Hallowed, Not Haunted

When my grandmother was young, she and some friends visited a fortune teller at a carnival. The soothsayer foretold that my grandmother, Eva, would have three children and that she would have trouble “keeping them in the seat of their pants,” as my grandmother worded it. Years later when Eva’s third child was born, her friends marveled at the fortune teller’s accuracy. But after two more years, along came Helen, then Ray, Gene, and Bob. While the fortune teller had erred about the number, my grandmother attested that she did have trouble keeping her rambunctious children in their clothes, which were always wearing out.

My grandmother mentioned that she went to confession after her encounter with the fortune teller. “Really? You told it in confession?” I asked incredulously.

“Well, I thought I should,” she replied.

The First Commandment

It surprised me that such a simple amusement could be a sin. Still, my grandmother’s assessment of the situation was correct. The Catechism of the Catholic Church names superstition, idolatry, divination, and magic as sins against the first commandment. The text advises, “A sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it” (CCC 2115). Examples of divination provided in the catechism include horoscopes, palm readings, and recourse to mediums.

One may more readily associate superstition, idolatry, magic and the like with ancient pagans rather than with modern civilization. Nevertheless, as faith and church attendance dwindles, people yearning to fill the void in their spiritual lives may wander into dangerous territory. Psychic mediums run profitable businesses in 21st-century America. I recently overheard a woman in the grocery store reporting that she had made an appointment with someone who counseled grief-stricken people by putting them in contact with their deceased relatives. Palmistry seems to be making a comeback, as evidenced by advertisements outside buildings that appear otherwise to be conventional, middle-class homes.

Halloween Observances

With the approach of Halloween, some consideration of what, if any, is an appropriate way to recognize the holiday may be in order. When my children were young, some of their Christian friends were not allowed to trick-or-treat or attend Halloween parties. It seemed as though misguided parents were keeping their children from harmless fun. After all, no one actually believed that bedsheets were ghosts or that carved pumpkins meant anything other than a quaint welcome to costumed children who came knocking at one’s front door.

Recent trends in some Halloween observances go beyond scarecrows and jack-o-lanterns. Forty years ago, our local historical museum hosted a “Harvest Jubilee” every October. That celebration has given way to a different event: the “Haunted Mill”. Costumed actors with made-up, bloody faces pop out of dark corners as patrons walk by, or brandish hatchets as they chase people on hayrides. The element of surprise, the darkness of autumn evenings, and the bizarre costumes make for a thrilling experience.

Flirting With Evil

On the other hand, festivities that focus on the paranormal, such as evening ghost walks, reflect an intrigue about the afterlife that approaches the unhealthy curiosity mentioned in the Catechism. The first commandment forbids attempts to conjure or communicate with disembodied spirits. An activity designed to spread the belief that spirits haunt a particular place may not be an attempt to conjure. But it does flirt with evil.

How is this so? First, what kind of a spirit would be haunting an earthly location? As Catholics, we believe that the dead are in the hands of God. If they are with God in heaven, they would not haunt. If they are in purgatory, they cannot haunt. The only spirits that can haunt an earthly location must be evil, and they are probably not human.

Second, God gave us the commandments for our own well-being. Breaking them has consequences. Ignoring the first commandment’s injunction against conjuring the dead leaves hearts open to spirits other than the Spirit of God. And who do you think wants to invade a human heart? Evil cannot control a person without that person’s initial welcome. Why pave the way for that welcome?

Ironically, people who object to activities connected with the occult do not do so because they think it is all nonsense. They object because they actually believe in evil spirits. They know that spirits can do serious moral and physical harm, and they are rightfully and prudently afraid.

A Foundation for Faith

A brighter side of the intrigue of Halloween is what it says about people’s need for spirituality. Wondering what happens after death is part of the human condition. People search for transcendence because they were created for more than this earthly existence. It is our nature to be spiritual in addition to physical because we are body and soul. Likely, the impetus behind the intrigue of Halloween is an instinct that there is a reality beyond what we see on Earth. This instinct can serve as a foundation for faith.

Faith goes a long way to ease the great vulnerability and uncertainty of life. So do hope and love. Modern culture has taken a toll on all three of these theological virtues. Once individuals reject faith in God, they go on to seek a replacement. Whatever else they find can never be satisfied.

Believers in God have the deep comfort of knowing exactly where to go for the fulfillment of our spiritual needs. Prayer brings us before the Great Spirit, our Father God, at any moment we choose. We can also communicate with saints in heaven, who have known earthly struggles. In fact, the Church teaches that we may even pray to souls in purgatory. Why is this okay, when the first commandment forbids conjuring spirits? We may communicate with departed souls only as long as we are communicating through Christ. Acknowledging that the dead are in the hands of God, and with his permission appealing to them to pray for our welfare or the welfare of others, such communication is prayer.

Hallows Do Not Haunt

This brings us to the real meaning of Halloween, of course. All Hallows’ Eve prepares us for the great feast of All Saints on November 1. These are the lives that intrigue, with tales of courage and virtue that overcame darkness. These are the spirits that God may allow to watch over and intercede for us. They do not haunt; rather, they bless. They are hallowed, revered because of God’s grace, fulfilled in their lives.

As with other morally ambiguous issues, each person must decide how to maneuver the culture’s observance of Halloween. Certainly, Catholics must celebrate and teach their children the origin of this holiday, All Saints’ Day. Beyond that, we are obliged to keep the first commandment, and thus refrain from participating in activities that call upon disembodied spirits. It seems prudent to avoid decorations and costumes that represent evil spirits. Then where do we draw the line between fall decorations and occult symbols? Some Christians would not so much as carve pumpkins or display spider webbing on their bushes. Others see no issue with skeletal arms reaching up out of the ground, and ghosts dangling from tree branches. With All Saints’ Day so close, it may be worth a prayer to our patron saint to help us discern the best observance of All Hallows’ Eve.

If you choose to celebrate Halloween, let the candle in the jack-o-lantern symbolize the light of Christ. Let the face carved on the pumpkin reflect the joy of the Church Triumphant. Let each treat you give out contain your silent prayer for the child who receives it. Be sure to attend Mass, and consider the multitude of souls actually present at every Eucharistic celebration. God provides the transcendence, the spirituality, and the life.

Works Cited and Consulted

Catechism of the Catholic Church. www.usccb.org/sites/default/files/flipbooks/catechism/548/ . 10 October 2023.

Meo, Mary. “The Higher Gifts – Why These Virtues are Theological.” Catholic Stand. 22 March 2023. https://catholicstand.com/the-higher-gifts-why-these-virtues-are-theological/