365 Days in Aspen

All Hallows Eve

halloween2According to Wikipedia, to hallow is "to make holy or sacred, to sanctify or consecrate, to venerate."  Halloween is supposed to be about remembering and honoring the people who have died, but somehow has evolved into dressing up in costumes and handing out candy. 

Okay, even though I don't see the connection, I can go along with that. Nothing wrong with having a day to celebrate trying on another persona. And unless you're a diabetic, nothing wrong with some sweetness in your life. 

But how did that turn into horror films? 

While I don't share the emotion, I understand some people like to be scared at the movies. (I'm not opposed to a psychological thriller, but the slasher films are frankly disturbing). What's ironic is that so many people are afraid of death. Like "deathly" afraid. (Forgive the pun but it was so obvious). 

I see nothing wrong with facing your fears. 

But I do think it's dangerous to perpetuate fear, especially the fear of death and dying. Experts estimate that as much as 75% of our medical expenses in the U.S. are spent extending terminal patients' lives an additional 14 days. Think about that. Think about how we could actually prevent so many deaths at younger ages if we didn't have such a fear of death. 

What if we used this day instead to honor those who have moved on to the next plane of existence? 

I know I'll never change this. But I did have to voice my thoughts. 

Meanwhile, Happy All Hollows Eve!