Did you know that the celebration of Halloween originated as an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain (pronounced sow-in) when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts? It was celebrated on October 31, the night before the new year, when the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred and the dead returned to the earth. The current U.S. celebration is a blending of traditions from Samhain, and from festivals in the Roman Empire, the Catholic Church in Rome (Pope Gregory III dedicated the holiday to honor Catholic saints and martyrs), All-Souls Day in early England, traditions brought to the U.S. by Irish immigrants who came to America during the potato famine in 1846 and our own uniquely American perspectives developed in the first half of the 20th century. And the point of this Halloween history minute is:
Rotary is celebrating Halloween this year in our own unique way. On October 25 from 5:30-8 p.m. you can join your fellow Rotarians at the Goodwill Shiner Center at the corner of Outagamie and Spencer to celebrate a festival that is over 2000 years old and fend off evil spirits by your good works. A dinner of luscious pizza, tasty salad and rich desserts will kick off the evening, accompanied by Halloween-appropriate music and maybe even a “spirit” or two. Then we adjourn to the SAMP packing area to pack medical supplies to send to countries that desperately need them. There’s a lot to do - so we need many helping hands. Please sign up at the registration table at the next two meetings (Friday, October 21 and Tuesday, October 25) so we’ll be sure to have enough pizza for everyone. Bring your family (need to be at least 18 yrs old), your new Rotary friend, or those old friends that you haven’t had the chance to see lately. Or bring your favorite otherworldly spirit. We aren’t fussy. If they can pack medical supplies, they’re welcome!
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