The last time we saw a full moon on Halloween, all across our country, was in 1944. Technically, a full moon can occur on Halloween about every eighteen or nineteen years, just not here. Tomorrow night’s full moon will also be a blue moon, meaning it is the second full moon this month. The last full moon, known as the Harvest moon, was on October 1st. Blue moons occur only about every two and a half years or, “once in a blue moon”, meaning not that often.
Samhain, the original Celtic celebration that happened at the end of harvest time, also marked the end of the year and the beginning of a new year. Since the full moon this Halloween is also a blue moon, we have double the cause for celebration. It also falls on a Saturday. This has been a rough year. Due to the pandemic, quarantines, isolation, and loss of livelihood for many, a lot of us are feeling down in the dumps. Wearing masks has become the new normal, so let’s get creative here! We may have to celebrate virtually, but we can do that. It has been said that we should give thanks for our good even before it is received; that we should ask, believing that our desire has already been granted. It seems to me that this time of year is a far more practical time for the new year to begin. Let’s celebrate a world recovered from COVID19 and everyone having enough food and shelter. Let’s celebrate the possibility of peace and the end of racism. Let’s celebrate a new earth with trees and forests returning and plentiful flora and fauna to inhabit them. Let’s celebrate a renewed planet where everyone practises kindness. Let’s start now, to give Halloween an entirely new meaning. Happy Halloween everyone!
