Milnrow & Newhey October 2021

Update from
St Thomas’, Newhey
and St James’, Milnrow
One of the lovely things about being a vicar is that
there is a rhythm to life in the church which has been
the same for centuries. We celebrate our Harvest
festival at the end of September and then look towards
the season of Remembrance.
In the shops now though, everything seems to be
looking forward to Halloween with witches and ghosts
and pumpkins and all things scary! Now I know what
you’re thinking… ‘Halloween isn’t a Christian thing,
she’s going to be a killjoy and tell us it’s demonic or
something. Either that or she’s going to try and claim it
but take all the fun out of it.’
The word Halloween comes from ‘All Hallows Eve,’ the day
before the feast of All Hallows, which we now call All Saints
Day. It is a time of year when Christians remember those people
who have been faithful to their beliefs, often to the point of being
killed for them. All Saints Day is followed by All Souls Day when we
remember those, we love who have died.
So why is Halloween connected with so much scary stuff?
Some people believe it is due to an old belief that witches
could not cast spells between All Hallows and Christmas
so they would try and get all their wickedness done the
night before. Others think it comes from the pre-Christian
Celtic festival of Samhain when the space between this world
and the spirit world was thought to be at its thinnest. Perhaps it’s
just because, as the nights draw in and the cold weather comes,
people feel more vulnerable and have chosen to gather together
and try to scare their fears away.
Whatever the reason, Halloween has caught the popular imagination
to such an extent that it is now a commercial festival. We don’t celebrate
Halloween in our churches, we prefer to celebrate the Christian heroes and ordinary
loved ones whose days come straight after it, you are very welcome to join us at
Newhey Parish Church of St Thomas or at Milnrow Parish Church of St James
the Apostle.
Whatever you do this season, please be careful, think about those who live
alone and do not want to join in the fright fest. Watch over your children and
don’t encourage them to accept treats from strangers. After the year and a
half we’ve had let’s try to look out for everybody in our community.
Take care and God bless
Revd Janet Pitman
40
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