Next Holiday Up

Now that Halloween is past, some people are thinking ahead to Thanksgiving. Others may recall that Veterans Day intervenes on November 11. But how many of you realize that TODAY, November 1, is actually All Saints Day?

With all the attention given to Halloween in our culture, few people are aware that Halloween is a contraction for Hallows Evening. The following day is sometimes known as Allhallowmas (mass), All Hallows Day, or All Saints Day among western Christian religions, although most simply ignore it nowadays. It originally was a day in honor of all Christians who have gone on to heaven. Wikipedia goes into much more detail if you're interested--click here. It's emphasized and practiced in a variety of ways. In fact, I was surprised to learn that November 2 is also a church holiday, All Souls Day. Don't expect any big festivals or celebrations, but in your own way you may want to celebrate your own Christian faith today, as well as giving thanks for your Christian friends and family.

I'm not one who's against the observance of Halloween, which has a lot of wonderful memories for me. But since it's the eve of a true Christian holiday (in the same sense as Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve precede the actual holidays), maybe it's time we gave due recognition to All Saints Day, at least in our own private ways. That could mean reflecting on childhood Sunday School teachers, church or community leaders who influenced our faith, and certainly our own family that planted and cultivated seeds of faith.

So, Happy All Saints Day!

I'll close out with another common Christian phrase that for some reason atheists have no problem with--

GOODBYE! This comes from GOD BE WITH YE, which explains why it is historically spelled with the mysterious final "e". Now you know, so be careful to part from your atheist friends with "so long, it's been good to know you," or "farewell," or "lots of luck." Better yet, tell them why they might want to get acquainted with God so they could say "goodbye" free of hypocrisy!

Now, as Gandalf the Wizard said in The Hobbit, "Goodbye, and really goodbye." Of course, J.R.R. Tolkien, the author, was a Christian!