - but in the end Hallowe’en - or All Hallows and All Saints, became Christian celebrations.
During this festival of Samhain, the Celts believed that the barriers between this world and the other were at their most thin, hence the souls of the dead could return to mingle with the living. Christians at the time also believed this. Candles were placed in windows, to light the way for the spirits to return to their homes. An extra place was set at the table in case the spirit came. And in order to scare away any evil spirits, people dressed in costumes such as witches, warlocks, imps and goblins wore masks, lit bonfires, carved out turnips and rutabagas, then put a light inside.
When the Romans conquered the Celts, they added their own touches to the Samhain festival; they made centerpieces out of apples and nuts for Pomona, the Roman goddess of the orchards. They also bobbed for apples and drank cider. Sound familiar? In 835 AD, Pope Gregory IV decided to move the celebration for all the martyrs (later all the saints) from May 13 to November 1. The name “All Hallows Even” or 'all holy evening’ was contracted into the word Hallowe’en, and coincided with the Celtic celebration of Samhain and the Roman festival of Pomona. Similarities of themes - the coming of the dark, and the rise of the light in the spring, were not lost on the early missionaries who used those ideas as vehicles to teach the Christian faith..
On November 1 and 2, the Church celebrates All Saints and All Souls Days. These were feast days in the church, and their purpose was to remember those who have died, whether they were officially recognized by the Church as saints or not. These are celebrations of the 'communion of saints,' which reminds us that the Church is not bound by space or time. And if we strip out all the supposedly non-Christian elements, we have pretty well nothing left.
The modern view of death derives in part from Pre-Hispanic times, notably the Aztecs, who believed that after a person died, his/her soul passed through nine levels prior to their final destination, Mictlan - the place of the dead. The tenth month of the Aztec calendar included a great feast for dead adults. The Spanish Conquest of 1521 brought about the fusion of Catholic attitudes and indigenous beliefs. Day of the Dead-All Souls is a result of amalgamation of Pre-Spanish Indian ritual beliefs and the ritual and dogma of the Spanish Catholic church.
So the three days - Hallowe'en, All Saints and All Souls - are just enough of a mishmash of different pieces of history, that to eliminate any of them is a foolish exercise. We cannot separate our Christian faith and its non-Christian roots.
We can look at the Christian meaning given to Hallowe'en - that we are an imperishable community from all across the ages. Do we find it hard to stand up for justice, fair treatment, truth? Yet we are not the first generation of people to face such issues. Others have walked this same road in some way, in another time, and with the grace of God have come through it.
In the mid twentieth century, there was a great revolution in Hungary. Crowds gathered in the square named for the poet Sandov Petofi, who in 1848 launched the revolution against the Hapsburg monarch. A voice in the crowd shouted out "we vow we can never be slaves" - a line from one of his poems. Two hundred thousand marched to the statue of Josef Bem, hero of 1848 who fought for freedom. Surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, they found courage.
Finally, I want to tell a story of a little boy named Linus, from the Peanuts comic strip. Linus believes in a strange hybrid of a jack-o-lantern, Santa Claus and prophetic saintly God-character named "The Great Pumpkin." Linus believes the Great Pumpkin will arise from the most sincere Pumpkin Patch on Halloween night and deliver toys to all the true believing children. Of course, Linus actually wants to be in the garden when the benevolent giver of Halloween toys rises from
among the pumpkins. What's important, I think, is that Linus believes. He's never seen the Pumpkin, yet he believes that this saintly and benevolent character exists - he goes into the Pumpkin Patch every year, hopeful - and never gives up.
We have those saints who have gone before, to dispel the darkness and light the way - they help us keep in our sight the light of the world, the author and perfecter of our faith, Jesus. By understanding the origins of Hallowe'en, we find ourselves invited into the community of the cloud of witnesses which will never perish and which is never touched by death.
The early Christians, first dispersed by fear and the loss of Jesus, soon found themselves coming together again, a community of living saints bound by faith and a vision - a light in the darkness, the light of faith and commitment. When we come together as a community - yes, to celebrate Hallowe'en or All Hallows, and All Saints, we remember that we are surrounded here in this community, in this church, by the witness of those who have gone before, who support us unseen.
And let’s enjoy the fun and frolic of Hallowe’en, the little faces at the door, the funny costumes - and the joy children get from it. Let’s not take the fun out of life, and out of our faith, because we are afraid of something which really holds no threat at all. ... and remember when you carve and light your pumpkins, that they are there to light the way and dispel the darkness, banish fears and give courage and faith. Amen.
Sources:
1. “Hallowe’en and the Saints” a sermon by Rev. Russell K. Vickers
2. “Great Pumpkins! Hallowe’en and the Church” (or How to Take All the Fun out of Life). A sermon by Rev. Fran Ota, October 2004.
3. Original paper published in the book “Treat or Trick: Hallowe’en in a Globalising World” , Cambridge Scholars Press, 2007.
This sermon is dedicated to my Dad, Rev. Russell Vickers, who died at the end of January 2004. In going through Dad’s sermons, I found one specifically about Hallowe'en, All Hallows and All Saints. The sermon is also dedicated to my mother, Kay Vickers, whose birthday was November 1, All Saints Day. The sermon grew until it became a paper presented at a conference on Hallowe’en in Glasgow, and the following year was published in the book “Treat or Trick:
About 15 years ago, I saw a news item about a family which considered Hallowe’en 'un-Christian', especially the dressing up part. Then a couple of days later there was an identical conversation at the check-out counter in the grocery store, about Hallowe’en not being Christian. The dejected look on the little boy’s face was too much. Then I saw an article about an evangelical church in the US which was celebrating “Jesus-ween” as an alternative to Hallowe’en. It became clear that people don’t know where Hallowe’en originated, along with All Saints, All Souls and the Dia de los Muertas, the Day of the Dead – and because of a lack of knowledge they try to put Jesus where Jesus has been for hundreds of years anyway.
In a zeal to be 'right', without even knowing the background of where our holidays come from, we can surely suck a lot of the joy out of life. To me, life would be flat and stale without at least one witch on a broomstick, or a ghost or small-sized devil, or a pumpkin out collecting plunder at the door! A couple of years ago one of my grandchildren was a firefighter, one was Xena, the Warrior Princess, and one was a knight. They had a wonderful time, and so did their Grandma.
Hallowe'en is as Christian a celebration as any of the other observations. Yes it incorporates some aspects of what we view as “pagan” beliefs – but so do Christmas and Easter. The Advent wreath was originally a huge wagon wheel hung from the ceiling of a Celtic meeting hall, decorated with evergreens and lit with candles. The egg at Easter is a pagan symbol, yes, but it denotes rebirth and new life. The early missionaries to what is now the British Isles used existing celebrations and drew parallels with Christianity.
Hallowe'en's origins go back to the ancient Celtic tribes of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany in what is now France. For the Celts, November 1 marked the beginning of a new year and the coming of winter. The night before the new year, they celebrated the festival of Samhain (Saween), in which the god of the earth died, to be reborn in the spring when new life returned. At the spring solstice, Beltane, the god rose again, the days lengthened, and life returned.
With the rise of Christianity, Samhain was changed to Hallowmas, or All Saints, to commemorate the souls of the blessed dead who had been canonized that year, so the night before became known as All Hallows Eve, or Hollantide. November 2nd became All Souls Day, when prayers were to be offered to the souls of all departed and those who were waiting in Purgatory for entry into Heaven. Throughout the centuries, pagan and Christian beliefs intertwine in celebrations from Oct 31st through November 5th. - but in the end Hallowe’en - or All Hallows and All Saints, became Christian celebrations.
During this festival of Samhain, the Celts believed that the barriers between this world and the other were at their most thin, hence the souls of the dead could return to mingle with the living. Christians at the time also believed this. Candles were placed in windows, to light the way for the spirits to return to their homes. An extra place was set at the table in case the spirit came. And in order to scare away any evil spirits, people dressed in costumes such as witches, warlocks, imps and goblins wore masks, lit bonfires, carved out turnips and rutabagas, then put a light inside.
When the Romans conquered the Celts, they added their own touches to the Samhain festival; they made centerpieces out of apples and nuts for Pomona, the Roman goddess of the orchards. They also bobbed for apples and drank cider. Sound familiar? In 835 AD, Pope Gregory IV decided to move the celebration for all the martyrs (later all the saints) from May 13 to November 1. The name “All Hallows Even” or 'all holy evening’ was contracted into the word Hallowe’en, and coincided with the Celtic celebration of Samhain and the Roman festival of Pomona. Similarities of themes - the coming of the dark, and the rise of the light in the spring, were not lost on the early missionaries who used those ideas as vehicles to teach the Christian faith..
On November 1 and 2, the Church celebrates All Saints and All Souls Days. These were feast days in the church, and their purpose was to remember those who have died, whether they were officially recognized by the Church as saints or not. These are celebrations of the 'communion of saints,' which reminds us that the Church is not bound by space or time. And if we strip out all the supposedly non-Christian elements, we have pretty well nothing left.
The modern view of death derives in part from Pre-Hispanic times, notably the Aztecs, who believed that after a person died, his/her soul passed through nine levels prior to their final destination, Mictlan - the place of the dead. The tenth month of the Aztec calendar included a great feast for dead adults. The Spanish Conquest of 1521 brought about the fusion of Catholic attitudes and indigenous beliefs. Day of the Dead-All Souls is a result of amalgamation of Pre-Spanish Indian ritual beliefs and the ritual and dogma of the Spanish Catholic church.
So the three days - Hallowe'en, All Saints and All Souls - are just enough of a mishmash of different pieces of history, that to eliminate any of them is a foolish exercise. We cannot separate our Christian faith and its non-Christian roots.
We can look at the Christian meaning given to Hallowe'en - that we are an imperishable community from all across the ages. Do we find it hard to stand up for justice, fair treatment, truth? Yet we are not the first generation of people to face such issues. Others have walked this same road in some way, in another time, and with the grace of God have come through it.
In the mid twentieth century, there was a great revolution in Hungary. Crowds gathered in the square named for the poet Sandov Petofi, who in 1848 launched the revolution against the Hapsburg monarch. A voice in the crowd shouted out "we vow we can never be slaves" - a line from one of his poems. Two hundred thousand marched to the statue of Josef Bem, hero of 1848 who fought for freedom. Surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, they found courage.
Finally, I want to tell a story of a little boy named Linus, from the Peanuts comic strip. Linus believes in a strange hybrid of a jack-o-lantern, Santa Claus and prophetic saintly God-character named "The Great Pumpkin." Linus believes the Great Pumpkin will arise from the most sincere Pumpkin Patch on Halloween night and deliver toys to all the true believing children. Of course, Linus actually wants to be in the garden when the benevolent giver of Halloween toys rises from
among the pumpkins. What's important, I think, is that Linus believes. He's never seen the Pumpkin, yet he believes that this saintly and benevolent character exists - he goes into the Pumpkin Patch every year, hopeful - and never gives up.
We have those saints who have gone before, to dispel the darkness and light the way - they help us keep in our sight the light of the world, the author and perfecter of our faith, Jesus. By understanding the origins of Hallowe'en, we find ourselves invited into the community of the cloud of witnesses which will never perish and which is never touched by death.
The early Christians, first dispersed by fear and the loss of Jesus, soon found themselves coming together again, a community of living saints bound by faith and a vision - a light in the darkness, the light of faith and commitment. When we come together as a community - yes, to celebrate Hallowe'en or All Hallows, and All Saints, we remember that we are surrounded here in this community, in this church, by the witness of those who have gone before, who support us unseen.
And let’s enjoy the fun and frolic of Hallowe’en, the little faces at the door, the funny costumes - and the joy children get from it. Let’s not take the fun out of life, and out of our faith, because we are afraid of something which really holds no threat at all. ... and remember when you carve and light your pumpkins, that they are there to light the way and dispel the darkness, banish fears and give courage and faith. Amen.
Sources:
1. “Hallowe’en and the Saints” a sermon by Rev. Russell K. Vickers
2. “Great Pumpkins! Hallowe’en and the Church” (or How to Take All the Fun out of Life). A sermon by Rev. Fran Ota, October 2004.
3. Original paper published in the book “Treat or Trick: Hallowe’en in a Globalising World” , Cambridge Scholars Press, 2007.
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