NBA Los Angeles Lakers coach and Basketball Hall of Fame honoree Phil Jackson says America’s celebration of Halloween has gone "over the top" and "jumped the shark." He said he celebrates All Saint’s Day (November 1) instead.
To see Jackson’s comment, click here and jump to the 4:50 mark.
All Saint’s Day is a Christian festival honoring the memories of those who have died in the faith. It is especially prominent in the more traditionalist segments of the Lutheran Church and the Church of England. For a brief devotional explanation of the meaning of the day, click here.
English composer Ralph Vaughn Williams and Anglican bishop William W. How beautifully captured the meaning of All Saints Day in the processional hymn "For All the Saints" (one of my favorite hymns). Click here to hear it and read the lyrics.
Thanks, Mary Ann. I appreciate your help in this, as I’m not very knowledgeable about Catholic observances. I thought All Saints Day was important in Catholicism but could not speak with any authority on the matter, thus your comment is very helpful.
All Saint’s Day is pretty prominent in the Catholic Church as well. In fact, it is a holy day of obligation, meaning that Catholics are obligated to attend Mass.
Congratulations on your Red Sox victory, Joe. As a White Sox fan, I’m excited about the prospect of the White Sox following them to a World Series championship again, as they did a couple of years ago and in the 1910s. It’s a great tradition, and it would be a pity to break it.
Halloween has definitely gotten out of hand, as Coach Jackson notes, though it’s not so bad where I live, in the Midwest. I would hate to have to deal with it in Salem. Just as you say, the fondness for “darkness” is just not a good thing at all.
“Over the top”, indeed. I live in Salem, MA, which is considered the Halloween capital of the world & it is amazing to me how many people showed up downtown last night. To me Halloween should be little kids going up & down the street collecting candy. However, the past few years, it has grown to include adults & has almost, if not already, a major holiday. I think the troubling thing is that people use it to celebrate the occult & “darkness” in general. It’s nice to know that someone in sports like Phil Jackson openly states that he prefers to celebrate All Saints Day.
P.S.: I haven’t commented in awhile since I have been following the Red Sox through their second championship in four years.