OPINION (AN COLÚN): Halloween is a time for creative expression, fun and sombre reflection

Halloween has become more popular in Ireland. Statistics tell us that increasing numbers of families are participating, more money is being spent and the number of events is on the up.
One of these events was the Púca Spooka in Lloyd Town Park, Tullamore over the weekend which I didn't attend but I am told was a great success. The county town is fortunate to have such a large green space for the community and it was put to excellent use last weekend with parents and children enjoying the vibe and having a great time.
Last year it was projected that adults in Ireland would spend €71.5 million on Halloween, an increase of €22.5 million compared to pre-Covid levels. The celebration is no longer confined to just one night. Events now stretch over several days. It's also noticeable that the enthusiasm for decorating is growing.
Why the increase in Halloween's popularity? Some commentators say it's because we are heavily influenced by American popular culture and media. The government clearly sees it as an opportunity to generate more revenue by attracting more tourists, and the various tourism boards are pushing this agenda.
There are obviously pros and cons with all of this. On the positive side, it's great to see parents and their children participating in the various events. It's great to see so many families enjoying themselves, so many families having a lot of fun. Another positive is the outlet that Halloween gives for creative expression, whether it be through costumes or decorations. On a deeper level it also allows us to confront our fears and not shy away from them. It acknowledges the fact there is death, malevolence, darkness and evil in life, without being overwhelmed by these features.
I like the tradition of Trick or Treat which I've seen taking place every year since I was a wee lad in the 1970s. If Trick or Treaters do call to your door, don't be a Grinch. Give sweets generously!
Interestingly, the Trick or Treat tradition comes from the medieval practice of Souling where the poor and children would go door-to-door asking for Soul Cakes in exchange for prayers for the dead.
As a Celt I am very much aware during this time that the pagan festival of Samhain preceded and is connected to modern-day Halloween. Samhain is about celebrating the cycle of death and rebirth, about pointing our minds towards hope. In the northern hemisphere the leaves are dying and nature is preparing for the still of winter. Meanwhile, in the southern hemisphere, the dormant buds are preparing to open and blossom. Our ancestors conducted important rituals during Samhain, celebrating rebirth after death, the Gods and the spirits. They also remembered their loved ones who had crossed over the divide between this life and the next.
For our ancestors Samhain was seen as being a “thin” time, which meant that the dividing line between our world and the underworld became very narrow and sometimes disappeared altogether, releasing the various creatures that dwelt below. Some of these creatures were benign but many were malevolent and monstrous. Our anncestors believed that these creatures emerged from Oweynagat (“the Cave of the Cats” or “the Cave of Battle”) during this time. Oweynagat is located in County Roscommon. It's associated with The Morrígan, the goddess of battle and strife from Irish mythology, who was said to have resided there. Each Samhain, according to legend, The Morrígan would emerge from the cave on her chariot, driving out the fearsome otherworldly beasts to ravage the surrounding landscape and make it ready for Winter. As one ancient poem said, “The horrid Morrígan, out of the cave of Cruachu, her fit abode, came”…
Samhain / Halloween sometimes makes me think about the monsters in human form that have plagued history. The list of tyrants in history is depressingly long. The countless murderers and rapists that humanity has produced all deserve the title “monster”. Such reflections sometimes lead me on to that famous line from the celebrated French play “No Exit”) - “Hell is other people.” The truth is humanity has all too often produced monsters that are every bit as terrifying and evil as the monsters which emerged from Oweynagat. There has been considerable debate as to what the playwright meant by Hell is other people. Personally, I think it's pretty obvious. In the play two men and a woman have died and are in Hell. Their eternal punishment is to live for ever in the same room together. As time passes they begin to mentally torment one another. One of these torments is the objectivisation of the person you are observing. We can see this hard and stupid objectivisation every day in our own lives. For example, if someone comments negatively on your physical appearance it can harshly sever you from the positive things about you and your life and rub your face in the mud of negativity. Sartre, who wrote No Exit, argued that we should respond to this negativity by aiming to overcome the "gaze of the other". We overcome this gaze by recognizing and embracing our inner freedom and responsibility (a Christian would say “soul”; an artist “creative expression”). Sartre believed that to escape being defined by others' judgments, we should embrace our own inner authenticity as much as we safely and wisely can, through conscious choices and the avoidance of "bad faith.” Bad faith he defined as self-deception where we pretend our existence is fixed or predetermined by social roles. In other words, sometimes we need to rebel and give two fingers to either Group Think or heartless behaviour.

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