Happy Halloween, Remembering Your Family

Happy Halloween everyone. Welcome to the dark time of the year, when spirits roam and pumpkins light our way. A time when we remember our ancestors in Day of the Dead celebrations and remembrance meals. At this special time of year, Jordan McGilvray tells us a tale of Jack and offers us a treat. So sit back, eat a slice of pumpkin pie, and enjoy this holiday.

Jack limped along the dirt track, grumbling to himself about the cost of every needful thing. He muttered about how cold his house was, that the peat was too hard to dig, and wood was too expensive. He grumbled about the children who stared in awe and fear as they looked at him. They made his life miserable when he went to the village, teasing him, mocking him, and calling him names.

Jack stopped and thought for a minute. He did not really care for another person in the whole world. Sometimes this worried Jack. The town priest, who read scriptures, always said that you should love your neighbors, implying that everyone was a neighbor.

“Bah,” thought Jack. “I know I care nothing for anyone or anything, but that does not make me bad.”

Jack saw the devil preparing to create a ruckus in town. Jack knew the woods very well, and he could move silently.

“I’m going to scare that devil right into a tree,” Jack thought.

He crept closer and closer until he got right behind Old Lucifer and gave the devil a scare like he had never known. The devil jumped into a tree, and Jack quickly made certain he was trapped.

“I’m not letting you out of the tree until you make me a promise,” said Jack.

“You are one mean little man,” responded the devil. “But go ahead, I am listening.”

“Never take my soul to hell,” Jack said.

“Done,” agreed the devil. And Jack released him.

A few years later Jack, after making one problem too many, found himself facing the gates of hell. Jack really had not been a good person. Now he stood there, his mind full of memories of all the good things he could have done in life, but instead chose to make bad decisions.

The devil peered at Jack through the gates.

“Well, Jack, I promised not to take your soul to hell, but I never promised you would go to heaven.”

“Where shall I go?”

“You will wander the Earth until the end of time,” responded the devil. Then he tossed Jack a cinder from the Fires of Hell. “Use this cinder to light your way in the dark world, Jack,” he suggested.

Jack took the ember, carved a lantern from a turnip, and put the ember inside. And this is how Jack became the Jack of the Lantern — or Jack-o-Lantern.

One aspect of fall and winter holidays, which I personally like, is the remembrance of ancestors and family. Many religions and traditions celebrate this aspect. Mexicans celebrate El Día de los Muertos on November first, with brightly colored altars, marigolds, sugar skulls, and favorite foods of the deceased. These items are placed on graves as gifts that honor their memories.

Some modern neopagans consider Halloween a time to celebrate the lives of those who have passed on. They create rituals that pay respect to their ancestors, family members, friends, or pets who have passed away. Sometimes, the spirits of the departed are invited to join in on the festivities.

As a special Halloween treat, I have created two forms you can use to track your family history in your planner. Genealogists use similar forms for tracing family histories. The zip file at the end of this post contains both a PDF and an Open Office file.

Pedigree Chart. A pedigree chart tracks a person and all of their known ancestors. Use this form to record personal histories for each of your family members. The version provided shows up to three generations — one person, their parents, and their grandparents. If you want to see more, you can use the Open Office form to create additional generations.

Family Group. A family group sheet records relevant information about a single family unit. A family unit in this case is a father, mother, and their children. Use this sheet to record important dates — birth, marriage, and death — as well as locations for each event. The Open Office form allows you to expand or modify the structure.

I believe this time of the year is perfect for reflecting on our family and our shared history so we can evaluate where we are going. Only by understanding the past can we intelligently look toward the future. Now you can use this season to uncover and reflect upon where you and your family members have come from as well.

Download:
Family History Forms

Pedigree Chart
A pedigree chart tracks a person and their ancestors. The included form shows three generations — an individual, parents, and grandparents. You can extend this using the editable file.

Family Group Sheet
This sheet records information about a family unit — parents and children — including important dates and locations. It can be expanded to include additional details as needed.

This season is an ideal time to reflect on family history and consider how the past informs the future. Understanding where we come from helps us choose where we are going.

Originally Posted to D*I*YPlanner.