Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/83

Contributor - Freda Witteveen

Title - Women

Topic - Hallowe'en

Hallowe'en, when I was a child, was a fun time, eagerly anticipated. My sisters and I created our own costumes. We would dress up in Mom's old clothes, add lots of chunky jewellry and be a 'lady', or dress up in Mom's clothes, add jewellery and be a 'movie star'. Another original idea was to dress up in our oldest clothes, add Dad's large red handkerchief, and presto, a hobo. With a large family and visits to the local rummage sales, old clothes were always available.

As soon as my sister and I were old enough to really enjoy the trick or treating, we were made responsible for taking the younger sisters out, so we had little opportunity to do anything mischievous. We never soaped any car windows because we were always a witness to Heit's fury the morning after Hallowe'en as he surveyed the family jalopy, and we always seemed to get the clean-up job anyway.

As we got a little older, the big fun was in roaming through the quiet streets of our little village with a group of our friends, trying to be a part of the fun of the older kids, the ones with cars, being daring in a vicarious way. Our most daring escapades involved collecting the largest yellow cucumbers from our large cucumber patch and heaving these onto the pavement to watch them splat. I can still remember the smushy sound and the juice and seeds flying. The feeling seemed in a small way to make up for the hours spent the previous summer in the hot sun, picking row after row of cucumbers.

But, as a mother, Hallowe'en has lost a lot of it's appeal - the present generation has little originality and no idea of how to have a good time. Days before the event, it's cries of "I want to be Darth Vader (or a Smurf, or E.T., or Pac Man, etc.). Oh, and Mom, I need the costume in two days." Before you have time to draw a ragged breath comes, "Mom, we're having a party at school and I said you'd make some caramel apples for the class. I only need 35." Ditto, of course, for child number two. I am engulfed with sympathy for my oldest sister who has five children.

Spotting the perfect pumpkin for our window becomes a serious occupation. "There's a good one, Mom, it's really big." "Make a real scary face, Mom, and you can make a pie from the inside and roast the seeds. Boy, this is fun!" Few things are more depressing than a Jack'o'lantern the day after Hallowe'en.

All of this fun is topped off by the driving Mom gets to do: start, stop, in and out on the big night as we visit neighbours, friends and relatives to get their treats. If things are really going Mom's way there will be stomach aches tonight.

We need to keep in mind that Hallowe'en has its origins in pagan rituals, and to see that this is not reflected in any way in how we observe this celebration. Innocent as it may seem, it is not Christian to dress our children as ghosts, goblins, witches and devils, and we should be able to tell them why it is not appropriate for us.

One of my strongest memories of Hallowe'en is the darkness and how the wind in the trees made fearful shadows and menacing sounds. I often looked over my shoulder as my imagination conjured up many frightening images. My sister was a forthright, outgoing individual and I counted on her for security, as younger siblings often do.

Years later I finally learned a short phrase from the Bible which brings me much comfort and courage when fears begin to assail me. To fear something is to be human: to let fears obsess and overwhelm, is to acknowledge that God is not in control of our lives, however much we lay claim to His Promises.

I John 4:18 assures us "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear. . . . He that feareth is not made perfect in love." God's love helps us to handle our fears: it has worked for me time and time again and I know I can trust in Him always.

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