Hallow'een

Hallow'een ( 'hallowed even' ) has an interesting background. It's original Celtic name was Samhain, and the Church co-opted it to make accepting the new religion more palatable for the natives, turning it into All Saint's Day. I was never that much into dress up, but I always liked it when I was a single gentleman because it was one day I could reliably expect to have 'adventures.'

To me,the costumes and the partying in the US are the equivalent of the Carnival celebrated in the Catholic world..just a time to get out of yourself and your role in life for a brief time before you remove the whiskey bottles and used condoms from your abode and assume holiness/real life again.

I almost think it's a universal human need. The Jews do it too, on Purim, which is a Spring festival commemorating an old victory over Haman in Persia, one of Amalek's many adherents and an interesting parallel to what's going on there today. Costumes and liquor abound, although nothing like N'awlins, Rio or Louisville on Derby Day.

Another universal human need connected with Hallow'een, I think, is the desire to be scared, but only in completely safe circumstances. Hence the popularity of special effects laden haunted houses and horror movies.

At the end,no matter what Freddie Kruger or theguy in th hockey mask does, you can always rest assured that it's only a movie.

Happy Hallow'een..enjoy yourselves when the sun goes down..