By Alex Von Stade, PM — Jr. Warden
Brethren: Welcome to the month of October. The name October comes from the Latin word “Octo” meaning the number eight. Originally, October was the eighth month. However, when the Roman calendar was revised to a twelve month format, October became the tenth month, despite it’s original name. There are two notable holidays in October; Columbus Day or Indigenous People’s Day on October 14th and Halloween on October 31st.
Columbus Day is a Federal Holiday that celebrates Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the Americas on October 12, 1492. Columbus Day was made a national holiday in 1937 and became a Federal holiday in 1971. In 2019, a resolution was passed by Congress to recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous People’s Day instead of Columbus Day.
Halloween was traditionally called “All Hallows’ Eve and is celebrated on the evening before All Saints Day or November 1st. The origin of Halloween is related to an ancient festival celebrated by the Celts and Druids known as Samhain. It was believed that during this time of the year the division between the living and the dead was the thinnest. Later, the Romans embraced some of the Celtic traditions including Samhain. Following the Roman Empire, Samhain was again modified when All Saints Day was adopted.
Have a Happy and safe Halloween.
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