At Halloween will you light a Candle in the Window for the dead?

[Gwendoline]

This is an old tradition may be you do it to. Basically a lit candle is left to burn all night in the window during Halloween in remembrance to a deceased relative and as an invitation to enter. During the three days of Allhallowtide espicially on the night of October 31 it is believed by many that the barriers between this world and the next are weakened, that the ghosts of the dead (among other thing) returned to earth. So leave a Candle in the Window & you might get reacquainted with someone you used to know.

[aaron13547]

I don't do it for the dead but I do light and candle on the porch for the kids... When I was a kid I went trick or treating somewhere that had a candle on the porch I blew it out before I knocked on the door to say trick or treat. A man answer and scared the crap out of me acting mad and saying I couldn't get any candy now. I frozen in fear and he smiled and gave me 2 big handfuls said I was the first kid to blow his candle out all night and the second handful was for not being afraid and being a good sport... now I anxiously wait on a kid to blow out my candle ever year. I guess this year the candle will be for both the dead and the kids 😉

[strateguy632]

You wrote "ghosts of dead return to earth" in question but then deny it... in your reply to askers! "Not ghosts' lol but seriously if you knew that was an ancient chinese idea, you would "get with the times".

Some light a candle on the date each relative died, but not for the many dead in general on hhalloween. It is just for costumes not for demons nor ghosts.

[Gwendoline]

Probably an ancient idea everywhere

[purplepoppy]

There's actually 3 spirit nights 30th April, 24th June and 31 October. I don't light a candle personally but I know a few who go to church on the day to do so.

There's also Mary's festival of the candles in February where you put candles in your window.

[Gwendoline]

I can't say that I observe any of these. I know St Johns day is exactly 6 months before Christmas and before the introduction of the Gregorian calender in 1582 both these days would have fallen on the summer and winter solstices. Nothing to do with what we are talking about but I like trivia like that.

[purplepoppy]

Just thought I'd mention it because people don't realise Halloween isn't the only time the spirits return. I've seen plenty of artificial candles in windows left on overnight, but they seem to be an every night thing, not just Halloween. I suspect they serve the same spiritual purpose.

[Gwendoline]

Christmas time is often where you will see candles in the window

[RandomGirl42]

Yes. I come from a long line of pagans. 😊

[Gwendoline]

Everyone does.

[RandomGirl42]

Ty for the MHO. 😊

[Sevenpointfive]

i wonder if this tradition somehow morphed into a modern day jack o lantern? candle in a pumpkin by the window with offerings of treats for children that dress up like the dead knocking at your door?

i think too much

[purplepoppy]

Candles were used to both welcome friendly ghosts and confuse evil ones. Basically your letting your house be a shelter for lost spirits so they can be found and brought back to the other side

[Sevenpointfive]

@purplepoppy friendly ghosts get treats. unfriendly get tricked. it sounds like a tradition that was turned into Halloween.

[Gwendoline]

I should have been more clearer in the question. Halloween is part of Allowtide. Which is two days all Saints (all hallows day) and all souls day (day of the dead), Halloween (all hallows eve) being the evening before all hallows day. People just say Halloween now to describe this period as Halloween like Christmas has become such a global cultural & secular phenomenon. Candles can be left lit on all hallows eve, all hallows day and all souls day for different reasons but really for what im talking about its all souls day/night.
Halloween itself is like St Patrick's day largely an Irish and partly Scottish gaelic pagan/Christian tradition, its the evening before all saints day. Jack o lanterns were traditionally made out of turnips because pumpkins weren't in Ireland and pumpkins now are widely available, cheaper and easier to carve, the tradition is that they ward off evil spirits. Masks and costumes supposedly hid a person from evil spirits and demons as before all souls day these were able to roam the land more freely and so would mistake people in these monster guises as one of themselves. Really its just a fun tradition that was brought to America and elsewhere by the Irish.

[Sevenpointfive]

this is the first i've heard of it having any irish roots so i found it interesting. the whole dia de los muertos is so close to home here in texas, so it was assumed culturally that Halloween was the American version of day of the dead celebration. but now that i think of it. it could be a catholic tradition? since the Spanish and irish were mostly catholic.

[Gwendoline]

Well i think all catholics have a day of the dead though celebrate or observe it differently from country to country.
What we think of as Halloween now is certainly an Irish tradition that became americanised and spread throughout the world in its American form and even back to Ireland.

[Sevenpointfive]

catholics celebrate All Souls Day which is directly linked to the celebration of the Day of the Dead Celebration. but not Halloween. So, there's a lot of crossover happening there.

[purplepoppy]

Worth looking at the Irish púca festival, they're trying to reclaim Halloween and bring it back to it's roots. Most of Europe had their own version, generally centred on remembrance and charity as well as having fun. America took on the Irish version simply because they had a lot of Irish migrants. As this question suggests, a lot of people would like it to return to its more spiritual meaning.

[Gwendoline]

Catholics also celebrate all saints day know as All Hallows day, Halloween is just the night before all saints/ Hallows day so all hallows eve or Hallowe'en. The word hallow means saint or holy. Its traditional for there to be a vigil on all hallow eve and to fast.
Catholics celebrate or observe different days depending on cultural traditions and country.
Im sure the spainish dont celebrate or observe days related to saint pstrick, saint bridgid or the Apparition of knock but do certain spainish Catholic related things not observed outside the hispanic/latin world.

[Sevenpointfive]

@gwendoline it certainly depends on how Catholic that person is.
@purplepoppy my grandmother burned candles every night. she put them in the bathtub beneath the window.

[Billlewis]

Nope. Once you're dead, you're dead, just like every other animal.

[ilistengood]

Id like to be able to say of course , doesn't everyone? And in fact , I do light several candles. I honestly wasn't aware of the significance

[Wiredone]

I use led candles. I don't want to burn my house down

[jshm2]

Nah, just light a dead body on fire in the middle of the street instead.

Never fails to impress every year...

[Staximus]

No, I can't go to sleep with something burning

[shortster]

That doesn't sound like a good idea. Inviting ghosts to your house.

[Gwendoline]

Not ghosts.

[Guanfei]

I do it on the 2nd which is the day of the dead in France.

[Gwendoline]

Same here. Im not sure about how it is in france but allowtide is all hallows eve (Halloween), all saints day and then all souls day. But I think its universal throughout the Catholic Church

[stayorgo]

No I will not be doing that. That is crazy. And then the dead, vampire, or the infected. Will find me and then turn me

[Bklynbadboy12]

Hell no I dont mess with no spirits

[Gwendoline]

Not spirits, the dead.

[Bklynbadboy12]

Either way that's and enthatic

[exitseven]

No ,'it's a fire hazard

[KostasKouvalis]

Nah, I have curtains so I'd better not😂

[Cidknee]

No, I don’t do Halloween.

[Greek_goddess_Iris]

It's not my believe, so no.

[RedInnocent69]

Does a jack-o-lantern count?

[Cubus]

No, I'm not American.

[DJB72]

Nope.

[fish5505_87]

Negative!

[MeAndYouRightHere]

I will