The amount of life we’re given hardly seems fair in the grand scheme. The universe is over thirteen billion years old, and yet we only have an average lifespan between seventy and eighty. There are exceptions to this, but for the most part, this is all we have to work with. Doesn’t seem fair, right? It wouldn’t be as bad if we weren’t constantly aware of our mortality.
Sure, there are those that this doesn’t apply to which is why we have the Darwin Awards. Even time tends to humble the most arrogant of us, though. Years pass and youthful complexions give way to aged frames. People begin realizing they aren’t as invulnerable as they thought and with that comes the fear of death. Think about the lengths we go to not even to genuinely extend our lifespans, but to make ourselves think we are, all kinds of beauty products with who knows what chemicals.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with maintaining a healthy skincare routine. My point is, even the illusion of a longer life will dampen our ability to think critically. This is where religion shines. It doesn’t offer anything physical. Instead, it promises a place where your consciousness will continue after you’ve passed on. Now, whether that place will be one of paradise or one of torment depends on which belief system someone decides to hedge their bets on.
Despite religion’s long-standing popularity, death is still a touchy subject for many. As a result, many cultures have holidays honoring the dead. Mexico has Día de los Muertos meant for those celebrating to honor their deceased loved ones. Japan has a similar holiday known as Obon, which may have been derived from a Chinese celebration called The Hungry Ghost Festival, in which rituals are performed to alleviate the pain of those who have passed. It seems just about every culture has a day to celebrate those who are no longer with us.
That brings me to the holiday celebrated all across the US, Canada, Australia, and parts of Europe: All Hallow’s Eve, better known as Halloween. What differentiates it from similar celebrations is we put more emphasis on the fear aspect. The Celts believed masks protected against evil spirits and acted as disguises against them. Samhain (pronounced Sow-wen) was a three-day pagan festival marking the Celtic end of year and celebrating the dead. These festivals, along with many others, eventually blended into the holiday we know today.
If you want to know more about that, I recommend checking out The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. It explores the possible origins of Halloween. There is a special of it, but there’s a free reading of it on YouTube that I will link here. I highly recommend it. Going back to the topic at hand, Halloween has always held a special place in my heart.
Perhaps, it’s due to the fact I was a fearful child growing up and a gullible one at that. It didn’t take much to convince me of a monster in my closet or under the bed (I have my cousin to thank for that) or even that a ghost would come if I left the fan on. These, among others, caused many frightening nights. It almost seems contradictory that I’ve developed such a fascination with the horror genre. Even though I was sprinting to reach my bed after cutting the lights out, I was pouring through Goosebumps books.
As I got older, this transferred into more mature books such as those by Stephen King and a few by Dean Koontz. Eventually, these, along with Creepypastas inspired me to take up writing horror. Given all this, is it any wonder why Halloween has become my favorite holiday? Not only that, the holidays in general, are my favorite time of year. To me, they start at the beginning of October and end on New Year’s.
Although, I do keep it going a little while longer past that. It’s only recently I’ve started wondering what Halloween means to me. I can’t say I’m a spiritual person so I can’t say I have any significance for the aspects of it celebrating the dead. You could say I celebrate it simply because it’s something I am used to. While that wouldn’t be incorrect, I believe there’s more to it.
The easy answer would be to say I like it because it’s a cool holiday. Again, you’d be right. Decorations, trick or treating, vandalizing the home of your asshole neighbor, scary movie marathons, what’s not to love? Something else that’s happened to me as I’ve gotten older is how much time I dedicate to celebrating Halloween. I’m one of those people who get into the spirit super early.
I went from keeping it in October to beginning it in September (because I saw stores already putting out Halloween stuff then) to starting it in August and this year, I’ve made Halloween in July a custom for myself. Thank you, Summerween. Nearly a quarter of the year, I dedicate to this holiday due to my passion for things that go bump in the night. What’s the real reason I do this? I want you to think about how Halloween has changed.
If you hear or see the word, you probably picture scary movies and people wearing costumes of famous horror icons. Like many things, however, it’s gotten more kid-friendly over time and the costumes meant to inspire fear are being accompanied by Disney characters and superheroes. Some may say this diminishes what Halloween is about, that being something meant to scare us, instead replacing that emotion with wonder. The thing is, fear and wonder may first appear opposed when in reality they go hand in hand. Consider how much our species has learned despite our limited lifespans and how much we’ve advanced, barring what the less evolved among us would lead you to believe.
This is despite those same kinds of people trying to impede positive change at every turn. Progress is unfortunately always an uphill struggle. Yet, it’s managed to stay afloat amidst a raging storm of ignorance. That’s something else that pairs with fear. Our lack of understanding causes us to imagine the worst-case scenario whenever we’re introduced to a new idea.
Wonder is a testament to our ability of overcoming these flaws and discovering what is lying ahead. That is ultimately the meaning I take from Halloween. Not only is it a time of scares and fun, it’s also a time to remind us that while there’s plenty to be frightened of, there’s beauty in the chaos.
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