All Hallows Eve offers an intriguing way to pass on the faith

I thought everyone had a big family party along with trick or treating.
When my mom became a grandmother, she broadened that tradition, and it became a gift-giving occasion for my kids where they received special Halloween gifts from her to mark the special day.

As a child, I looked forward each year to Halloween mostly because I was sure my mom possessed some magical powers, since she was born on that day.

As each year came and went, she never became Samantha from the TV show “Bewitched,” much to my disappointment. My mom is devoutly Catholic and, looking back, I don’t think she really liked me waiting for her to gain her witchy powers.

I remember her reminding us that Halloween was not just about the tricks and treats; it was actually All Hallows Eve – the vigil of All Saints’ Day when Catholics remember those who have gone before us to heaven.

As I became an adult, I found out more about Halloween lore. When it was originally observed, it was meant to mock Satan and his demons and scare them away before All Saints’ and All Souls’ days.

Similar to other holidays we celebrate today, Halloween has become increasingly secular. Unlike Christmas and Easter, many Christians have bought into the myth that Halloween is just a pagan holiday and forget to acknowledge the holiness of the day.

Halloween is really a holy day on its own with Catholic roots that are connected to the feasts of All Saints’ and All Souls’ days. As parents, we should try to embrace the many opportunities of Halloween to teach and share our Catholic faith.

If you think about it, there is no Easter Sunday without Good Friday, and there really are no saints without earthly suffering and death. That is what Halloween represents.

So, before celebrating the Feast of All Saints, maybe we can celebrate Halloween in a special way with our kids – in addition to the candy and costumes, of course.

Here are a few ideas I found while researching Halloween and the Catholic faith:

1. If you have older children, consider reading some of the classic monster stories with them and discuss the stories’ religious symbolism.
2. Carving Jack-o’-Lanterns is not only a fun tradition everyone loves, but there’s also a new trend among Christians to use Jack-o’-Lanterns as an evangelical billboard. Choose a Christian or pro-life image to literally be the light in the darkness.
3. Maybe suggest that your kids give some treats they receive to poor children, through a charity, so that they do not see the feast as an opportunity to indulge themselves.
4. Something that my mom’s neighborhood has done ever since I can remember is take this opportunity to fellowship with neighbors and set up tables of food and beverages outside for adults and children.
It was really nice to visit with our friends when we took our young kids trick-or-treating in the neighborhood, and they showed off their costumes while collecting candy.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe All Hallows Eve, and let’s remember that according to the Vatican News, “Halloween is the feast of the celebration of the feast of All Hallows. It’s a day when Catholics celebrate the triumph of the church in heaven, and the lives of the saints on earth.”

Kim Roberts resides in River Ridge with her husband. She also has two adult children and a teenager in college and is active at St. Matthew the Apostle Parish and its Home and School Association. She has been president of the Council of Catholic School Cooperative Clubs, has served on the Dominican High School Parents’ Club board and works with the Notre Dame Seminary Gala Committee and the Keep Christ in Christmas Committee. She has a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from Louisiana Tech University as well as a master of arts degree. She is a freelance writer.