All Saints' Party for Home or Classroom

This year, have a real All Hallow's eve!!

You know that Halloween, once a pagan festival, was Christianized 1,000 years ago. Even the name means "The Day Before All Saints' Day." Obviously, the best way to celebrate Halloween is not with witches, ghosts and skeletons, but with "hallowed" people-the saints!

Invitations

Let your friends know that you're having a special Halloween.

The text can read:

Come to a Holy-ween Party

Celebrating the true meaning of Halloween: All Hallows' Eve
Come dressed as your favorite saint for All Hallows' Eve.

Where:
Date:
Time:
RSVP by:
Phone:

Refreshments!

The Bible often speaks of God's Kingdom in terms of a heavenly banquet. Try serving: Heavenly Hash Ice Cream, Heavenly Day Cloud Puffs (recipe follows), Angel Food Cake, and Halo Cookies (recipe follows).

Heavenly Day Cloud Puffs

You will need:
3 egg whites (room temperature)
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
¾ cup sugar

Lightly grease baking sheet. Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. In large bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt at high speed until it forms soft peaks. Continuing to beat at high speed, add sugar gradually (2 tbs. at a time). Beat until the meringue is shiny and moist, with stiff peaks.

Drop generous tablespoons of mixture onto baking sheet, about two inches apart. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Do not remove cookies from baking sheet until cool.

Halo Cookies
You will need:
3 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
1½ cups sugar
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. baking powder
¾ stick margarine
2 eggs
2 tbs. grated lemon peel
time (dough must be refrigerated 4 hours before rolling and baking)

Part 1: Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In large bowl, beat the remaining ingredients (at medium speed) until the mixture is fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring to even consistency. Use spatula to form the dough into four balls. Wrap each in waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Part 2: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Roll dough (one ball at a time) on floured surface until less than ¼ inch thick. Use a 2½ inch cookie cutter or a large drinking glass (flour the edge!) to cut the outer edge of each cookie. With a 1 inch cookie cutter or bottle with a 1 inch mouth, cut the center out of each cookie, to form a halo. Re-roll trimmings and "holes." Place halos 1 inch apart on baking sheet. (Option: brush each cookie with a mixture of egg white and water; top with yellow sugar sprinkles, OR frost cooled cookies with yellow icing.) Bake 7 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Yields approximately 4 dozen cookies.

GAMES!

SPELL-IT RELAY

Prepare individual sheets of paper with the letters S-A-I-N-T-S. Copy one set for each team of six; for smaller teams, put two letters (in order!) on one sheet. Put each set in a box or basket.

Divide guests into teams. The first child in each team heads toward a large blank wall, picks from the team basket a lettered sheet, and tapes the sheet to the wall (letter-out). The player then returns, walking backward, and touches the next person on the team. That player goes to the basket, pulls out a sheet and must tape it above or below the other sheet, depending on where that letter falls in the word "SAINTS" and leaving space for whichever letters are missing.

The first team to spell "SAINTS" wins.

HALO TOSS

This game is played like "Ring Toss." Use gold spray paint to turn wooden embroidery hoops into halos. Before taking a turn, let each person introduce his/her saint, telling something about the saint's life.

THRONES IN HEAVEN

Give each child a paper bag with precut materials (silver or gold rickrack or trim, red or blue fabric, masking tape, and a name card). The children have seven minutes to use all the materials to turn their chair into a heavenly throne.

COSTUME IDEAS

Bible Days

For Saints from the Roman Era
(from A.D. 100 to A.D. 500)

For the basic item of clothing, make a white tunic, fastened at the waist with a rope belt. Add distinguishing accessories according to the saint's specific vocation. For a martyr, also carry a palm branch.

Pope or Bishop: Over the tunic add a colored vestment (red for a martyr) and a large cross (worn around the neck). A miter is the special "hat." Carry a cane as the "shepherd's staff" representing the bishop's duty to shepherd God's people. For Pope, add "keys" to the belt.

Priest: Over the tunic, add a colored vestment (red for a martyr).

Deacon: Over the tunic, add the special deacon's robe (called a "dalmatic"). The color can be any liturgical color. Red would be especially good for a martyr.

Virgin: White tunic; add a pastel shawl around the shoulders, and a white veil.

Hermit or monk: Long tunic in dark color. (Tunic may have a hood.) Tie a cloth sack to the belt.

Layman: Short tunic (may be a "rough" texture and color), and carry a tool of his trade (if known).

Laywoman: Long tunic (pastel color) with shawl and colored veil.

Martyr: Dress according to the saint's station in life. Carry a picture or symbol of the "instrument of martyrdom" (the way the saint died) and a palm branch.

Saints from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment
(A.D. 600 to A.D. 1700)

Pope, Bishop, Priest, Deacon: Dress as the early saints. OR:

Pope: White tunic with half-cape at shoulders and long red cape; cross around neck. Keys!

Bishop: Reddish purple tunic with half cape (same color) at shoulders: cross around neck.

Priest: Black tunic with black mantle.

Monk: This depends on the Order to which the monk belonged.

• Benedictine: Black tunic with hood, leather belt and crucifix.
• Franciscan: Gray, brown or black tunic with hood, rope belt and sandals (weather permitting!).
• Dominican: White tunic with hood and black leather belt, white scapular; half-cape around shoulders. Long black cape.
• Carmelite: Brown tunic with leather belt and scapular; long white cape.

Nun: This also depends on the Order. But for the most part, follow the Benedictine model: black tunic with crucifix around neck; leather or rope belt; rosary at belt. White headpiece; black veil draped (and safety pinned) to headpiece. White front piece may be pinned to shoulders.

• Franciscan: The first Poor Clares dressed like Benedictines. Later, they adopted a brown tunic, rope belt and sandals; veil as above.
• Dominican: White tunic, white scapular, long black cape; black veil over headpiece.
• Carmelite: Brown tunic with square neck (worn over a high-necked white shirt). Brown scapular. Black veil as above.

Layman: Short tunic (may be of a "rough" texture and color); baggy long pants. Tools of trade.

Laywoman: Long, full tunic (may be bright colors); apron; close-fitting cap (any color).

King/Queen: Dress as lay person; use rich, brocade-like fabrics for tunic. Add crown and mantle.

Saints from the Modern Period
(1800 to present)

Photographs are often available for saints who lived in the past 200 years. For nuns and priests, adapt the costume ideas from above. For example, Mother Seton would wear the black tunic and half cape, but a black cap instead of headpiece and veil. For the African and Asian saints of recent centuries, use traditional ethnic dress. (Since most of these were martyrs, carry a palm, too.)