Halloween originates in the quirky combination of two ways of calculating when the day begins.
We mostly take for granted that our day begins at midnight. A rather difficult moment to recognise without a watch - and sundials tend not to work at that time of day! The Jewish day may appear to start strangely for us, but it is certainly easier to note before there were clocks. It starts at sundown; when the first three medium-size stars are visible, to be precise. Sundown to sundown is the Jewish day. We notice this way of reckoning from the first chapter of the Bible: "and there was evening and there was morning, the first day."
Major Christian festivals are not only celebrated on the day (midnight to midnight), but there are remnants of the Jewish origins of Christianity - the celebration begins after sunset the previous day. The celebration of Christmas is probably the best-known example - its celebration commences after sunset 24 December with Christmas "Eve." Easter Day similarly begins with celebrations the night before, and Roman Catholics often fulfil their Sunday Mass obligation by going to church Saturday evening.
As early as the fifth century in Syria there was a feast for all known and unknown martyrs celebrated on the Friday after Easter Day. In the Byzantine liturgy this was celebrated on the Sunday after the Day of Pentecost. All Saints Day was mentioned when relics were moved from the catacombs to the Pantheon in 609. By the eighth century 1 November became the date fixed in the West although the East has kept the Sunday after the Day of Pentecost.
As celebrated on 1 November, All Saints or the feast of All Hallows ("hallow" being a less-used word now for "holy") became one of the major festivals of the Christian calendar. Hence it had its eve, 31 October, with the services on that eve already celebrating All Hallows. Hallows Even, the evening of 31 October, is a Christian festival - Halloween (say "Hallows Even" quickly). In the services of the church Halloween is hallowed by the "First Vespers" of All Saints (first Evensong, first Evening Prayer - the second Vespers is on 1 November evening). One might mark it also with a vigil service - with similarities to the Easter Vigil or Christmas Eve service. One can also hallow Halloween by making links within the local community and by random acts of kindness especially towards the young.
Bosco Peters has a deep interest in spirituality and the origin and positive celebration of traditional festivals. He runs a website on liturgy worship spirituality.
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