October 31st is a favorite time for my children when they were young because of the candy and costumes, but what does this interesting holiday mean?
The word Halloween is a short-hand for “Hallows Eve” the day before the Western Christian celebration of All Saint's Day. Originally Halloween was the Celtic holiday of Samhain in which the dead return to Earth. As Christianity spread, this holiday was changed to usher in All Saint's Day.
All Saint's Day is a remembrance of the dead. Remembering and honoring the dead, however, is not just a European tradition.
In Mexico and many countries in Latin America, Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is celebrated.
In the Philippines, relatives visit graves of loved ones bringing flowers and lighting candles.
In China, Qingming Day which means “Cleaning the graves” is a day to honor the departed by cleaning and offering food at the ancestral grave sites. In Japan the same holiday is called Obon and it lasts three days with lanterns illuminated in addition to cleaning and offering food to the ancestors.
All over the world we honor our dead and remember our ancestors as a way of passing on our family histories and celebrate the lives that have come before us. This is part of the common threads that connect civilizations.
As Rotarians we think say and do what is true, fair, building goodwill and finding what is beneficial to all. Knowing international traditions is not an intellectual exercise but the beginning of understanding. As Rotarians we seek to understand in order to build goodwill and creates better friendships.