A Happy Halloween? And Day of the Dead?

Do you remember your ancestors?  Probably not!!

Halloween, the Day of the Dead are similar celebrations beginning October 31 encouraging us to remember our ancestors.

The Mexican tradition called the ‘Day of the Dead’ is spread over three days.  James Bond helped to spread the tradition around the world when one of the recent movies started with the ‘Day of the Dead’ parade in Mexico City.  The parade was staged for the movie.  It was not part of the Day of the Dead celebration but was liked so much that it has become an annual tradition that continues to this day!   

The Mexican family traditionally makes a Day of the Dead altar at home with photos and symbols to remind them of the recently departed family members.  Photos are a modern invention so other symbols serve as the representation of older generations. It depends on the family and what seems important in the particular year and what is available. The tradition is a blend of Pre Christian and Christian symbols brought together in a simple yet profound way to remember and give thanks to those who preceded the current generation and gave life to us,  the living.  

We are here because of those who came before us.  We build on what they struggled to accomplish, great or small.  Reviewing the Day of the Dead altar may empower us to be thankful for what appears to be small accomplishments borne out of tremendous struggle and experiment of our predecessors.  Louis Gates’ PBS hour program “Finding Our Roots’ provides a marvelous picture of the thread that exists through generations. We are the result of the accomplishments of previous generations.  Almost magically, we build on what they accomplished and the threads can be identified in who we are and what we do.

The Day of the Dead celebration has been more secularized and mainstreamed as ‘Halloween’ In the USA.  Sometimes it is hard to recognize any spiritual or significant roots to this American tradition but it does draw from the same tree as the Day of the Dead. ‘Halloween’  took on other dimensions of life – and death along with it.  Some are not so edifying I might add!

So how do you remember your ancestors?  Do you know who they were?  Can you name them?  Can you say anything about them and their lives?

I like having costumed children come to my front door on Halloween Night. They can’t wait to say ‘Trick or Treat’.  They are so proud of their candy prize for saying those three words. And as they take off they cry their sweet greeting,

‘Happy Halloween!”.  Their ‘thank you’ words of ‘Happy Halloween’ captures the spirit of what Halloween is meant to be.  

Halloween should be a happy time remembering the passing of those who preceded us.  They gave life and traditions and culture and laughter and song and story.  Perhaps our ancestors gave hopes and dreams to be accomplished by those who followed them.  Our turn will come to do the same thing too.

Ancestors do not leave all good news of achievement or accomplishment.  Ancestors represent a compendium of the challenges of the life journey.  I guarantee that the more you learn about your ancestors the more you will understand about yourself.  Who knows?  You may be just like one of them but living in a different time confronting similar challenges and opportunities.  

Are you willing to take their life and your life to another level?  Or are you going to mope around thinking that you are so unique and unlike anyone else that has ever lived?  

We all have something to offer in our generation to our generation.  Knowing about our ancestral past we have a few extra tools to help move ahead with a little more optimism, encouragement, holding our ‘chin up high’. 

That’s why the kids are saying ‘Happy Halloween’. They may not know it yet but they have a treasure trough of stuff to learn from the ancestors.  We do too.  Another reason to live yet another day and say, ‘Happy Halloween’!! 

John Goldstein, Pastor