Halloween annually marks the start of a frenetic two-month long holiday season that consumes us all. Halloween and New Year’s Eve are the most public. The others more private, family affairs.
Each year, the pageant of Halloween marks the passage of time. For over 20 years, I have watched the changing demographics of my neighborhood parade past my house to collect candy. We usually set up a table in the driveway and sit outside. Some years, it is too hot, some are too cold and some are just right. This year it was cold.
In past years the revelers were often in high school. It changes. The kids in the neighborhood grow up. They leave. Their parents downsize or move away. This year they were younger. It is a cycle, like life. One thing never changes. They all want candy.
Historically, Halloween was known as All Hallows Eve, the night before All Hallows Day or All Saints Day when the Catholic Church remembers its saints. The day following All Saints Day is known in the church as All Souls Day. It is a day to remember the departed who are not saints. It is a good day to remember loved ones and friends. I like to remember my parents, my father-in-law, my grandparents and other people who had a profound influence on my life. One of those people is Grace Hayes, former editor of The Ponte Vedra Recorder.
Any day is a good day to remember those we miss. But, in the case of Grace, All Souls Day is especially appropriate because it corresponds roughly with the anniversary of the founding of the newspaper that she loved.
I went to the 56th Anniversary Event at The Recorder office last week. I saw many old friends and made a few new ones. I met a young reporter, fresh faced and eager in her youth. Some of the older reporters were not there. They were missed, by me at least.
There was a retired editor there. It was good to say hello. But many of the editors who once led the paper through its first 56 years are gone. And so, it is worth remembering them as I write this on All Souls Day.
Henry David Thoreau advises us to “Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of each.”
Scott Grant is a local author, historian and money manager. He can be reached at scottg@standfastic.com
