Halloween is almost here. What is celebrated on Halloween? What or whom gathers so many people to celebrate? What character or event is so important that its annual remembrance is the world's greatest sales day for candy?
I would like to share some reflections with the intention of understanding the meaning of this celebration and better educating those for whom we care.

Once a person asked me if the Church prohibited the celebration of Halloween. The question seemed interesting because it helps to clarify a point. It is not about reducing the celebration of Halloween to a legalistic or moralistic issue. The point is to find the concrete meaning of things and why we do them: in this case Halloween.
So, what is celebrated on that day? Halloween is called "the day of the witches". Where does this celebration come from? It actually has a double origin. On one hand its origin is from the Celtic cults (Ireland).

Apparently its priests, called the druids, celebrated the feast of Samhain on the first days of November. It was the beginning of the new Celtic year and the druids, acting as "mediums" sought to communicate with their ancestors to whom they made offerings and asked for different things. They also believed this date was when the spirits of the dead went to visit their old homes.

On the other hand this celebration has a Christian origin. Halloween is a term that derives from "All Hallow's Eve", this is the Vespers of the celebration of All Saints Day. The Church celebrates All Saints Day on the 1st of November and since it was such an important feast it was celebrated starting with the vespers of the previous day. This is what "All Hallow's Eve" means.
With the passing of the centuries, invasions and migrations of many cultures became blended, which caused the Vespers of All Saints Day to assume some of the characteristics of the druids' pagan celebration of the "day of the dead".
As one author comments on this in our current world: "It is very possible that on October 31 different "neo-pagans" identifying themselves with the feast of the druids have introduced satanic and  occultist elements. The festival of Samhain, today known as the "festival of the dead" is recognized by all occultists and adorers of the devil as the vespers of the new year for witchcraft."

Far from being just an innocent celebration, it is a fact that in different countries such as Ireland, USA and Mexico, Oct. 31 is an occasion to celebrate black masses and practice occultism and satanic cults.
Now someone might say: "but, for me, Halloween is just an occasion to have fun; I am not interested in satanic cults or witchcraft or anything like that". It is true. Certainly, for most people October 31^st is just having fun or at the most a moment to toy with fear.

Certainly, we should not exaggerate and say that all those who celebrate Halloween are occultists in one way or another or unconsciously adorers of Satan. This is not the point. But I believe that while we should not exaggerate neither should we take this lightly.
After all, what do we celebrate on Halloween? Do we celebrate the day of the witches, of the spirits, the day of the dead, the dark? If we do to celebrate this, then, what are we celebrating? Nothing?
And this brings us to the main point: if we celebrate something we need to ask ourselves what is it that we are celebrating; and if we do not celebrate anything, then why celebrate at all? To let ourselves be taken by the "spirit of Halloween"  is absurd, because as we may celebrate Halloween without considering the importance of what is behind this celebration we can also end up, as many do, by celebrating Christmas and Holy Week without focusing on the event that we should be commemorating. Now, to educate our children in this habit of letting yourself be taken by the spirit of the moment is to communicate a superficial attitude. It is as if we are saying: " the true meaning behind  the event doesn't matter, it only matters to gather and celebrate."
We can also ask ourselves if celebrating something in which costumes of witches and skeletons are worn and playing with fear and death, just to mention a few, is neutral; I don't think so. What to do then? I have to confess the solution is not simple. It is not about just saying: Away with Halloween, it will never be celebrated again! Although some parents might have assumed this attitude, I recognize it can be difficult for others.
I think there are two ways of facing this situation: first  we need to pop the air out of the balloon, we need not to encourage it, don't make an echo of it, and also take away all the anti-values and negative aspects (play with fear, ugly costumes, etc.) And second, renew it in its Christian content: It is the vespers of the celebration of All Saints Day.
Someone can argue: "but my children have more fun wearing witches and skeleton costumes and asking for candy than commemorating the saints". It can be. But, it is about forming them in values and virtues, we need to sow the seed that is going to give good fruit at its moment. And for this we need to be ingenious and creative.
I think it is worth it to make the effort to think and deal with this theme.  We can't take this lightly. We, as adults need to be the first to understand and give the example. Finally, let's not forget the meaning of All Saints Day: the Church remembers and celebrates all
of her children that are in heaven and reminds all of us of the meaning of our life.
May God, through the intercession of all the saints, bless you.

Rev. Fr. Gonzalo Len is member of the Sodalitium Chrisitianae Vitae (SCV), a Society of Apostolic Life.  He lives in Lima, Peru and is the Rector of Villa Caritas and St. Peter Catholic Schools.  A community of the SCV is in charge of St. Malo Catholic Retreat Center in Allenspark, CO.