When it comes to religion’s role in the upcoming scare-filled, candy-heavy holiday, there’s so much I could say, about judgment houses, the Baptist alternative to haunted houses; Jesus-o-Lanterns, the light of the world shining through a pumpkin shell; or track-or-treating, distributing evangelical pamphlets along with candy.

Instead of focusing on Christianity’s reaction to what Halloween has become, though, I’m going to take it old school, back to the religion’s Celtic roots. In Chicago, the Irish American Cultural Heritage Center has sponsored some events this week to celebrate Samhain—pronounced “sow (rhymes with cow)-en.”

The center, in Albany Park, has mixed-media work on display in its gallery, in an exhibit entitled “Samhain/Day of the Dead…thinking about Persephone.” The show, with works representing the cycle of life, death and rebirth, will remain open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. on weekends and weekdays by appointment through Nov. 16.

Halloween’s origins as Samhain are darker and more conceptual than the pumpkins, cobwebs and skeletons that symbolize the holiday today. Oct. 31, for the Celts, marked the day where the boundary between the living and the dead becomes “almost permeable as the days darken and become colder,” according to Rev. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite a Chicago Theological Seminary professor.

Thistlethwaite chronicled “All Hallows’ Even,” later adopted by the Christians as the night before All Saints Day and All Souls Day in the Newsweek-Washington Post blog OnFaith. Beliefnet has more on the holiday’s history.

For Celtic-style All Hallows’ Even fun, visit the 5th Province Pub, at the Irish American Cultural Center (4626 N. Knox Ave.), to hear Irish Musician Joe McShane, as well as some traditional storytellers and poets.

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