Days observed and celebrated by secular society can connect to important faith-related concepts for children and families. In excerpts from the St. Anthony Messenger Press Holy Bells and Wonderful Smells: Year-Round Activities for Classrooms and Families, author Jeanne Hunt suggests ways parents and teachers can make Halloween and All Saints Day come alive for children in faith-filled and fun experiences.
When you think of Halloween, what comes to mind? For a lot of people, Halloween has become synonymous with candy, costumes, scary stuff, witches, ghosts and pumpkins. But do you know the Christian connection to the holiday?
Catholics and Halloween
How can Catholics celebrate Halloween in the context of their Christian faith? Listen to American Catholic Radio to find out.
Why do we carve pumpkins for Halloween? Read a story from Catholic Update that explains the origin of this yearly tradition.
What are Catholics to think about the devil, exorcism, psychic hotlines, fortune tellers, ESP, ghosts and magic in the light of current Church teaching? Curiosity about the supernatural is normal especially for teenagers during Halloween but is it “of the devil” as some Christians claim?
How can Catholics keep All Hallows Eve from becoming “hollow”? Celebrate Halloween and All Saints Day while remembering both the Christian connection to Halloween and the positive messages that stem from the holiday.
What is the basis for the Catholic Church’s teaching about purgatory and praying for the dead? Why do Catholics pray for the dead?
Post an online prayer request. All prayer requests are displayed at StAnthony.org and on a large, scrolling screen next to St. Anthony’s relic at the National Shrine of St. Anthony of Padua in Cincinnati, Ohio. View current prayers.
Who are the saints? Who decides who is and is not a saint? How many are there? Are saints’ names required for Baptism? Find the answers to these questions on Catholic saints and more.
Celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day with a Catholic e-card. Also, choose and send an e-greeting with your favorite Catholic saint.