In my almost fifty years of celebrating Halloween, I never knew the reason we celebrate Halloween until now! Do YOU know where it originated?

The Celts started Halloween over 2000 years ago because they believed the barrier between our world and the world of spirits became really thin at the end of each summer. October 31^st began a three-day festival dedicated to remembering the dead, including the saints (hallow) and martyrs. To this day, in many parts of the world, churches observe All Hallows’ Eve by holding services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead.

I always thought the occasion was just for fun – trick-or-treating, costume parties, carving pumpkins, apple bobbing, pulling pranks, haunted houses, telling scary stories and watching horror movies! Over the years, I have pondered the reasons people choose the costumes they do. The females who choose the revealing costumes might not know their inner greatness, so wear the sexy costumes hoping to be complimented and admired. The males who choose the superpower costumes might want to appear strong and powerful when too many aspects of their world are controlled. The individuals who dress in scary costumes might want to be noticed when they so often go unnoticed. The individuals who dress in funny costumes might simply relish making others laugh!

We are all multi-faceted beings. We have light and shadow sides of ourselves. We have strengths and weaknesses. We have areas of our lives we are proud of and those we are not. Halloween gives each of us a chance to level the playing field. It gives us the nerve to be greater than we believe ourselves to be. It gives us an excuse to act less than who we are. It allows us to explore aspects of being that we have never explored before.

So, how do you think the spirits would view October 31st nowadays?  Dressing up, humour, treats, fun pranks, and pure delight make living worthwhile. My belief is that the spirits would much rather watch us ENJOY ourselves on October 31^st than reminisce about our loss of them. Anyone who has visited a medium has likely heard that our loved ones in spirit don’t want to see us in pain, mourning them. Would they want us to remember them though? Absolutely! Their birthdays and the anniversaries of their death, in particular, are always times in which they are close by and wanting to connect with us.

When we unmask Halloween, we discover that it has become the most liberating celebration of the year. It has become an occasion for each of us to truly FEEL ALIVE! And when the negativity in this world seems to climb higher and higher, I believe we must embrace October 31^st and experience it for all it has to offer us. Happy Halloween, Everyone!