Bits from Beth

October 31, 2025

 

Dear Friends,

Tonight I am looking forward to greeting the children that will knock on my door and I will be greeted with the familiar line, "Trick or Treat." My neighborhood is looking very colorful with the many decorations of ghosts, skeletons, and pumpkins. There are many who shun Halloween, believing it is anti-Christian. That is why many church labeled their Halloween carnivals as "Fall Festivals."

 

The history of Halloween has both Christian and pagan roots. The true origins of Halloween began with the ancient Celtic tribes who lived in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. For the Celts, November 1st marked their beginning of a new year and the coming of winter. The night before the new year, they celebrated the festival of Samhain, Lord of the Dead. During this festival, Celts believed the souls of the dead, including ghosts, goblins and witches, returned to mingle with the living. In order to scare away the evil spirits, people would wear masks and light bonfires.

 

When the Romans conquered the Celts, they added their own touches to the Samhain festival, such as making centerpieces out of apples and nuts for Pomona, the Roman goddess of the orchards. The Romans also bobbed for apples and drank cider, traditions which may sound familiar to you. But where does the Christian aspect of the holiday come into play? In 835, Pope Gregory IV moved the celebration for all the martyrs (later all saints) from May 13 to November 1. The night before became known as All Hallow’s Eve. Eventually the name was shortened to the current Halloween. On November 1st each year, the Church celebrates All Souls Day.

 

The purpose of these feasts is to remember those who have died, whether they are officially recognized by the Church as saints or not. It is a celebration of the communion of saints, which reminds us that the Church is not bound by space or time. We will be honoring eight saints of our church plus we will read the names of others who have touched the lives of our church members. Once again, we are grateful to our sewing circle for making the banners we will use this Sunday.

 

Please remember to set your clocks back on Saturday night as we gain an hour of sleep when Daylight Savings time ends. You might want to take notes for the dates on this email since it has the dates for many of our activities through year's end.

 

Have a great weekend! We hope to see you Sunday!

Grace and peace,

Beth