Hallowe’en has past and now it is November. It is also All Hallows, the day that gives All Hallow’s Eve, or Hallowe’en, its name. All Hallows, better known these days as All Saints Day. Tomorrow, All Souls: Dia de Muertos in the Mexican tradition, I Morti in the Italian tradition, an idea spanning cultures and places: honoring the dead on these autumnal days that lead us toward winter and gathering in.
And here is your November Book of Days calendar. You’ll notice that these days where we particularly remember those who have come and gone before us carry on all the way through Martinmas, the 11th of November. When we speak of the sacredness of Hallowe’en, it is in this context. I can recall when I was in college being in a class on American Indian literature, and the professor, who was not Native American, went on and on about sacred traditions, sacred ways. But when I protested over his scheduling of an exam on Hallowe’en night, he scoffed at me. And I wondered how he could teach the sacredness of one culture’s traditions when he couldn’t even recognize the sacred roots of his own. I took his exam that Hallowe’en night as fast as I could, aced it even, and then got out of there and connected with the folks at home who were waiting for me to celebrate with them.
And so we gather in, we remember, we celebrate. November begins this way and as the month continues darkness grows, for we are fast approaching Midwinter and the darkest nights of the year. The month concludes with our day of thanks and with the start of advent, as we begin to call back the light. It’s a beautiful month to be on this earth, and a beautiful month to honor those who have moved on to other shores.