Hallowe’en is not a hallowed evening

Each year we see Hallowe’en decorations and merchandise in shops and even restaurants and hotels something similar to the garlands and lighting for Christmas, usually in orange and black and looking as ghoulish as possible.

“Hallowe’en” means “hallowed (or holy) evening” (even = e’en) as it preceded All Saints Day on November 1st, but there is little hallowed about it these days.

Just recently a supermarket was taken to task for stocking a zombie’s head with a half-eaten rat hanging out of its mouth, which mothers complained was upsetting their young children.