Celebrating Halloween and All Saints Day

So tonight is Halloween where many children from many different cultures and countries celebrate it by dressing up as spooky beings or as witches or generally as any character they like, and then would go out into the neighborhood and knock on people's houses calling out "Trick or Treat" in the hopes that they get handed out candies and chocolates and would not have to play some "trick" if they did not receive any "treats". It is after all a day where not just children but brave teenagers and adults dress up in ridiculous costumes and no one would dare laugh cause it's Halloween. But for these children and most teenagers and adults, many forget or actually do not know the real and actual significance and meaning of Halloween. It has been so trivialised and commercialised in this day and age that in many cultures the date 31st of October leading to 1st of November has significant meanings. What these significances and meanings are I will not bore you with and they can be found if you wish to by Googleing them yourselves.

However, from what I can recall of my childhood in the country where I was born, Halloween was not celebrated by dressing up and knocking on people's doors. Before dusk we would go to the cemetery of where our dearly departed and loved ones are buried and prepare for a long and enjoyable night of celebrating our loved ones lives by lighting candles and holding vigil around their grave site. It was a time of family gathering along with other relatives and the children would happily play with the dripping wax from the many candles lit and form little balls of wax to play with. There would be delicious food to share among each other and it would be like a picnic unlike no other. I can also remember that there were also vendors selling their wares from candles, different types of foods from fish-balls, bbq sticks to hotdogs, right down to sugary treats that would have your mouth salivating, if you had the extra coins to spare. Throughout the night and well into the break of dawn, those who managed to, would stay by the grave site still chatting away or doing what-not to pass the time, while the children slept peacefully on the laps of their mothers. Those who lived nearby would go home for a little while before going back again to the grave site while many families who lived a fair distance would stay well into the evening of All Saints Day holding their vigil until it was time to finally go home.

While my childhood memory of  how we celebrated Halloween/All Saints Day have somewhat become vague and diminished in clarity, I will never forget the feeling of somehow being that little bit closer to my departed loved ones or the general feel of familial warmth and innocent enjoyment only a child would feel on this night/day. So to this day, even though I do not go to the grave site of my loved ones, I still light candles for them and I hope that one day I am able to relive the experience and feel the same innocent feelings I once had when I was a child celebrating Halloween/All Saints Day.

Happy Halloween/All Saints Day Everyone!