Someone once asked me why I love Halloween more than Christmas. I first thought the person was not so discreetly suggesting I preferred a pagan holiday above a Christian one. In response to the question, I stammered and did my best to deny the accusation, all the while internally confessing some layer of truth to the point. What I could not clearly articulate then was that my Christian upbringing played an important part in my excitement and anticipation of Halloween. The thrill of pumpkins, candy, and costumes is something I embrace, as a person of faith, and is an integral part of preparation for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
One example is the Trunk or Treat activity provided by many groups including my Hattiesburg church, University Baptist Church. Last week, children from Woodley Elementary, Grace Christian, Thames, Sacred Heart, and other schools descended upon the back parking lot of our small church at Arlington Loop. The families were from many different neighborhoods, with boys and girls of different races and ethnicities, all happy and bright-eyed to eat hot dogs, play games, and walk by truck and car trunks cleverly covered in Halloween themed designs. The Greek word koinonia identifies shared fellowship with the Christian church and relates to the sacrament of communion. On a brisk Wednesday evening, our neighborhood Trunk or Treat event was a moment of koinonia. Children were smiling, parents were introducing themselves to one another, and everyone present felt connected and part of something good.
For me, Halloween has always been about imagination, creativity, play, and sharing. When I was a child, many neighbors baked their treats. Candied apples were a particular delight, and I remember one elderly lady decorated her giant Granny Smith caramel apples with colorful sprinkles. They were served freshly made and so tasty that the juice would often roll down my chin. Cakewalks were often held, and still are, and children would dance around a circle until the music stopped, hoping to be the last person standing to win that giant homemade strawberry cake sitting on the red and white checkered tablecloth. Once, my brother and I used several toilet paper rolls to turn my dad into a mummy, with only his eyeglasses poking out from the tissue. What we did not factor was that once finished, he had no way of walking!
Relationships are forged and goodwill is made at many Halloween events. I would argue that in today’s times, the biggest neighborhood gatherings are at Halloween. At my home, Halloween is the time when folks sit on their porches, tell stories, laugh, and have no hidden agenda of any kind. Some parents even join the fun and dress up with their children to walk from home to home and say, “Happy Halloween!” to everyone they encounter. Unconditional fellowship is the essence of my Halloween and, I would argue, the spirit of Christmas. There is love, hope, grace, and abundant giving and kindness.
So, if you want to start Christmas early, find some way to connect to Halloween activities and be a part of something good. Yes, I love Halloween. But, for me, it is interconnected with the entire holiday season culminating with Christmas. With that idea in mind, I wish you all a “Very Merry Halloween!”
Clark Hicks is a lawyer who lives in Hattiesburg. His email is clark@hicksattorneys.com.
