Reflection for October 2024
Marshmalloween: are we ready for it?
On the last day of this month, Thursday 31st Oct., while millions celebrate ‘Halloween’, we’re going to be offering our alternative: ‘Marshmalloween’. Why?
- Because we want to re-purpose ‘Halloween’ for God; leaving good memories in young minds.
- We want to celebrate The Light, beauty & good gifts on a night when darkness is glamorised.
- We want to welcome the community on the one night of the year they come knocking.
- We want people to feel
they’re coming home when they are among us, without fear.
I think it was Anuran
who first called it ‘Marshmalloween’. I’m sure he got it from somewhere, but
the name’s stuck. It’s playful, and marshmallows leave a good taste in people’s
mouths. Halloween, in contrast, can be sinister; a dangerous flirting
with the spiritually dark side. People find themselves drawn to this, because
the mysterious is appealing. As Christians, we’re warned against dabbling
with the demonic, not because it doesn’t exist, but precisely because it
does!
2,000 years ago the Celts made October 31st a special date. It marked the end of summer and harvest, while November 1st was the beginning of their new year, the start of winter. As the earth crossed from ‘life’ to ‘death’, it was thought that the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred and ghosts could be seen. Druids were more able to make predictions about the future, animal sacrifices were made on huge sacred bonfires, and the Celts wore animal skins and heads. From these fires, the hearth fires were lit that would keep them warm throughout the descending winter.
1,000 years ago, the Catholic Church declared November 2nd as ‘All Souls Day’. The Roman Empire already had a day a year to remember those martyred for their faith, so this was expanded to include all saints, as well as martyrs. Pope Gregory III moved this date from May 13th, to November 1st. This became ‘All-hallows’ and the eve before that was ‘All-Hallows-Eve’ which finally came to be called ‘Halloween’.
So what is ‘Marshmalloween’ celebrating? Well, Jesus calls us, ‘the Light of the world’ (Mt. 5:14). And when the disciples claimed to not have seen Jesus as a stranger, Jesus assured them that, ‘When you have done this to the least of these, you’ve done it unto me’ (Mt. 25.40). On ‘Marshmalloween’, we’ll be serving Jesus!
2 years ago, ‘Marshmalloween’ was a dark and drizzly night. We opened our entrance to the ‘trick or treaters’, and soon the whole building was full (partly to avoid the rain!). We rushed around getting out games and chairs and trying to make people feel welcomed. Last year, the weather was lovely, and by now the community knew what we would offer and they came streaming in, and stayed!
Be who Jesus said you are. Be the Light of the world for someone this ‘Marshmalloween’. Let’s welcome people home.
John Mark