Happy Halloween everyone!

Of course, some of the responses will be the obligatory, “We’re not American! We don’t celebrate Halloween in Australia!”

I must say, I cringe whenever I hear this.

It is true, Halloween has only really been recognised in Australia in the past several years, and no, it is not celebrated as widely as it is in other parts of the world.

 

But just where did Halloween come from?

Originally, Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve originated from the Celts to symbolise Samhain (November in Irish), which meant the end of summer and the beginning of the harvest season.

On the night of October 31, the Celts believed the line between the living and the dead to be at its weakest, meaning that spirits from the next world could pass through and make contact with the living, also making it easier for priests to make predictions.

Given that the Celts relied on the weather and natural world to survive, this was of great value.

Since then, adaptations of the holiday have been made by different religions and customs, such as dressing in scary costumes, trick or treating and celebrating in cemeteries.

 

But there is another area of this holiday; an area which makes even the hardest people uncomfortable: death.

For so many of us, when we have to sit down and make our will, we are so squeamish that we make the quickest, easiest choice before changing the subject and getting back to life. Some of us are extremely superstitious and avoid opening an umbrella inside, or watching a black cat cross a path. But why?

None of us really knows for sure what lies beyond this life, because a trip to the afterlife is usually a one-way ticket.

We hear stories about people who claim to have had near death experiences. They claim to have an outer body experience; watching their body on the hospital bed, going to the afterlife, before unexpectedly coming back to earth.

Sadly though, there is no consistent story here. One person will tell you they saw a bright white light and heard a beautiful voice beckoning them to it. Others say they met God and Jesus Christ. Meanwhile, others say they met passed family members.

In every culture and religion, the most significant differing views revolve around two things: the way you live your life determines your fate in the afterlife.

The ancient Egyptians believed that their deities were gods in human form and believed that preserving their bodies in a beautiful tomb would ensure their soul would live forever.

Most branches of Christianity believe that when you die you undergo judgment. If you live a good Christian lifestyle and follow the word of the bible, you go to heaven, while all sinners go to hell. Other branches are big on doomsday and believe that all still here on doomsday will see Jesus Christ appear in the sky. Those who are devout Christians will go with Christ to heaven, while those left behind will die at the hands of a tsunami.

Atheists meanwhile will tell you that death means exactly that; your body and soul’s life has ended, and are no more.

I on the other hand am a big believer in karma. You do nice things and the universe will return it to you in one form or another. I believe this carries on after you die too.

 

 

But the question remains: Why do we shy away from the subject of death and the other side? Is it fear, a fear of what you might find, or simply a fear of the unknown?

I think I know what most of us fear and that is not making the most of the time that we have, and not tying up any loose ends.

These are fears rarely vocalised but never far from the surface. We want to live while we can, speak while we can speak and make a difference in the world while we can. We all know there would be nothing worse than leaving this world without achieving that goal we always wanted to or leaving holding onto silly grudges we had with our loved ones, instead of telling them how we really feel about them.

 

I firmly believe that this is one of the reasons for much of Australia’s refusal to accept Halloween as a holiday to celebrate. I’m sure that with time it will slowly make its way into everyone’s hearts. Sadly, I know what Australians are like with change. God, the world nearly ended abruptly when the supermarkets stopped giving out free plastic bags!

 

I think the important thing to remember is: we only live once…as far as I know anyway!

Go out with your friends in that silly bunny costume! Have fun and don’t care what other insignificant people think about you. Cherish each and every moment.

I remember reading once: when you look at your headstone, there will be a date, a dash, and another date. How you lived that dash is the most important.

I don’t know who said it but it’s an amazing quote!

 

I wish everyone a happy and scary Halloween and hope the vampires don’t bite too hard!

 

xoxo Brett