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Friday, 28 October 2011

Halloween v Guy Fawkes: A friendly rejoinder

Good old Wikipedia!

It's interesting to compare the origins of these two festivals. But any festival can be filled and refilled with changing meanings as time and culture move forward. I suppose Christmas is a good example of a how a pagan holiday, with it's own meaning was refilled with Christian symbolism and has (arguably) now been hollowed out and refilled with shopping and 'only fools and horses'! While the origins and original purpose of each festival is important to understand, I suggest it is equally important to consider the contemporary interpretation too.

The contemporary interpretation of Guy Fawkes night (now increasingly referred to as Bonfire night) seems to me to be a family/friends/community embracing opportunity for fireworks and hot treats in what is otherwise one of the least fun months in the calendar. Perhaps the same can be said for Halloween. But the focus not simply on fantasy, but on fantasy symbolism of personified evil (witches, werewolves,devils etc), not to mention more material symbols of evil (like serial killers and assassins) surely must lead to questions about its desirability and concerns regarding it’s iconic place in our contemporary culture.

I am not suggesting that as Christians we should pretend Halloween doesn’t happen or to disengage from its reality: I’ve heard many Christians say they don’t believe in Halloween – you better believe it, because it exists! Rather I think the challenge is to engage constructively (and perhaps provocatively) with this festival: Affirming the goodness and fun of dressing up, the excitement of adopting a fantasy persona for a couple of hours, the thrill of being out on a dark night… acknowledging the symbolic struggle between good and evil, light and darkness: But without glorifying evil. I’m sure that is what our church’s party will be doing. As to your inspired choice of costume - Darth Vader, what character could better acknowledge the existence of an evil empire, while offering us all the hope of redemption and affirming the ultimate triumph of good!

Happy Halloween.
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1 comment:

  1. Andy29 October 2011 at 16:47

    Thanks for your thoughts, Nathan. I will attend next weekend's bonfire party with my conscience intact, and I will let you know how Reuben handles a light saber on Monday!

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