October 7, 2008 @ 6:49 pm | Filed under: Holidays
I didn’t grow up Catholic. I converted a year before I got married and two years before I became a mother. I had studied the theology pretty intensely for the two years before my conversion, but as a new Catholic, I was clueless about many of the cultural traditions (small-t “traditions” as opposed to capital-T “Sacred Tradition,” which is kind of a big deal in Catholicism).
All Saints’ Day celebrations, for instance. I knew Halloween; I had a very good handle on Halloween. Halloween was one of the three best days of the year when I was a kid. And I’d read enough history to know the roots of jack-o’-lanterns and trick-or-treating; I knew the name came from All Hallows’ Eve (or Even, E’en), which is the night before the feast of All Hallows, or All Saints. Okay, so far, so good: I grokked that All Saints’ Day was something pretty special in the Church calendar—a rather splendid notion, actually, this setting aside of one day of the year to honor all the heroic folks who have made it to heaven.
What threw me for a loop was the way All Saints’ celebrations necessitated coming up with a second costume for each of my children, the day after Halloween. Because, you know, none of my kids have ever wanted to be the same thing for Halloween and All Saints. On All Saints, obviously, you dress up as one of the saints. Halloween is when you get to indulge your desire to be an elfin princess, or Wendy from Peter Pan, or a girl in colonial garb, or a kitty cat. (Seems like there’s always one kid who wants to be a kitty cat.)
Halloween costumes have never been my strong point. For Jane’s first Halloween (she was all of four months old), we were invited to an office party at HarperCollins, where a whole crop of new babies belonging to current and former employees were going to appear in adorable garb to be oohed and ahhed over. I had weeks to plan something creative and meltingly awesome, but I drew a blank. At the last minute, I put together a rather desperate ensemble: dark blue baby sweat pants, a white baby turtleneck, a brown stocking cap, and (brace yourself), one of Scott’s brown socks folded in upon itself and secured at Jane’s little tiny knee, with the blue pants tucked in. This, you see, was supposed to be a wooden leg, and Jane was an old sailor. I fashioned her a wee black eye-patch out of construction paper and a shoelace, but that turned into a chew toy after about six seconds.
Pathetic, I know. There she was among all the chubby little pumpkins and pods of peas and fluffy bunnies, a rugged old salt with a floppy wooden leg, with wads of soggy black paper stuck to her chin.
I really haven’t improved much since that day, and it has been a relief to have my children grow old enough to make their own costumes. But still: two costumes, two days apart, for five children—it’s a pretty tall order. (Okay, I have yet to bother providing All Saints costumes for my two youngest children, and for Halloween the youngest child in our family always wears the amazing and super-adorable zebra costume my sister made for Jane’s second Halloween—taking pity on the poor child, no doubt.)
But this year: listen to my enormous sigh of relief. Here it is three weeks before the Big Days, and we are well on our way—thanks to the gorgeous handiwork of the talented seamstress behind the scenes of Our Coats of Many Colors. We were asked if we’d like to check out a few of her costumes for a look-see, and I said yes quicker than you can say “pathetic old sailor costume.”
The St. Brigid of Ireland costume is my favorite, and not just because she’s my confirmation name-saint. I love the deep-green hooded cloak and the Celtic knots on the gown’s trim. Jane was ecstatic: this lovely creation will double as a Lord of the Rings-style costume for Halloween. She’d better enjoy it while she can because now that she’s catching up to me in height, I’m pretty sure this gown would fit me too, if I weren’t seven months pregnant. I know what I’m wearing to next year’s Comic-Con.
I jest. I’ll be toting an infant by then. I’ll need the nursing version of this dress.
Rose’s patron saint is St. Catherine of Siena, so that’s the other costume we requested. She loves it. I foresee many an All Saints’ celebration featuring a Peterson in a habit.
You know I have much envy admiration for people who can sew well. I’m really impressed with how well made these costumes are. The fabric is good quality, the detailing is superb, and I can tell the costumes will hold up to the years of dress-up games and celebrations in their future.
So that’s two kids down, three to go. I’m thinking Rilla would make an adorable Crusty Old Sailor, if only I can find Scott’s brown sock.
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My Bernie got the St. Brigid costume too – and it IS gorgeous!!! Have fun with your celebrations.
Posted on October 7th, 2008 at 7:31 pmI grew up Catholic, went to Catholic school from 3rd grade right on through all-girls convent high school and I never even once dressed up for All-Saints day. Church? Yes. Costume? No. Lucky kids… :grumble: I do have some fond memories of St Joseph’s altars from his feast day that no one I know has even heard of.
Posted on October 7th, 2008 at 7:32 pma stash of face paints is my standby for hallowe’en – with that they can be pretty much everything and just root through their wardrobes for clothes of the right colour!
Posted on October 9th, 2008 at 4:36 amMy name saint too! And I am going to have to check out Our Coat of Many Colors next year (heard about it too late this year…)
Posted on November 1st, 2008 at 3:39 pm