Halloween: A time to get together

I was pleased to read a few Catholic blog posts supporting Halloween this morning, supplementing our Sounding Board article on the holiday.

Called to Communion's Top 10 Ways to Have a Catholic Halloween strikes a balance between handing the celebration over to the consumer market and handing out tracts with candy. (HT: The American Catholic)

What's great about Halloween is it seems to be one thing that bring us together–whether "conservative" or "liberal" or somewhere between, we Catholics really like our candy and ghosts. Even if some people told us that Halloween wasn't a serious enough topic for a Sounding Board, we received tons of responses.

And this act of coming together is important. Take No. 7 on the Catholic Halloween list: Be hospitable.

Last night, I went through a nearby neighborhood since apartment building doesn't get trick-or-treaters, and it was amazing. The sidewalks were thick with a constant stream of people. Houses were decorated to an extreme–there was a grave dug two feet deep in front of one house!–and all the adults were dressed up and outside, greeting neighbors and strangers alike. 

As often happens in a city, I'm sure a lot of people came to this really nice neighborhood from other, less safe neighborhoods, but it seems that this community has really embraced it, extending their welcome to all. That's the "Catholic" Halloween spirit.

It's refreshing to forget about political debates for a short time as we approach a divisive election. If you need six more minutes of fun, take a look at this video (HT: The Deacon's Bench).