MATT CHEETHAM
Opinions Writer

Halloween has always been a holiday closely associated with death.

We may prefer not talk about this grisly reality, because dressing up as the Hulk and eating candy is a slightly more appealing visual — but ultimately, Halloween really is all about death.

The name “Halloween” is derived from the 16th century Scottish saying “All Hallows even’,” meaning the evening before All Hallows Day. This particular night was dedicated to remembering Samhain, a Celtic term roughly translated to “Summer’s end.” It was a sacred tradition where ghosts and spirits would return from the underworld to visit and socialize with the living.

Now, some of you are probably wondering what this has to do with anything other than being a nice history lesson in Pagan festivals. Allow me to fill you in.

Over the last few months, through sheer coincidence, I have become friends with someone who works at a funeral home. This person has taken me into a world that is deeply fascinating, because people for the most are uncomfortable around the notion of death. After all, at some point, we are all plagued by the grand unanswered question: “What happens when we die?”

As a simple tourist who once was very uncomfortable with being in a funeral home (due to the simple fact that it is where dead bodies are kept), I have since become relatively comfortable with, even desensitized, to the idea of death.

As clichéd as it sounds, being surrounded by death makes you want to want to experience life all the more. While still a strange, dark and macabre subject for me to dwell upon, the people who inhabit the curious underworld of funeral business on a daily basis have shown me that it gives one pause to lighten up, because after all, it’s just death. What’s the big deal?

I have heard many unusual stories — some that have made me laugh uncomfortably, others that have turned me white with fear and horror. For me, death was once a scary, taboo concept. Now, going to a funeral home seems no different than visiting a friend at a store or a restaurant.

I, for one, am more excited than ever for this upcoming Halloween because I feel I have come to understand the holiday for what it was originally intended to celebrate: death. And while I will fondly remember those that have died and have had an impact on my life, I will also focus on living my own life and having a great night because hey, I’m still here and I should be making the most of it.

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image: Tony Case