Dia duit, mo léitheoirí! Oíche Shamhna shona duit! (Hello, my readers! Happy Halloween!)
I’ve been working on my Irish, so for any Irish readers out there, please forgive the bad grammar.
It’s always an interesting and somewhat bewilderingly emotional time for me when this holiday rolls around. When I was (much) younger, it was a fun day of costumes and wandering around the neighborhood to receive candy from the grownups at their carports and porches. I didn’t think much of it beyond that, though I recall some memories of my Catholic school trying to insert religious significance into the day (the irony was lost on 8-year old me).
My teenage years saw the day as both a burden and an actual day for spirituality, but not the kind the nuns of my past would’ve preferred. My introversion had settled into my personality by that time, so the costuming part was eschewed. Funnily enough, while that is still true, I keep thinking about getting into cosplay, so there’s a level of hypocrisy to contend with. The spirituality aspect came from my time learning about the Druids, and by 16, I was a member of the Order of Ovates, Bards , and Druids based in the British Isles. It wasn’t the spirituality those nuns wanted, but it was something?
(I was given the rank of Bard by that society, and though I’m no longer a member, I’m holding on to that title for the rest of my life, by thunder.)
These days, while I’m Roman Catholic, I still hold a strong respect for the old pagan holidays. Beltane, Imbolc, Samhain…these days have personal significance to me, but they’re also private moments. It’s safe to say I’ve never forgotten the pagan traditions, even if they were in my life for a short amount of time.
As a man in his mid-30’s with kids, this day takes a backseat for me. I keep my spiritual reverence for the day to myself and let the kids enjoy the costumes. Granted, I’m also working about 11 hours today, so the days’ appeal is slightly lost on me.
Stay safe out there, readers! Happy Halloween!
-JB Swift
Swift's Corner 