From the Second Church Estates Commissioner

Sir, — It is good news that the Church is seeking to reclaim Easter (News, 1 October). Perhaps it is now also time to try for the Church to try and reclaim the Eve of All Saints Day — Hallowe’en.

I have a constituent who came from America. He has a small-holding on which he specialises in growing a fantastic array of bright-orange pumpkins and squashes of different shapes and sizes.

In days gone by, he says, once the harvest was in, animals were taken in for the winter, and the maximum amount of food and fodder had been stored for the winter months, the surplus was used for a feast, as otherwise it would be wasted.

In the United States, Hallowe’en now sees almost as much activity as Thanksgiving Day. Given the ever-growing success of Christingle, and given that at this time of the year it is no longer felt necessary to give thanks for the “Happy Deliverance of King James I and the Three Estates of England from the Most Traitorous and Bloody Intended Massacre by Gunpowder”, it must be possible to find a way for churches to recapture the popularity of Hallowe’en.

TONY BALDRY
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA