The Halloween Show

Halloween: The Ultimate Gay High Holy Holiday

On this episode of, DJ and Rachel discuss the ancient, religious origins of the holiday now known as Halloween. The hosts then explore why the LGBTQ+ community has adopted it as a Gay High Holy Day. Returning listeners may remember similar conversation to our previous episode on Valentines Day.

Other topics include DJ’s debatably excessive holiday decorations, Dia de los Muertos, the hosts’ mutual enjoyment of Chicago’s summer and autumn weather, and why the holidays help them take stock of the good things in their lives.  

History

Dj shares some historical information about Halloween, or All Hallow’s Eve, shares its date with the Gaelic holiday Samhain, which is has Celtic Pagan roots, dating back perhaps as far as 500 BCE. Some believe that the early Church Christianized Samhain, while others believe it evolved separately. Modern Halloween traditions like increased candy consumption and dressing in costume may have evolved from certain Samhain rituals like feasting and guising. Following that DJ and Rachel reminisce on Halloweens gone by, talking of candy stores, trick-or-treating, and watching Universal monster movies. 

DJ continues the history lesson revealing Halloween’s roots as a Gay High Holy Day! Lesbian poet Judy Grahn once described Halloween as the “Great Gay Holiday,” and DJ wastes no time diving into the annual drag balls and costume contests formerly held at Cliff’s in the Castro District of San Francisco in the 1970s.

The hosts discuss drag, the concept of camp, what this means to Rachel as a trans person, and why Halloween is a safer night of the year for everyone to openly be themselves. 

DJ explains that instead of aligning with parts of the Christian community’s view of Halloween as evil, he views the holiday as a chance for everyone to cut loose and have some fun, as people do at the Halloween Parade in Chicago. 

Around the world

The show then moves to DJ’s experiences in Mexico on Dia de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead, and how Mexican culture differs in its view of death from American culture. 

Rachel and DJ wind down the conversation by discussing holiday routines, decorating for Halloween and Christmas (DJ decorates to within an inch of his life nearly every year), and using the all-too-brief Autumn in Chicago to expend the last of their energies from summer before settling in for the deep, dark winters the city is known for. 

This episode ends on a sentimental note, as the hosts reflect on how the holidays make them feel fortunate for the good things they have, and optimistic for the New Year ahead.