Halloween's Origins
Halloween began as a pagan tradition that marked the end of summer and the final harvest of the year, as well as to honor death for rebirth. One way to honor the dead was through edible offerings, which have evolved into the "treats" of today's holiday. We see variations of this observance in many current-day cultures and traditions, such as Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a celebration of the lives who are no longer physically with us yet still remembered and cherished.
In the Victorian period, memento mori (a Latin phrase roughly translated as "remember that you must die") and mourning jewelry was used as a way to commemorate and remember those who had left us. Such jewelry was sometimes set with gemstones, engraved with names, initials, and the dates of birth and death. Black was the most commonly used color, while a mourning piece in white enamel signified a young death and/or someone unwed. Today, this jewelry not only connotes a specific aesthetic but also continues to serve us in the remembrance of our loved ones and our own mortality.
Taking 10 minutes of your day to remember those you have lost may be painful but it also brings them back to us for those 10 minutes. Living life with intent, acceptance and love makes this world more tolerable.