| Halloween Making Way for "White Feast" |
|
SANTIAGO, Chile, OCT. 26, 2006 (Zenit.org) - A 6-year-old initiative to change Halloween from a night of fright into a celebration of joy and hope is gaining ground in Chile. The "White Feast of All Saints," the night of Oct. 31, is growing in popularity in families, parishes and communities, and especially in schools, according to the Chilean bishops' conference. The initiative, the idea of José Miguel Carafí, has children dress up in costumes and express, with entertainment, their gratitude to the families that give them sweets. Leaflets and suggestions for activities for the occasion have already been distributed to all of Chile's education vicariates so that in turn they are made available to educational establishments, kindergartens and parishes that request them. Positive elements are being retained, such as costumes and sweets for children. But customs that glorify death and darkness have been replaced by those that promote joy and life. Thus, far from opposing Halloween, there is a return to the original meaning of this date, the eve of All Saints Day, said the episcopal conference. Under the program, children are taught that they must give of themselves to achieve their objectives, that it is better to show respect than to scare people. Above all they are being taught that positive and constructive values must always prevail, such as life, love, peace, joy and selflessness. The children will wear costumes that give a positive message, and go out into the streets with an adult or responsible youth, to collect sweets. They will only call at houses with a white mark of some sort on their doors or fences, thus indicating that they want to take part in the celebration. To receive sweets, the children must give a "grace" in exchange, which can be a drawing, a joke, a prayer, a flower, a card, etc. When calling at a home they must say: "Sweets for graces." |
