Ukrainian Orthodoxy		Orthodoxie ukrainienne

Hallowe'en

Question:

I have read your article about Hallowe'en on this website and am wondering if this is the official Orthodox view or if this is an opinion article.

Answer:

Very Reverend Ihor Kutash kutash@unicorne.org

The celebration of Hallowe'en has become a most controversial topic. There are those Christians, many Orthodox among them, who insist that any celebration of it at all is a caving in to paganism - or even, God forbid (!!) - Satanism. Indeed, the source of this holiday is the celebration of Samhain, the Celtic New year, when the ancients feared that the end of the world was upon them and donned masks so that destructive spirits would not recognize them. They then rejoiced when that end was once again postponed and a new year dawned when a certain star passed a certain point in the night sky.

On the other hand there are those (I am one of these) who insist that nothing truly belongs to the devil, and that it is not only possible but mandatory that we transform bad things into good whenever and however we can. Thus they seek to celebrate Hallowe'en - which actually means "All Hallows' Eve", in other words the evening before All Saints' Day (which the Western Church celebrates on November 1) - in a godly way.

I know of one pious Orthodox Ukrainian lady who was very happy to give out candy to the costumed troupes who came to her door, saying that it was a way to honour her beloved reposed (Ukrainians from Bukovyna call this kind of giving in honour of the reposed "pomana"). I also know of one distinguished Church leader, who while blessing those who called upon the non-celebration of Hallowe'en, nonetheless annually ordered a huge amount of candies and goodies to give to the children who rang his door-bell.

I myself have happy childhood memories of Hallowe'en, and continue to find it heart-warming to be visited by neighbourhood children and their parents, who are usually otherwise anonymous, and to give them a small gift of sweetness and kindness which (for me) has nothing to do with honour to the one whom the Lord has called "a murderer and a thief" and everything to do with the One who has said: "It is more blessed to give than to receive".

I also carve a cheery-faced jack-o-lantern and am subsequently very happy to share the pumpkin pies I bake (when time permits) with family and friends.

This is merely my own personal practice and I am very respectful of the views of those who disagree with me (sometimes with much vehemence) and insist on a making a clear separation between Christian practice and accomodation to the popular culture.

I have found both opinions and practices among the Orthodox. It is up to us to choose which way we will go. That, at any rate, is my personal conviction on the matter.

For original article, click here

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