This time of year, people around the world think about things like the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, life over death. We’ll celebrate Halloween on Monday, which is rooted in the Celtic holiday of Samhain—marking the bringing in of the harvest to sustain people through the shorter days and colder temperatures of winter. Samhain also honors those who have preceded us into death, keeping their memory alive through the generations.
On Tuesday
and Wednesday, Christians mark All Saints Day and All Souls Day, essentially
carrying on the Celtic tradition. The wall between this world and the next is
more frangible around now, and it’s a time for lighting protective and
cleansing bonfires.
One
of my favorite holidays starts tonight. That would be Diwali, when Hindus
celebrate a number of events where princes of light and good slapped down
princes who would envelope the world in darkness and evil. I find it
interesting that this whole good/evil thing was not one-and-done; evildoers are
always trying it on, so we have to be alert, strong and brave.
One
part of the Diwali tradition involves lights—candles, fairy lights, fireworks,
the whole spectrum—and I definitely can get behind that.
(Another
one is the sharing of sweets, which I also endorse.)
So, tonight—more than other nights—I’ll amass candles on my dinner table and consider how we in these times can turn back the darkness. I'm grateful for the reminder that, while the struggle goes on, we always have another opportunity to vanquish evil.
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