I love Halloween, but I’m not a fan of masks. I find them scary. I didn’t even like the Lone Ranger or Zorro because they wore masks. However, I do find them interesting.

The oldest mask that has been found is from 7000 BC, but since masks were made from wood and leather it is believed they date back even farther. Most people know that Halloween came to America with the Irish. The pagan custom of wearing masks to ward off evil spirits came with them. I don’t know about evil spirits, but they certainly scare people.

During the 1918 flu epidemic masks were made from gauze in an attempt to protect people from the deadly flu. It wasn’t very effective. Today people are wearing masks in protection against the coronavirus and people have gotten quite creative with them. If this continues, I have the perfect Halloween material for a mask!

Masks for theater, meditation, funerals, and worship are all reasons to wear a mask. I learned that creating a mask with a large forehead meant wisdom and a mask with the eyes closed represented tranquility. The Romans and the Greeks were the first to wear masks for the theater and their masks were quite elaborate. I wonder if much character development was required when a mask said it all.

All cultures appear to have used masks to connect with an ancestor or the gods. Masks were made to represent ancestors to honor them and to receive a blessing from them. Perhaps insight into a problem? In worship, the masks were worn to honor a god or in fear.

I see masks worn on a daily basis and none are scary. I miss seeing people’s faces. I now see smiles in people’s eyes. I’ll send you all a smile without a mask. They’re the best kind!