This fall, Keri and I tried a new approach to Halloween after reading a blogpost in the Rabbit Room talking about using the time to reach out to neighbors and celebrate the freedom we have in Christ's triumph over death. So we created the above churchyard with tombstones commemorating saints from various centuries (Meme was the most recent) and had lots of candy (Keri got the good stuff). Of all the names for the days, I like Hallows Eve (the trick-or-treaters couldn't tell the difference) and Hallowmas (rather than All Saints Day).
The girls went as new life. Keri and I were their alter ego larvae. 
This was the cross remembering Augustine. We relit everything on 11/1 and had our family devotions in the churchyard, thanking God for the lives of each of the saints.
We turned last years "recycled" jack o'lanterns into saint o'lanterns naming them after various saints, and Sophie expanded our collection significantly with much more whimsically drawn faces than I'd managed last year.
Though Sophie looks ecstatic in this shot because she has been eating so much candy, both girls really joined in the entire celebration; we'll definitely be doing something similar next year.
Marvelous, Cody!
ReplyDeleteIt was so meaningful to think about saints through the centuries and what they've contributed to the church and how we want to emulate them..."follow me as I follow Christ." Our song for October's vespers was "When the Saints Go Marching In" which was sung with much gusto (and accompanied by dancing and marching, of course) on most nights!
ReplyDeleteThis gives me a wonderful new slant on Hallowmas!
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