All Souls’ Day by Jakub Schikaneder(1855-1924) National Gallery Prague Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
All Souls’ Day is to commemorate the faithful dead and is celebrated by special mass by Catholics and some Christian denominations (most Protestant churches do not observe it). Catholics believe there are three places souls will go: heaven, purgatory, or hell. Purgatory is the place many souls end up as they have lesser sins and are not in a state of grace. Purgatory is an essential stage where souls are cleansed in preparation to go to heaven. Unlike hell, where the fire is for punishment, purgatory is a place for purification and repose. We pray that the souls of our loved ones, friends, and others will be allowed to leave and enter heaven on this day. We especially pray for those who have no one to pray for them.
Day of The Dead by William Bouguereau (1825-1905) Public Domain (Wikimedia Commons)
All Souls Day is not to be confused with Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) which does remember friends and family who have died but is not a Catholic or Christian religious event (though it takes place from 31 Oct through 2 Nov which coincides with Halloween, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day).
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The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs (about 1423-24) Fra Angelico (circa 1395–1455) Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
All Saints’ Day (Solemnity of All Saints, All Hallows, Hallowmas or All Saints’)is celebrated on 1 November by most Western Christians and is to honor all saints known and unknown. In some Catholic countries, it is a holiday. It is a holy day of obligation for most Catholics except when it falls on a Saturday or Monday. In that case it is celebrated on Sunday. Eastern Orthodox is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost and is called All Saints’ Sunday.
Pope Boniface IV formally started All Saints’ Day on May 13, 609 AD. He also established All Souls’ Day to follow All Saints Day. Pope Gregory III (731-741 AD) moved it to 1 November as that was the day the foundation of a new chapel (St. Peter’s Basilica) was being laid. He wanted to dedicate the new chapel to All Saints. Halloween then became part of a three-day period called ‘Days of the Dead” which it is the first day of (the vigil), then followed by All Saints and then by All Souls (those in purgatory). During the reign of Pope Gregory IV (82y-844 AD), he decided to make the feast of All Saints (just celebrated in Rome at that point) universal meaning all dioceses had to observe it.
All Saints Day is a public holiday in Ireland where all schools, businesses and government are closed.
For More Information
“All Saints’ Day | Definition, History, Catholic, Holy Day of Obligation, Observances, & Facts,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified October 28, 2025, accessed October 29, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/All-Saints-Day.
Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot is a modern-day vampire story set not in a gothic castle, a faraway land or a big city but a small town in Maine known formally as Jerusalem’s Lot or simply Salem’s Lot. King set his story purposefully in a small town to illustrate how corruption big and small leads people to ignore when things go bad. Salem’s Lot was King’s homage to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and the vampire Barlow bears some resemblance to him as he is obviously from central Europe, and his physical features are similar. Barlow like Dracula highly intelligent and has thought through everything he is going to do. And he manages to stay ahead of those trying to thwart him using his familiar Straker. The town has layers of corruption that has allowed its inhabitants to turn a blind eye and avert noticing something is out of place. It is exactly the right place, a dying town, that Barlow and Straker come to and wipe out nearly the 1,319 souls that inhabit it.
[Spoiler Alert! If you have not read this story, do not read!]
The old Marsten House, shuttered after a terrible murder-suicide decades ago, is not unlike a castle perched to look out at the town below. It is considered cursed and haunted. A young boy named Ben Mears enters the house on a dare and sees the ghost of Hubie Marsten hanging from a rafter. He returns years later as a published writer wanting to face his fears about the house. The house is still there but it has new owners through a very curious real estate transaction with the town’s realtor Larry Crockett. Crockett is offered a piece of property worth four million dollars for the house and a store. Crockett is sure there is a catch, but all the paperwork checks out. So, he buys the properties, gets the land, and hands them the keys to the house and store. And nowhere does the names Barlow nor Straker appear on the official sale. Since the sale is no doubt questionable, he keeps quiet about it. And he blackmails a worker who saw kid’s clothes in the Marsten House basement that likely came from the missing kid.
King sets up a small town that looks like any other town except for its many warts. Everyone is going about their day and then suddenly the horror starts to ratchet up. First a young boy named Ralphie Glick is abducted and never found again. He is an offering by the familiar, Richard Straker, in a midnight satanic ritual in a cemetery. This is important because there already is an evil entity there and needs to be appeased. His death and sacrifice are tied up with the Marsten House, where Barlow will reside, and where Hubie Marsten once corresponded with Barlow (then called Breichen). Danny Glick collapses at home and is taken to the hospital, where he dies of pernicious anemia. He is Barlow’s first victim and rises after the funeral to bite Mike Ryerson who works at the cemetery. He too dies later and rises as well. Then Ryerson’s body and a baby at the morgue disappear as does Carl Foreman. Others begin to act sluggish during the day or simply disappear.
It happens very fast and the town seems not to notice though some do. A small group eventually forms: Ben Mears, Matt Burke, Father Callaghan, Susan Norton (Ben’s girlfriend), Dr. Jimmy Cody, and a young boy Mark Petrie. Both Mark and Susan end up captured when they go to the Marsten House but are captured by Straker. Mark would escape but alas Susan is bitten by Barlow and becomes a vampire. However, Mark manages to severely injure Straker that Barlow kills him because of all the blood. Father Callaghan, whose faith is wobbly and drinking too much, is overwhelmed by Straker and drinks his blood. He leaves town since he is unclean and cannot enter a church. Burke, who suffered a heart attack when Ryerson came to his house, provides analysis and research. As the days go on the streets are getting emptier, few people are around, and fewer stores open. Eventually, and after some very painful experiences such as having to kill Susan Norton, Barlow is killed in his coffin as the sun is setting. Unfortunately Cody got killed in a booby trap. The other vampires nearby can do nothing since they have been bathed in holy water and escape eventually to Mexico. They return a year later to burn the Marsten House down and the ensuing fire would consume the town as well.
In the end Barlow has achieved his goal as nearly the entire population was made into vampires. The town itself is just a shell now with decaying buildings, overgrown lawns, and strangely no rats or birds to be found. The people around there know something bad happened but are afraid to say what that might have been. King gives us a horror that lingers and has very troubling images. You have neighbors, now vampires, attacking their former friends. Children are not spared and nor are babies. A bus driver who terrorized the children on his bus finds them coming back as vampires to take revenge on him. Barlow uses his intelligence to thwart the small group but like Dracula, is beaten in the end. King delivers a terrifying story of a vampire destroying a small town and does it well. While some adaptations have been okay, the book fleshes out the characters better for great story worth reading anytime of the year. But not late at night with only a candle for light.
There have been several adaptations of the work. Two were miniseries and one was a feature film on a streaming service.
Salem’s Lot (1979) CBS
This is a 3-hour miniseries that was shown on CBS. There are two versions of it. One is the full three-hour version and a much shorter 2 -hour theatrical production. Directed by Tobe Hooper, the story is mostly the same though some characters are dropped or merged with others. The acting is top rate with David Soul as Ben Mears, Bonnie Bedelia as Susan Norton, and well-known veteran actor James Mason as Straker. Straker has a more prominent role than in the book here. The special effects, particularly with the vampires floating outside windows, are still scary to this day. The biggest change was the vampire. Instead of the human form that the book has, Hooper decided to go against form for effect and made him a Nosferatu in appearance. Unlike the book, he cannot speak so Straker does all the talking for him. A good horror movie and adaptation as well.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Salem’s Lot (1994) TNT
This adaptation was also 3-hours long and made several differences from the 1979 version. Barlow this time is modeled from the book and jump scares are reduced to settings and atmosphere. Ben Mears is played by Rob Lowe who has a troubled history with the Marsten House believing he had something to do with a death of a child there. Susan Norton’s mother does not care much for Ben (like the book). It is hinted Larry Crockett has had incestual relations with his daughter Ruthie (who Dud Rogers lusts for and as a vampire bites her). Donald Sutherland’s portrayal of Straker is different. He is more crazed and less refined than James Mason. On the other hand, one can easily see his nastiness as well in his interactions. Father Callaghan was changed so that unlike in the book, he ends up leading the vampires after the town burns down (although it appears they are all dead killed over the years by Ben and Mark). Perhaps the most disturbing scene and deviation from the book is that Father Callaghan, now Barlow’s thrall, kills Matt Burke in his hospital bed. Rutger Hauer plays Barlow with great effect. While it is closer to the original book in some respects, it lacks the horror punch the first one did. Still worth watching.
Rating: 3 stars
Salem’s Lot (2024) Max
After some years of languishing, this movie version significantly cuts out much of the rich material in the King book and the other two miniseries. It was originally going to be put into theatres in 2023, but Warner scrapped that and sent to Max instead. Of all the three, it is perhaps the weakest of all because of the streamlined story and other issues. Most critical reviews out there note all those deficiencies. While some liked it, overall, it missed the King story by a wide country mile. It does prove one thing: some Steven King novels are better suited for miniseries or a 2-part movie like IT.
Rating: Not yet viewed
Not a Remake or Adaptation
Return to Salem’s Lot (1987)
Billed as a sequel, it has nothing to do with the original movie. Instead it is about a colony of vampires that migrated to the US and reside in Salem’s Lot. The story has no relation at all to the King book. The vampires are trying to mainstream themselves and use drones for both breeding and outside contact. Michael Moriarity’s character is shocked to learn, since he was there as a boy, that it was really vampires that ran the town. Other than for some visuals and not so clever criticisms of American way of life, not worth watching. It is one of the few movies some critics gave zero ratings for, so that gives you an idea of how poorly it was received.
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Halloween Decoration in Fall Vera Kratochvil Publicdomainpictures.net
October 31st is set aside as Halloween. It is not an official holiday (meaning government shuts down, banks closed, and many professional offices closed) but is celebrated nearly as one these days. There are really two separate Halloweens, one is secular and the other religious. The secular one most people easily understand. Kids dress up in silly or scary masks and go to homes asking for candy by yelling “trick or treat” to those who open their doors. Pumpkins have become associated with the day along with all kinds of scary decorations as well. Horror movies get shown during this time. Halloween has a religious meaning to that goes back to how the Catholic Church set the day up.
The original meaning of Halloween was All Hallows Eve that got contracted over time to Halloween. All Hallows Eve is the vigil of All Saints Day, a solemnity (meaning a major feast in the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar). All Saints Day honors all the saints we know by name and any saint in heaven whose name is unknown to us. Originally this feast was celebrated on 13 May, but Pope Gregory III (731-741 AD) moved it to 1 November as that was the day the foundation of a new chapel (St. Peter’s Basilica) was being laid. He wanted to dedicate the new chapel to All Saints. Halloween then became part of a three-day period called ‘Days of the Dead” which it is the first day of (the vigil), then followed by All Saints and then by All Souls (those in purgatory).
During the reign of Pope Gregory IV (827-844 AD), he decided to make the feast of All Saints (just celebrated in Rome at that point) universal meaning all dioceses had to observe it. This meant that people with their own cultures would celebrate in their own ways. Since it was customary to have vigils before a major feast day, there was nothing unusual in this. In celebrating these holy days, we are reminded of heaven and hell. It reminds us that we have choices to make in this life that can lead to one of two outcomes: heaven or hell. By striving to live good lives by following God’s teachings, we want to go to heaven rather than the other place.
All Souls’ Day by Jakub Schikaneder(1855-1924) National Gallery Prague Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
The roots of Halloween thus are not founded in any pagan celebration (such as Samhain or Druid festivals), and it is just coincidence that it occurs during the same time frame. If you study what those festivals were about, they had nothing to do with Christianity and followed a different belief system. Samhain, perhaps the best known, was a harvest festival in Scotland to celebrate the end of the harvest and to prepare for the coming of winter. It was a common belief (and not limited to Scotland, Ireland, or England) that this time of year where the transition from light to dark occurred meant also when evil spirits would abound to cause trouble. So, they would offer them food at their tables for these invisible guests. Mischief Night grew out of this as well where you would do pranks on your neighbors.
Jack O Lantern Petr Kratochvil publicdomainpibtures.net
Communal eating during this time meant lots of shared foods given out. The Scottish Halloween Cake was popular was hidden inside was a special prize of three trinkets. Later others celebrating All Souls Day would hand out pastries to those who came to console them on family who had passed away and that to would also add to the idea of handing out food during this time. Many wore masks to cover their faces so evil spirits would not see them. As the celebration of Samhain and others like it faded with the conversion to Christianity, some of the old rituals of having harvest festivals, wearing masks, and asking for food would continue. Creating lanterns too out of turnips and other things would continue. The Irish tradition of the Jack O’ Lantern was imported to the US and, thanks to the wonderful availability of pumpkins (and easier to carve than turnips) became a symbol for Halloween that many adopted as well.
Protestants had a different take on Halloween and All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day. The argument (and there are several different ones, but this is the most basic) is that the Catholic church merely took over these pagan festivals and incorporated them into the church by renaming them. More zealous Protestant denominations like the Puritans banned Halloween (along with Christmas and Easter) saying they were pagan. In places where such views were strongly held (such as in the northeast of the U.S. or in England when the Puritans were in charge), it had the full power of the state to impose the restrictions. As time went out, and without many Catholics around to push back (in countries like England they were forbidden to practice and adherents who failed to submit to the new Protestant order imprisoned or executed), this became a dominant view of what Halloween was.
What the Protestants didn’t count on was the many peoples who celebrated Halloween and other holy days emigrated to America and settled outside where they had direct control (New England). The old English and Scottish custom of knocking on doors for Soul Cakes and promising to pray for the departed resumed along with wearing costumes. Likewise, the old customs of holding harvest festivals where people would gather, eat food, and share stories of old would resurrect. Kids would bob for apples, there would be spooky tales told, but most of all it was just a fun time. Halloween, far from being made extinct by like the Puritans, came back. And when the Puritans and those that shared their views fell out of favor and power in England, it came back (though sadly some traditions would remain more secular as a result).
What happened is the religious origins of Halloween have been completely overtaken and completely secularized.
Halloween then became a time of festivity, trick or treating, and putting on funny or sometimes scary outfits. The idea of Halloween parades would come about because of trying to curtail some of them more unpleasant sides of Halloween, namely Mischief Night pranks that sometimes got out of hand. Using toilet paper to cover trees, eggs to pelt cars and people, and sometimes more dangerous ones (like a flaming bag of dog poop on a porch) led to the creation of more ways to channel that energy.
Halloween candy, once a small, became national as did pumpkins. No longer were pumpkins just for pumpkin pie but many wanted them for decoration as well. And competition would emerge as to who could grow the biggest one of all. And of course, the selling of costumes and holiday decorations would explode as well. From costumes to candy, pumpkins to Halloween cakes, Halloween became an unofficial but nationally practice holiday that included kids as well as adults. And let us not forget the various Haunted Houses, haunted hayrides, and people decorating their houses in a wide variety of decorations.
There is a darker side to Halloween practiced by those who want to glorify violence, horror, and sexuality. Some use the time to dabble in such things as fortune telling, seances, using Ouija boards, or even ghost hunting. All those things most pagans wanted to avoid during their ancient festivals during this time. At best they wanted to placate spirits and avoid the evil ones as much as they could. Yet now many decide to do these things thinking they are harmless, but many find out it is not at all like they thought it would be. This is why people now are trying to reclaim Halloween to make it less dark and more family-friendly rather than just people dressed up as zombies or worse dressed up in some sexually explicit costumes.
Today you see more families doing more things together such as going to haunted hayrides or holding Halloween parties where kids can get treats and have fun as well. During Covid lockdowns, such celebrations were limited but coming back as is trick or treating. Many though are opting to also take the time to revisit what the original Halloween was all about. This is perhaps a natural outgrowth of the overhyping and commercialism of Halloween. The higher costs of many items such as candy as made people revisit some classics from the past such as popcorn, roasted pumpkin seeds, baking cookies, and even making your own candy. It is not as hard as you might think.
While the original meaning of Halloween has been secularized for a long time (like Christmas was before it got its resurgence in the 19th century), it is starting to move away from some of the more excessive parts. And for some, the day does include just a few prayers for the Days of the Dead that are to come.
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Autumn Landscape Charles Rondeau (publicdomainpictures.net)
Welcome to the first Autumn Sunday.
Summer is gone, a fading memory except in places such as Death Valley where it is still very hot.
Hurricane season is revving up promising to deliver rain to the eastern seaboard of the United States. Autumn’s presence is starting to be felt in some places as leaves are starting to turn into bright colors. Seasonal produce is starting to appear-apples, artichokes, cranberries, pears, and pumpkins-along with decorations. Autumn festivals are starting to appear as well to celebrate the harvest. A major Autumn festival is Oktoberfest, an annual event that began in 1810 in Munich, Germany. Originally a royal marriage event, it has blossomed into a two-week festival the showcases agriculture, fun games and entertainment lots of food, and of course beer. Lots of beer. The Munich festival, which every major beer brewer participates, sees over 2 million gallons consumed. When Germans migrated to other countries, the festival came with them, and many cities now have the event.
Jack O’ Lanterns will start appearing as well, though many are premade until the approach of Halloween. The idea comes from Ireland and the Legend of Stingy Jack. Stingy Jack was not a nice guy as the name suggests. He bested the Devil and made him agree not to bother him and when he died not to allow him into Hell. When he finally died, Heaven would not let him enter and the Devil, keeping his word, would not let him enter Hell. This meant Jack had to roam the world in darkness with only a lighted turnip. However, during Autumn when barriers between worlds thin, his ghostly figure might try to find a place to hang out. To prevent this, Irish (and Scots as well) carved turnips to create their own lanterns to keep Jack away. Jack of the Lantern became Jack O’ Lantern starting a unique event during the Autumn season. Carving faces in the turnips (or other vegetable that was handy) became a sign of the season.
When the Irish migrated to America, they brought this tradition with them. They discovered that a unique American squash called pumpkin was much easier to carve than a turnip. Pumpkins, normally used for decoration or their insides used for making pie, now had a new purpose. Pumpkin growers were delighted as people started copying what the Irish were doing making the Jack O’ Lantern a distinctive feature of the American Halloween season. Pumpkin carving became a fun way for families and friends to do. Schools started doing competitions and now pumpkin carving has become its own art form as well.
All Souls’ Day by Jakub Schikaneder(1855-1924) National Gallery Prague Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
All Souls’ Day is to commemorate the faithful dead and is celebrated by special mass by Catholics and some Christian denominations (most Protestant churches do not observe it). Catholics believe there are three places souls will go: heaven, purgatory, or hell. Purgatory is the place many souls end up as they have lesser sins and are not in a state of grace. Purgatory is an essential stage where souls are cleansed in preparation to go to heaven. Unlike hell, where the fire is for punishment, purgatory is a place for purification and repose. We pray that the souls of our loved ones, friends, and others will be allowed to leave and enter heaven on this day. We especially pray for those who have no one to pray for them.
Day of The Dead by William Bouguereau (1825-1905) Public Domain (Wikimedia Commons)
All Souls Day is not to be confused with Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) which does remember friends and family who have died but is not a Catholic or Christian religious event (though it takes place from 31 Oct through 2 Nov which coincides with Halloween, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day).
Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs (about 1423-24) Fra Angelico (circa 1395–1455) Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
All Saints’ Day (Solemnity of All Saints, All Hallows, Hallowmas or All Saints’)is celebrated on 1 November by most Western Christians and is to honor all saints known and unknown. In some Catholic countries, it is a holiday. It is a holy day of obligation for most Catholics except when it falls on a Saturday or Monday. In that case it is celebrated on Sunday. Eastern Orthodox is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost and is called All Saints’ Sunday.
Pope Boniface IV formally started All Saints’ Day on May 13, 609 AD. He also established All Souls’ Day to follow All Saints Day. Pope Gregory III (731-741 AD) moved it to 1 November as that was the day the foundation of a new chapel (St. Peter’s Basilica) was being laid. He wanted to dedicate the new chapel to All Saints. Halloween then became part of a three-day period called ‘Days of the Dead” which it is the first day of (the vigil), then followed by All Saints and then by All Souls (those in purgatory). During the reign of Pope Gregory IV (82y-844 AD), he decided to make the feast of All Saints (just celebrated in Rome at that point) universal meaning all dioceses had to observe it.
All Saints Day is a public holiday in Ireland where all schools, businesses and government are closed.
For More Information
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “All Saints’ Day | Definition, History, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified July 20, 1998. https://www.britannica.com/topic/All-Saints-Day.
Halloween Decoration in Fall Vera Kratochvil Publicdomainpictures.net
October 31st is set aside as Halloween. It is not an official holiday (meaning government shuts down, banks closed, and many professional offices closed) but is celebrated nearly as one these days. There are really two separate Halloweens, one is secular and the other religious. The secular one most people easily understand. Kids dress up in silly or scary masks and go to homes asking for candy by yelling “trick or treat” to those who open their doors. Pumpkins have become associated with the day along with all kinds of scary decorations as well. Horror movies get shown during this time. Halloween has a religious meaning to that goes back to how the Catholic Church set the day up.
The original meaning of Halloween was All Hallows Eve that got contracted over time to Halloween. All Hallows Eve is the vigil of All Saints Day, a solemnity (meaning a major feast in the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar). All Saints Day honors all the saints we know by name and any saint in heaven whose name is unknown to us. Originally this feast was celebrated on 13 May, but Pope Gregory III (731-741 AD) moved it to 1 November as that was the day the foundation of a new chapel (St. Peter’s Basilica) was being laid. He wanted to dedicate the new chapel to All Saints. Halloween then became part of a three-day period called ‘Days of the Dead” which it is the first day of (the vigil), then followed by All Saints and then by All Souls (those in purgatory).
All Souls’ Day by Jakub Schikaneder(1855-1924) National Gallery Prague Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
During the reign of Pope Gregory IV (827-844 AD), he decided to make the feast of All Saints (just celebrated in Rome at that point) universal meaning all dioceses had to observe it. This meant that people with their own cultures would celebrate in their own ways. Since it was customary to have vigils before a major feast day, there was nothing unusual in this. In celebrating these particular holy days, we are reminded of heaven and hell. It reminds us that we have choices to make in this life that can lead to one of two outcomes: heaven or hell. By striving to live good lives by following God’s teachings, we want to go to heaven rather than the other place.
The roots of Halloween thus are not founded in any pagan celebration (such as Samhain or Druid festivals), and it is just coincidence that it occurs during the same time frame. If you study what those festivals were about, they had nothing to do with Christianity and followed a different belief system. Samhain, perhaps the best known, was a harvest festival in Scotland to celebrate the end of the harvest and to prepare for the coming of winter. It was a common belief (and not limited to Scotland, Ireland, or England) that this particular time of year where the transition from light to dark occurred meant also when evil spirits would abound to cause trouble. So they would offer them food at their tables for these invisible guests. Mischief Night grew out of this as well where you would do pranks on your neighbors.
Communal eating during this time meant lots of shared foods given out. The Scottish Halloween Cake was popular was hidden inside was a special prize of three trinkets. Later others celebrating All Souls Day would hand out pastries to those who came to console them on family who had passed away and that to would also add to the idea of handing out food during this time. Many wore masks to cover their faces so evil spirits would not see them. As the celebration of Samhain and others like it faded with the conversion to Christianity, some of the old rituals of having harvest festivals, wearing masks, and asking for food would continue. Creating lanterns too out of turnips and other things would continue. The Irish tradition of the Jack O’ Lantern was imported to the US and, thanks to the wonderful availability of pumpkins (and easier to carve than turnips) became a symbol for Halloween that many adopted as well.
Protestants had a different take on Halloween and All Saint’s and All Soul’s Day. The argument (and there are several different ones, but this is the most basic) is that the Catholic church merely taken over these pagan festivals and incorporated them into the church by renaming them. More zealous Protestant denominations like the Puritans banned Halloween (along with Christmas and Easter) saying they were pagan. In places where such views were strongly held (such as in the northeast of the U.S. or in England when the Puritans were in charge), it had the full power of the state to impose the restrictions. As time went out, and without many Catholics around to push back (in countries like England they were forbidden to practice and adherents who failed to submit to the new Protestant order imprisoned or executed), this became a dominant view of what Halloween was.
The religious origins of Halloween were overtaken and completely secularized as a result.
What the Protestants who hated Halloween didn’t count on was the many peoples who still practiced forms of Halloween immigrating to the U.S. While they had strict controls in New England, many simply landed in other areas where it was allowed and even embraced. The old English and Scottish custom of knocking on doors for Soul Cakes and promising to pray for the departed resumed along with wearing costumes. Likewise, the old customs of holding harvest festivals where people would gather, eat food, and share stories of old would resurrect. Kids would bob for apples, there would be spooky tales told, but most of all it was just a fun time. Halloween, far from being made extinct by like the Puritans, came back. And when the Puritans and those that shared their views fell out of favor and power in England, it came back (though sadly some traditions would remain more secular as a result).
Halloween then became a time of festivity, trick or treating, and putting on funny or sometimes scary outfits. The idea of Halloween parades would come about as a result of trying to curtail some of them more unpleasant sides of Halloween, namely Mischief Night pranks that sometimes got out of hand. Using toilet paper to cover trees, eggs to pelt cars and people, and sometimes more dangerous ones (like a flaming bag of dog poop on a porch) led to the creation of more ways to channel that energy.
Halloween candy, once a small, became national as did pumpkins. No longer were pumpkins just for pumpkin pie but many wanted them for decoration as well. And competition would emerge as to who could grow the biggest one of all. And of course, the selling of costumes and holiday decorations would explode as well. From costumes to candy, pumpkins to Halloween cakes, Halloween became an unofficial but nationally practice holiday that included kids as well as adults. And let us not forget the various Haunted Houses, haunted hayrides, and people decorating their houses in a wide variety of decorations that no doubt future people will ask “what the heck?”
There is a darker side to Halloween practiced by those who want to glorify violence, horror, and sexuality. Some use the time to dabble in such things as fortune telling, seances, using Ouija boards, or even ghost hunting. All of those things most pagans wanted to avoid during their ancient festivals during this time. At best they wanted to placate spirits and avoid the evil ones as much as they could. Yet now many decide to do these things thinking they are harmless, but many find out it is not at all like they thought it would be. This is why people now are trying to reclaim Halloween to make it less dark and more family-friendly rather than just people dressed up as zombies or worse dressed up in some sexually explicit costumes.
Today you see more families doing more things together such as going to haunted hayrides or holding Halloween parties where kids can get treats and have fun as well. During Covid lockdowns, such celebrations were limited but coming back as is trick or treating. Many though are opting to also take the time to revisit what the original Halloween was all about. This is perhaps a natural outgrowth of the overhyping and commercialism of Halloween. The higher costs of many items such as candy as made people revisit some classics from the past such as popcorn, roasted pumpkin seeds, baking cookies, and even making your own candy. It is not as hard as you might think.
While the original meaning of Halloween has been secularized for a long time (like Christmas was before it got its resurgence in the 19th century), it is starting to move away from some of the more excessive parts. And for some, the day does include just a few prayers for the two days of the dead that are to come.
Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
All Souls’ Day by Jakub Schikaneder(1855-1924) National Gallery Prague Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
All Souls’ Day is to commemorate the faithful dead and is celebrated by special mass by Catholics and some Christian denominations (most Protestant churches do not observe it). Catholics believe there are three places souls will go: heaven, purgatory, or hell. Purgatory is the place many souls end up as they have lesser sins and are not in a state of grace. Purgatory is an essential stage where souls are cleansed in preparation to go to heaven. Unlike hell, where the fire is for punishment, purgatory is a place for purification and repose. We pray that the souls of our loved ones, friends, and others will be allowed to leave and enter heaven on this day. We especially pray for those who have no one to pray for them.
All Souls Day is not to be confused Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) which does remember friends and family who have died but is not a Catholic or Christian religious event(though it takes place from 31 Oct through 2 Nov which coincides with Halloween, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day).
Suggested Reading
Rutler, George William. 2014. Hints of Heaven: The Parables of Christ & What They Mean for You. Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press.
Van Den Aardweg, Gerard JM. 2009. Hungry Souls: Supernatural Visits, Messages, and Warnings from Purgatory. Charlotte NC: Tan Books.
Thigpen, Paul. 2019. Saints and Hell, and Other Catholic Witnesses to the Fate of the Damned. Charlotte NC: Tan Books.
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Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot is a modern-day vampire story set not in a gothic castle, a faraway land or a big city but a small town in Maine known formally as Jerusalem’s Lot or simply Salem’s Lot. King set his story purposefully in a small town to illustrate how corruption big and small leads people to ignore when things go bad. Salem’s Lot was King’s homage to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and the vampire Barlow bears some resemblance to him as he is obviously from central Europe, and his physical features are similar. Barlow like Dracula highly intelligent and has thought through everything he is going to do. And he manages to stay ahead of those trying to thwart him using his familiar Straker. The town has layers of corruption that has allowed its inhabitants to turn a blind eye and avert noticing something is out of place. It is exactly the right place, a dying town, that Barlow and Straker come to and wipe out nearly the 1,319 souls that inhabit it.
