The year is 1948. The leaves on the tree's have transformed into vibrant shades of red, gold, and brown. A crisp wind nips the night air, and young lady wrapped in a knee-length wool coat graces the arm of her dashing escort, her husband of only two years. Together they enter a brightly lit, cheerful home and are welcomed with the warmth of laughter and merriment of their family and friends. The house pours out its love from each crack and crevice, promising everyone who enters the shelter of home.
The young man takes the coat from his wife as they enter the too-warm home, and together they greet her parents with hugs and kisses. They quickly move through the house greeting and catching up with dear friends. Presently, an ice cream maker is produced and the young couple and their friends work on the task of making ice cream: chocolate and orange sorbet. Each of the guests take a turn at the wooden crank of the ice cream maker. They sing songs as they churn the crank - spinning the bowl of sugar and cream past the salty ice as fast as they can pump it.
After the guests have exhausted their strength turning the crank, the young woman's mother, the revered hostess of the gathering, brings the merry makers into the living room where she has each person tie a blindfold around their eyes. The young adults wait expectantly in their seats for the tricks to come. The young husband takes hold of the first object and moves it around slowly in his hands - small, round, cold, and slimy. The intent is clear, and he passes the object to his young wife on his right, who feels the object - makes her guess of 'eye balls,' and passes it on. The young man is handed yet another object: wet, cold spaghetti noodles that slip and slide through his fingers, as he scrambles to take hold of noodles he silently concludes, "intestines," and passes it to his wife. The group howls in laughter as they play "The Withered Corpse," and the men poke fun at the ladies as they scream in fright when the 'eye ball's and 'intestines' slip and slide through their delicate hands. More objects are passed around, more screams and groans of delight are heard through the house.
The hostess instructs the guests to take off their blindfolds and turn their chairs to face the outside wall where they notice a white sheet has been hung. The lights dim, and a small light appears from behind the sheet that instantly throws moving shadows on the curtain, showing in shadow a doctor performing surgery on her patient. Music crackles from the record player, enchanting the audience to the story playing on the screen while the guests are served the rewards of their hard earned work with the Acme ice cream freezer. Pop corn drizzled in oil and salt is produced and passed around. The young couple leans against each other, sharing their ice cream and a bag of popcorn, enjoying the company of their friends and family; enjoying the comfort found in each other, and the merriment of the night, and especially the sight of their mother (and mother-in-law), the respected Mrs. J. H. White, acting so gaily behind the curtain.
*****
Fall of 2011. My grandmother pushes her walker, and I push the girls in their stroller as we walk past our neighbors homes decked out in spider webs, pumpkins, and signs that boast, "You call me a witch like its a bad thing." Suddenly memories of Halloween's past flow from her memory, and as she tells me the stories I realize I had never given much thought to how my grandmother celebrated Halloween. I suppose I had assumed they never had participated in any Halloween celebrations or parties. My grandfather being a pastor, and my grandmother just as devout in her faith as he had evoked images of the two of them with their church hosting bible studies or avoiding the day altogether.
As we walk through the park, my grandma weaves the story of the parties that her mother threw (the mother that spent 9 years as a missionary in china, and wrote christian novels, and books of poetry and sabbath school lessons, and . . . ). As she describes to me the gaiety of their celebrations, my mind whirls with thoughts: surprise turns to questions, turns to understanding, and finally to full appreciation. I begin to see these women whose blood runs through my veins, and their lives and faith in a whole new light. A light I bask in.
* * * * *
The topic of Halloween is controversial for Christians: ignore the day completely, participate in "Harvest Parties," go trick-or-treating in non-witch/ghost/goblin/demon costumes, or host bible study sit-ins and prayer groups? Celebrations on Halloween are held in quite a different light than other pagan-based celebrations (*ahem* Easter and Christmas) which almost all Christians celebrate without the guilt that Halloween celebrations heap on believers.
Are we as Christians allowed to have fun, enjoy celebrations, family and friends? Even on Halloween? My evangelical conservative grandparents and great-grandparents said yes. Why? What does the bible have to say - if anything? I like what James Walkins has to say on the subject in his article '
Should Christians Celebrate Halloween," when he writes
The Apostle Paul deals with these [Halloween] kinds of issues when he addresses meat offered to pagan idols. Is this wrong for the Christian—who doesn't believe in the false gods to whom the meat was offered— to eat meat offered to idols? Here's Paul's advice:
So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall (1 Corinthians 8:4-13).
If Paul were alive today, he might write something like . . .
Don't worry about the ancient association of these holidays with paganism since we know there are no gods of sun and death, and that the dead don't roam the earth. You're not appeasing Samhain when you go "trick-or-treating" or sacrificing to the gods by carving a jack-o-lantern. But if your family or friends have reservations about these things, don't encourage them to do something they feel is "sinful."
At least that's my opinion among the nearly one thousand other perspectives."
I agree with Mr. Walkins interpretations fully. And let us remember too that God created joy in us, the ability and desire to enjoy life and each other. We who have the faith and the assurance on Halloween that there has already been One that has triumphed over the grave should have no fear of death or the 'threat' that the day holds for some. We know that there are no such things as ghosts and zombies, as 'the dead know nothing,"
(Ecclesiastes 9:5). There is no fear in death, and as the leaves come falling to their death, reminding us of our own mortality we can celebrate with our friends and family the joy of our living
now.
Whether you participate in celebrations on Halloween, or near, or whatever you choose to do - may you find joy in the life that He gave and saved for you for with the family and the friends that He blessed you with.
As for me, I'm looking forwarding to enjoying the blessings of a large bonfire shared with friends and family, hayrides to take, pumpkins to carve and paint, and caramel apples and caramel popcorn balls to savor.
Note: My grandmother would like to make clear that they never have and never will endorse participating in anything related to spiritualism or the occult as part of any celebration. They simply endorse having fun, and not being so 'stiff,' joyless, and solemn all the time, (which is why so many young people probably feel that the church is too judgmental). Life is meant to be enjoyed! Just as it is okay to not celebrate Halloween in any fashion, there is also nothing wrong with getting together to have fun with friends and family, yes - even on Halloween.
**Historical Note for those interested: The shadow play behind the curtain that my great-grandmother used as entertainment was most likely discovered in 9 years living in China, where shadow play - a precursor to modern theater - has been an important part of their culture.
*****Additional Historical Note for Family: Grandma's brother Don was killed in a car accident that Halloween night of 1948 that I wrote of. The family learned of it the next day. Great-grandma never hosted another Halloween party. 
