Halloween is nearly here, the night where, according to old Celtic beliefs, the dead can cross over to the living. While these days Halloween is much more about dressing up and getting candy than it is about unearthly spirits, and not everyone in the world observes the occasion, many countries from Canada to Australia do, and there you can expect to find parties going on and trick-or-treaters running from house to house.
A friend of mine recently told me she had no trick-or-treaters come to her house at all last year, while still another friend guiltily admitted that she *hates* children ringing her doorbell and that she finds the whole event ridiculous and annoying. I found both of these stories alarming because on what other day of the year do we allow our children to be this spirited and silly, to step onto their neighbour's doorstep and learn that the world can be a welcoming place? And consider this, how often to we get the chance to open our home to strangers and actually give them something? Don't we want every chance we can get for our children to discover how beautifully generous and kind strangers can be? When we spend so much of our time educating them on how to protect themselves, how to be wary of strangers, on being careful in this difficult world, isn't it wonderful that we have at least one day a year when they can knock on their neighbour's door and be greeted with a smile and given a treat? Halloween can be a beautiful opportunity to learn about, and practice, generosity, kindness, community, and simple, old-fashioned fun.
wishing you a fun and beautiful Halloween,
hk
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