All Shallows Eve

Children having a time set aside where they can dress up and look for treats...I understand. Adults...having a holiday when they can break out of their cultural straight jacket...and dress and behave in ways they don't usually...I understand. That part
of Halloween...I understand. As with Christmas...however...I cringe at what Halloween has become. In ancient times...it
started out as the most important holiday on the Celtic calendar...the equivalent of November 1st...these days. It was called
"Samhain"...pronounced as "Sah-ween". It was believed that at this time of year...the ghosts of the dead were able to mix
with the living...as they set out for the otherworld. Animals, fruits and vegetables...were sacrificed...in honour of the dead...
to help them along...and keep them from the living. The early Christians looking upon this practice as pagan...by the ninth
century...had changed this Celtic holiday...to "All Hallows" or "All Saints Day". Whatever the merits of these two belief
systems that clashed...this holiday in its early days was rooted in deep belief systems. From where I stand...I see Halloween...
now...as a "commerce fest"...feeding on individual creativity usually being absent...in the predictable...usually movie
influenced costumes...people buy and wear. I see no sign of anything deeper in this exercise...as the cash registers keep on
"blinging". Looks to me like..."All Hallows Eve" over the centuries...has morphed into..."All Shallows Eve"............Quester.