Vigil of All Saints

Fr. Davis noted in an e-mail last week to the Parish that Hallowe'en (All Hallow's Eve) was originally "known as the Vigil of All Saints, which is the feast we'll celebrate the following morning (Sunday, Nov. 1), a Day of Holy Obligation, and a feast day that originated in the ancient Anglican Church (did you know?)."

Actually, I didn't know but it doesn't surprise me after having encountered, in Scots Gaelic class, the Celtic roots of Hallowe'en in Samhain. There's always the possibility of distortions in current presentations, but our old readings in Gaelic about Samhain gave credibility to a rather Christianized observance of the occasion back at the time of writing, from which All Saints is not at all a long reach.

Unfortunately we missed this evening's observance, which was at the least featured Evensong/Holy Communion followed by a (potluck?) supper in the Parish Hall. Through a series of circumstances we found ourselves free this afternoon to deliver a couple of large framed photographs related to ancient Egypt (yes, one included the Sphinx and Cheops) to a good friend who decorated her house on this theme. Things ran a bit late but as it turns out it was in an extremely good cause, one we had not expected. I hope Fr. Davis will forgive our absence this evening.