The Saints and Us

Halloween was never really part of my culture in Sicily but I'm always happy to add a special day to my calendar and Halloween was spent carving pumpkins and distributing sweets to the few children who came knocking on our door... the healthy option of scary pumpkin tangerines in disguise was offered but never taken =).

As for the festivity of 'All Saints' when I was young and living in Catholic Italy it was a National Holiday that meant no school, no work, Holy Mass in the morning and of course a big dinner. Living in England things are very different as we all go to work and school and it is necessary to highlighting the feast in some other way. So we have to start our own traditions or that I was not aware of growing up in Sicily like 'All Saints' Parties'. 

This year we organised our first 'All Saints' Tea Party'. After school and having celebrated with the community of Saints at Mass all the children of the extended family came to our house for a lovely special tea time.

The children dressed up (and so did I) as their favourite Saint, told us their story and played Saintly Games.

We are at the end of these three busy days where the contrast between good and evil, death and eternal life, sin and sainthood was emphasized, discussed according to the age of the children and the joy of the Christian Community experienced.