She slapped him hard.

“Why did you do that?” he asked.

“I heard what you called me. That ‘pulky’ name.”

“It means ‘beautiful,’” he said, rubbing his hurt cheek.

“Oh, sorry. Why didn’t you say so? Here, let me kiss the ouchie.”

“Pulchritude” is a noun. Its on-line definition in Webster is “physical comeliness.”

“Pulchritudinous” is the adjective form. When used to modify a noun, or a person in our unfortunate gentleman’s case, it means “possessed of physical comeliness.”

All a bit archaic, you would say, and you would be right on. The word derives from the Middle English “pulchritudo,” which derives from the Latin “pulcher,” which mean simply “beautiful” or “good looking.” “Why didn’t you say so?” Exactly, you wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, tell a girl she is pretty by using that word today.

In the 21^st Century, which is our day, people wouldn’t say “You are possessed of physical comeliness,” with a wink, anymore than they would say “You are looking pulchritudinous.” It would all be Greek to your audience and probably get you slapped again. We must speak to each other in the custom of our day.

“Consuetude” is another word you’d better watch dropping in polite company, but it’s right on point to our discussion. “Consuetude” means simply “custom,” which means something – in our case a word – in common usage. Common usage. As a word, “consuetude” was the custom of the times and in common usage in the 14^th Century. It is not today, 700 years later. “If you tell someone, “I don’t know what to do, what’s the consuetude,” you will likely get a blank stare, or worse.

So, let’s start over.

“Pulchritudinous” was the 15^th Century, “consuetude” was the 14^th Century, and this is the 21^st Century. Today it is not the consuetude (custom) to tell your host for dinner that she is pulchritudinous (possessed of physical comeliness). It is the custom to tell your host that her dress is gorgeous and you really like those large pomegranate earrings with the little circling electric flashing fruit flies – never assume you know anything about the consuetudes of female dress or accoutrement, just compliment, smile and move on. That is the custom today. And, whatever you do, do not, and I repeat, do not tell the lady of the house that she is pulchritudinous.

Save the circumlocution for the pre-matriculatory examinations.

There, I’m glad I said that, but my jaw still hurts

Grandpa Jim

Birds migrate.

The word “migrate” derives from the Latin “migrare,” which means to move from place to place. That’s what birds do. They “pass periodically from one region or climate to another.” That’s the definition of “migrate.”

Snow geese migrate.

The big white birds summer way up there, north of the timberline in Alaska and Canada. When they feel the cold winds starting to blow off the North Pole, they pack up the flock and head south.

Migrating down the Central Flyway and crossing the Great Plains, the “V’s” of birds take a break and grab a bite to eat from the grain left behind in the fields. Lifting to the sky again, those “V’s” float south to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Arriving, they sette on a sunny beach and order one of those fancy drinks with the little umbrellas. The drinks, of course, are nonalcoholic. Geese are always driving. There are no “designated” flyers. Everyone drives . . . but there is a secret.

I will tell you a great avian secret. The birds don’t do all the flying. It’s too far to fly, even with their big wings and those fast-food grain stops across the prairies of Canada and the U.S. They catch a ride. You know, like they have at the big airports. You’ve stepped onto those moving walkways and been whisked away without effort to your gate.

In the sky, way up there, where you see those “V’s” of geese, those birds are resting on invisible moving walkways, just like in the airports. Those are the skyways. The birds know this, because it is a bird secret.

When a group of struggling geese finds a skyway, they settle on it in a “V” shape.

One of the reasons for the “V” shape is that it allows every bird an unobstructed view of where they’re going. Yes, they do move their wings, but just a bit to look like they’re flying, so people think “It’s just a bunch of birds.” The “V” shape is bird talk saying, “Honk, honk, we found it, this is the skyway to the south, hop on, there’s room, the umbrella drinks are waiting, honk, honk.” Bird language is much more efficient than human language. “V” says all that in bird talk. The “V” also points the direction for the others to follow: “Go south, young bird. Go south!”. You’ve noticed that the “V’s” always point to the south, except, of course, when the flock is entering or exiting the lanes.

Way down south, where the warm winds blow and the fancy drinks are waiting, that’s where all those snow geese are heading.

It’s not just geese.

I have a brother and his wife and a sister-in-law who migrate. It’s the strangest of things. About this time of year, when the leaves turn colors and float to the ground, those relatives start to list somewhat to the southward. There must be some small genetic gyroscopes that they have that we don’t, because they start to walk sort of sideways, leaning in a southerly direction.

There are other people signs.

Colleen, my sister-in-law, is an artist, and she finds herself painting little palm trees everywhere, on the kitchen cabinets, the bathroom floor, even with the squeeze mustard on the edges of the plate around the sandwich she’s eating. In mid-bite, she’ll jump up, grab a bag, run to the car and take off.

My brother, Kevin, and his wife, Sharon, are bikers. One day they just start riding south, and they can’t stop. Finally, they pause for a drink from their water bottles, flip a coin and that one goes back, gets the SUV and hurries back to pick up the other. They quickly mount their bikes on the tailgate bike-rack and take off, stopping for food and clothes along the way.

Food is important because my migratory relatives don’t form “V’s,” they don’t like leftover grain, and it is a long way without the use of an invisible moving walkway. Kevin and Sharon favor vegetarian and barbecue pizzas with sides of steamed broccoli. Colleen is a fan of Cincinnati chili, which is near her daughter Aubry’s house on the way south.

Sustained by regional cuisines and an occasional relative’s rest stop, our wandering relations push relentlessly south.

I just got the email that Colleen has made it!

Kevin and Sharon must still be flying south.

People do migrate. I have the relatives to prove it.

Are you listing slightly to the south of center. Do you feel a tugging gyroscopic urge you can’t define?

If so, consider migrating this winter season. The reports I have are that it is great fun.

To sustain yourself, stop for pizzas and sides of broccoli. Consider packing the spaghetti and a few cans of chili for the toppings.

Find that “V” in the sky, follow it and watch for those little umbrella drinks near the beach.

You may have arrived. Settle back and enjoy the sun.

It’s not just for geese, you know,

Grandpa Jim

Not easily, I’m afraid. At the federal level, the overall process appears to be quite simple. In application, however, the road for a bill to become a law is involved, complicated and long. It’s pretty much the same in each state, but in this post we will focus on federal bills.

A “bill” is a piece of proposed legislation. The word is English in origin and probably derives from terms meaning a piece of paper to get someone’s attention and require some action, like “You owe me money or something, so get paying or doing.” That’s what a bill is all about, getting something done by getting someone to do something.

Back to the process itself, a Congressman, either a Representative or Senator, writes a bill (let’s say the “No Hunting Wolves” bill) and drops the “Wolf” bill into the “New Bill” slot. Next, both Houses of Congress (the House of Representative with 435 members and the Senate with 100 members) pass the Wolf bill by a majority vote. The passed bill is sent to the White House, where the President signs it and “No Hunting Wolves” becomes law. All the wolves jump up and down, yip and howl, and are happy and content. That’s the short and fast version. It never happens that easily or that fast. Sorry, wolves.

Both Houses of Congress have many sub-committee, committees and internal procedures.

Let’s start in the House with our example. (I am making up the sub-committee and committee names.) The Wolf bill goes to the House Endangered Species Sub-Committee, who holds hearings, makes changes and sends the bill to the House Environment Committee. The Environment Committee holds hearings, makes changes and sends the Wolf bill to the full House or back to the Sub-Committee. The full House has its own Committee of the Whole which conducts reviews, makes changes, sends the bill back to the Committee or transfers the bill to the floor of the House for a vote. If the bill passes by a majority, the House version of the Wolf bill is published on blue paper and sent to the Senate.

In the Senate, the sub-committee, committee and floor process occurs again. To keep things going, let’s us say the Wolf bill is approved by a majority of the Senators. Hooray!  Wait, don’t celebrate just yet. The Senate made some changes. Changes are always made when a bill passed by one House goes to the other. This means that the modified bill has to go to a Conference Committee of both Houses to work out the differences. If the Conference Committee can agree on changed language, the reconciled bill is sent back to both Houses. If both Houses pass the modified bill by a majority of the members of each, the Wolf bill goes to the President. That’s a lot of “If’s” already, but let’s keep that bill going.

The President has 10 days to sign or veto the bill. If the President signs the bill, it becomes law. If the President does nothing, the bill becomes law without his signature after 10 days. If Congress adjourns during the 10-day period without the President doing anything, the bill is dead – this is called a “pocket veto,” because the bill dies after the President figuratively puts the bill into his pocket, does nothing and the Congress adjourns. If the President vetoes the bill within the 10-day period, the vetoed bill is sent back to both Houses of Congress. To override the President’s veto, each House must again pass the bill, but this time by a two-thirds majority. If the override passes in both Houses, the bill becomes law. If either override vote fails or is never taken, the bill dies.

At this point, the wolves are spinning and running for the hills. I’m afraid there’s little chance of that “No Hunting Wolves” bill to move quickly through the Congress.

It takes a long time for a bill to become a law. This is why we see all the post-election articles about the challenges of a divided Congress. If no party has a clear or overpowering majority, it becomes even more difficult to pass a bill into law. It can take even more time.

Whew, that was tiring. You can imagine how your Representative and Senator feel trying to work through the process. It might be wondered whether our Founding Fathers intended the federal government to pass many laws. It is something of a wonder that any laws do pass, but they do.

The current U.S. Congress, the 112^th, is coming to the end of its two-year term (2011-2012). The 112^th Congress has had before it around 12,000 bills and resolutions. When everything is tallied, it is projected that 5% of the filings will have passed. If that projection holds true, some 600 bills and resolutions will have labored through the process and become law.

600 enactments for 535 members of Congress (435 Representative and 100 Senators). That comes out to about one (1) apiece for two years of work.

I wonder what those Founding Fathers are thinking.

What are you thinking? Too many or too few?

I know what those wolves are doing.

Grandpa Jim

In a very close and exciting race, President Obama edged out the challenger Mitt Romney.

Congratulations, Mr. Obama!

On January 20, 2013, President Obama will be sworn into office for a second term as the 44^th President of the United States of America.

President Obama is projected to have won the election with 303 electoral votes to Mitt Romney’s 203.

Wait, that doesn’t sound like an “edged out’ victory.

Read on to learn more about how U.S. Presidents are elected, why this really was a close race, and why each vote was so important.

As of this morning’s paper, the popular vote is pretty much tied. With some 78% of the votes reported, the candidates are tied 49% to 49%. Considering the total number of votes, which was an outstanding turnout, President Obama has a slight lead with 52,071,449 votes to Mr. Romney’s 51,734,702 votes.

Whew, now that looks like a close race, but it wasn’t on the electoral side. Why is that?

In the United States, the voters don’t directly elect the President. The voters select electors who are pledged to vote for one or the other of the candidates in the Electoral College. It is the vote of those electors in that college that actually elects the President.

In almost every state, the presidential candidate who wins a majority of the popular votes wins all the electoral votes for the state. The electors in the state then cast all their electoral votes for the candidate prevailing in that state, even if the candidate only won by one vote.

So, technically, if one candidate had just one more vote in each of the 50 U.S. states than his opponent, that candidate would win all the electoral votes, but only have 50 more popular votes. A landslide! Not really, a really close race, but still a clear winner.

There is another interesting quirk about the electoral system. There are a total of 538 electors, one for each Representative (435), one for each Senator (100) and three (3) for the District of Columbia. If you recall, only the Representatives are distributed by population. This means that some small states, like Rhode Island (4), have a disproportionate number of electoral votes for their size. This also means that some big states, like California (55), have many more votes because of their greater populations.

Let’s look at an example. Say Candidate #1 wins Rhode Island (4 electoral votes) and California (55 electoral votes) by one (1) popular vote in each state, Candidate #1 gets a bunch of electoral votes (59) for only two (2) more people voting in Candidate #1’s favor. Now, to continue our example, let’s say the opponent, Candidate #2, wins the electoral votes in Texas (34) and Illinois (21) by a total of 2,000,002 votes. Candidate #2 is 2,000,000 votes ahead in the popular vote versus Candidate #1, but Candidate #2 loses in electoral votes 59 to 55. This is why the winning margin in electoral votes can be out of whack with the popular vote. A candidate can win the popular vote and lose the election by losing in the Electoral College.

In an election, swing states are states with close races where a candidate can win all the electoral votes with just one or a few popular votes. In this election, Florida (29), Ohio (18), Virginia (13) and Wisconsin (10) were swing states where the election results were very close and could have swung either way. If Mitt Romney had won these states by one (1) vote each for a total of four (4) votes, he would have won an additional seventy (70) electoral votes, and he would have won the election with a total of 273 electoral votes. 270 electoral votes are required to win. Of course, it would have taken more than one vote in each of these states, but you can see how valuable a vote is.

Every vote is valuable. Never assume you did not make a difference. You did. Our example illustrates how just a few votes can change an election. Your vote changed this election. It changed you. Now, the candidates you elected have changes to make.

I enjoyed this headline in today’s paper: “Pulling People Together Won’t Be Easy.” Well said and well directed to the winning candidates. Now, their work really begins. In our democratic republic, pulling together to make things better is really what it is all about.

Congratulations again Mr. President and all the winning candidates.

We’re behind you, let’s get going,

Grandpa Jim

As posted below for you to know

Not the day of “mid-term” election

Not the day of the”off-year” election

Today is more fun than any of those days

Today is the great day of the “Presidential” election

Only once every four years on Tuesday today after the first Monday in November

Jump up. Slip into those shoes. Start running. It is for you that the polls toll. Hear them ringing as you approach. Get in the line. Cast your vote onto the growing pond. See who we will catch. The day is here and the new elect are close upon us.

This is the day that the vote has made

Let us rejoice and be voters in it.

Hooray and pass the ballots,

Grandpa Jim

PS: Mary and I just voted at the local elementary school. Mary was Voter #169 and I was Voter #170. Both good numbers. This bodes very well for the election. There were plenty of empty ballots. Hurry on over, grab a ballot and get your lucky number for Election Day 2012.

PPS: This is a good one. Too close to call. I have to head to bed. Catch you all in the morning. You may be up late for the final call. Voter turnout was outstanding! Thanks to all.

November 6, 2012 is Election Day in the U.S.

In the United States, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November is set by law for the election of public officials. This is referred to as the “general” election day.

Every year, there is a general election day, but not all public officials are elected each year. To help understand who is elected when and by whom, it may be helpful to review what type of federal government exists in the U.S.

The U.S. federal system of government is composed of three branches. Those three branches are the “executive,” “legislative” and “judicial.” This is referred to as a “tri-partite” system of government because it is composed of three parts. In this system, each part exercises functions the others cannot and all three parts are required for the government to function. In other words, the necessary power to govern resides in no one branch, but can only be exercised by the branches working together and sharing their individual powers. This sharing is referred to as a “balance of power” or a system of “checks and balances.” Without each branch accepting the checks of the other branches and all the branches balancing power among themselves, the government would fail and fall. To avoid this unacceptable result, the branches work together and have for over 200 years.

In part, the continuing success of this three-part system of government is the regular election of new officials.

The federal executive branch administers the day-to-day activities of the federal government. The executive branch issues the regulations that implement the laws the legislative branch enacts. This federal executive branch is led by the President and Vice President, who are both elected. All other employees of the executive branch are appointed.

Every four years, in years divisible by four, the general election day is designated by law for the election of the President and Vice President. This general election is referred to as the “Presidential” election. This year, November 6, 2012 is a Presidential election year. All registered voters in the United States can vote in the Presidential election.

The federal legislative branch makes the federal laws that the executive branch administers. The federal legislative branch is composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Members of the House are referred to as Representatives and are elected for two-year terms. Members of the Senate are Senators and are elected for six-year terms.

Each U.S. state’s number of Representatives is determined in relationship to its population. There can only be a total of 435 House members, so the distribution changes as the populations of the states change. Currently, California has the most with 53 Representatives. Members of the House serve a two-year term and are up for election every two years. Only those voters in a geographically defined district within a state can vote for that district’s federal Representative.

Each U.S. state has two Senators, for a total of 100 Senators for the 50 states. Senators serve a six-year term. Senatorial elections are staggered so only 1/3 of the Senators stand for election every two-years. All the registered voters in a state vote for the state Senator up for election.

Finally, the federal judicial branch reviews, interprets and, if necessary, overturns the laws of the legislative branch and the regulations of the executive branch. The federal judicial branch is the Supreme Court composed of Justices who are appointed not elected. Federal Supreme Court Justices will not be on any election ballot. At the state level, however, state judges may be on the ballot.

In even-numbered years when the President and Vice President are not on the ballot, the general election day is called a “midterm” election.

If things are running smoothly, all Representatives and 1/3 of all Senators will be up for election in each Presidential election and each midterm election. This will be the case this year when all 435 House seats are up for election and 33 Senate seats will be on the ballot for the Presidential election.

Each U.S. State has a Governor, state representatives and state senators. Many states have judges who are elected. These state-level officials are largely elected in the same Presidential and midterm elections years as the federal officials. Most state officials have terms similar to their federal counterparts, so most will be up for election in this year’s Presidential election.

In odd-numbered years, the general election day is called an “off-year” election. Most federal and state officials are elected in Presidential and midterm elections. There are rare exceptions, but generally the off-year elections are municipal elections for mayors and other local officials and local citizen initiatives.

For U.S. citizens, this is a big Election Day. Everyone can vote for President and Vice President. Voters will have their federal Representative and state representative on their ballots. Many will see a state senator. Some may have a federal Senator. The state Governor may be up for election. State judges could be on the ballot. The list may continue. Check your local news and the Internet for a voter’s guide listing the offices and individuals on your ballot.

Double check your voting location. Be sure to bring your voter registration card. If you can’t find the card and you are registered, your name should be listed at the polling location. Bring your driver’s license or picture ID, and get ready to VOTE!

The best thing about being a voter is voting. The best thing about election day is the vote. The second best thing about election day is watching the results.

Good voting and save some popcorn for me.

I wonder who won,

Grandpa Jim

We are on our way to the 52nd annual Wurstfest.

New Braunfels, Texas has a long history of sausage. The town was established in 1845 by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels. At the urging of the nobleman, many Germans immigrated to this growing city on the Comal and Guadalupe Rivers. The Comal from Comal Springs to the Guadaupe is only three miles long as its spring-fed waters wind through the town. For its length, the Comal River has the distinction of being one of the shortest rivers in the world. The river may be short, but one thing the city and citizens are not short of are sausages. They love to eat them, they love to share them, and they love a party with good German music and wursts for all.

From Old High German, wurst is the word for sausage.

In 1961, the Mayor of New Braunfels proclaimed the first “Sausage Festival,” a week activity featuring sausages at cafes and markets. With world-wide publicity, that first feastival attracted 2,000 visitors. It was a meaty success. The name has changed from Sausage Festival to Wurst Week and now WURSTFEST, but one thing as not changed, the wursts. They remain the wurst of the best.

In 1966, 35,000 attended and consumed over five tons of sausages. In 1969, 75,000 revelers besieged the sausage capitol of Texas. The vendors of links became even more creative with Wurst Tacos and Wurst-ka-bobs. In 1978, the German-American eat-o-rama was as one of the top attractions in the world for the month of November. In 1987, the WURSTFEST was rated in the top 100 events in North America by the American Bus Association.

People were driving from everywhere to grab a sausage on stick and a whole lot of fun. In 2006, ABC’s Good Morning America TV show showcased the opening day for millions of viewers across the world. In 2007, a special entertainment area for children, Kinderhalle, was introduced, reflecting that the event is a family-oriented festivity for everyone. November 7, 2009 was the most-attended day yet, except for today or maybe tomorrow.

Go Wurst!

We’re on our way.

Save a sausage for us.

We’re on the road and almost there.

Grandpa Jim and Mary

It’s the silk flower time of the year.

We go to the you-can-craft-it-and-make-it-yourself store and buy these amazing bunches of fake flowers. I call them “plastic flowers.” For which remark, I am promptly given the “look” and sternly admonished with the comment, “They are silk and be respectful.” “I am . . . I mean they are . . . they sure are colorful,” I mumble, ending on the upbeat. When in doubt or in trouble, I try to fumble a compliment. It may not get me all the way back, but it can start the rehabilitation process.

It’s a yearly event.

Every All Soul’s Day, the graves in the cemeteries are decorated with bright masses of silk flowers.

We load up the car with sacks of color, make the trek down to the country, grab grandma and head on over the family plots.

This year we have to manage some other schedulings, so we drop off most of the flowers for the rest of the relatives to distribute.

Grabbing a few bright stems, we promise to stop by one of the closer graveyards on the way back to town.

It is a cool evening with a full moon just starting to shine through into the night sky.

“Over here.” I follow to where she stops. Kneelling, I pull out the faded blooms from last year. Mary arranges the new bouquet. We stand with our thoughts, say a prayer and move on to the next grave and then the next and another. Finishing up, I gather the frayed last-year petals and carry them to the bin behind the bushes for the caretakers to manage. As we leave that cemetery in the country, I turn and snap a picture between the trees at the graves of our family and friends with their new evening robes.

All Souls’ Day is the day after All Saints’ Day, which is the day after All Hallows’ Eve or Halloween. Halloween is October 31^st, All Saints’ Day is November 1^st and All Souls’ Day is November 2^nd. They’re the same every year, so you can’t miss ‘em, even though we all do miss them, our close ones who have left this world. We remember them all on All Souls’ Day.

In the ancient thought, each of us is composed of four separate parts: heart, soul, mind and strength. The strength does the lifting. The mind does the thinking. The heart does the listening – I think of the heart as an old two-way ham radio, “Roger that, Big Buddy.” And, the soul does the deciding.

I believe it is our decisions that make each of us uniquely human. No two people have ever made, or will ever make, the same set of decisions. To me, the portfolio of my life’s decisions is the fingerprint I leave behind in this land and take with me wherever I may go. Those old thinkers also seem to see the soul as that part that leaves the body and moves on its way.

On our yearly pilgrimage with the flowers, it is a comfort to me that the souls of those we visit are what continue and may still be lingering about that place.

With Halloween near, I quickly turn my head to see if I can catch a glimpse of a ghostly shape slipping between the trees. As we walk to the car, I lift my eyes to try to spy the more saintly in their heavenly gear. With a smile and silent laugh, I close the gate, gaze at the blues and reds of the fading sunset and feel the warmth of all those souls there.

I look forward to seeing you all again, and we will certainly stop by next year.

Happy All Souls’ Day,

Grandpa Jim

Watching the news last night, the pictures from Hurricane Sandy were sobering.

People are suffering.

The warm winds of the storm have passed. The cold now touches the survivors. Many are without power. They huddle in flooded homes or shelter in temporary retreats. Much of what they owned is destroyed. Some wear borrowed clothes.

I worry that I have made too light of Halloween. Not all spirits are good. Not all ghosts are small and helpful.

Wind, rain and water are good. What propels them to cause such ill to so many is not good. It is bad.

This Halloween with this Hurricane, I am reminded to be be careful in what I say, to be wary in what I do, and to care for those in need.

I know that in our culture Halloween is more custom than belief. As much as anyone, I enjoy a good tale of spooks, spectres and ghosts. In such writing, in my writing, I am convicted by these events that there should be a recognition of the malevolence that is present here on our Earth. If what I have written has in any way diminished the caution we must each practice for ourselves and others, I regret those words and retract those statements.

There is a dark side, as there is a bright side. There is bad, as there is good. There are those that work to make things right, and there are those that do not. There is evil, and we must guard and fight against it. There are those who have been damaged by its touch, and those we must help.

As we pray for the safety of friends, family and neighbors damaged by this storm, let us be ever more diligent in guarding the safety of our children on this Halloween night.

Grandpa Jim

Boo! Trick or Treat? Wow, that’s some costume.

When did Halloween start and why?

The word “Halloween” is a shortened form of “All Hallows’ Eve.” Halloween is the eve or evening before “All Hallows’ Day.” To “hallow” is an old English verb meaning to make holy or to “sanctify.” When used as a plural noun, “hallows” refers to all those who have passed from this life and are now holy persons or “saints” in the next world. So, Halloween is the evening before All Hallows’ Day or All Saints’ Day.

Holy persons have always been remembered. Many view martyrs as saints. On May 13, 609 A.D., Pope Boniface IV established “All Martyrs’ Day.” Recognizing there are more saints than martyrs, in 835 A.D., Pope Gregory IV expanded the festival to include all saints and renamed the day “All Saints’ Day.” To coincide with the Celtic festival of Samhain, Pope Gregory moved the observance of the holy day, or holiday, to November 1st.

Samhain (which can be pronounced Sah–win) was one of the most important days in the medieval Celtic calendar. Samhain is half-way between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice. For the Celts throughout northern Europe, November 1^st was the start of their New Year (which we celebrate on January 1^st). The day marks the transition between the warm months of the sun to the cold months of the dark.

In ancient times in the Northern Hemisphere, the cold months were the sad months because without the heating systems we have today, many of the sick and elderly could not survive the days of cold, snow and ice. Sadly, they passed on. Samhain was a time to remember those who had left this world. In that respect, it coincided well with the All Saints’ Day of the early popes, which also remembered those in the next life.

In early Celtic thought, October 31^st, the night before their New Year, was a “thin time.” Those early people saw it as a night when the boundaries that surrounded the worlds of the living and the dead somehow mysteriously came closer together, touched, and thinned. In those thin places on that night, it was thought that one might see and even move through to the other realm, and those in that other place might do the same. Perhaps a part of this view was a wish to remember and see again those loved ones who had passed away and were now in that other land.

To prepare for the night, children were sent house-to-house to request wood and food for a party. (This may be the origin of those trick-or-treating children we find at our front doors.) With the gathered wood, bonfires were lit, brightening the night and inviting friends and family to gather round. In the light of the dancing flames, food was passed and treats shared. Neighbors laughed, feasted and enjoyed memories.

As the flames dwindle and the night darkens, the storytelling begins. Stories were the books of those early ones. They had few written words. On that night, remembering their own who had passed from view into the next land, I imagine some of those stories became a bit spooky and scary. A good storyteller plays to his or her audience, and this was a night when the lines between places became blurred, strange things might happen and shapes might appear. Can you see them all gathered by the fire? Suddenly, at just the right time in the story, a costumed figure jumps out from the smoke, sounds an eerie and frightening screech, and sends everyone screaming and covering their eyes.

Now, that was a good effect. You sure scared me. I like that costume.

Well, the next year, folks started showing up in costumes. You know, to ward off that scary actor before he or she appeared, or maybe to apply for the job themselves. Maybe, they wore costumes because it made the night feel more friendly, safe and welcoming to be dressed up. Maybe, they liked to dress like the ones they remembered.

We’ll never know for sure when the trick-or-treating began and the costuming started. Mystery surrounds the night of All Hallows’ Eve. That night, the night of Samhain, is, in the eyes of many, a “thin time” when forms can and do appear different than they might otherwise be. I think there will always be that which is not fully known or understood on this night.

One thing is clear, and you should remember this: When you answer the door on Halloween and hear those children’s voices echoing “Trick or Treat?” be sure to act scared, tell those kids what wonderful costumes they have on, and hand out the candy.

Whatever you do, do not forget the candy.

Have a safe, fun All Hallows’ Eve.

Get ready for a surprise.

Boo!

Trick or Treat?

Wow, am I scared!

That is some costume.

Take all the candy you want.

You’re doing a good job and stay safe out there,

Grandpa Jim.