“The
hidden colors of the trees await the dawn of the new day, and another chance
for revelation…”
By
Patrick J. Walsh
With
the arrival of Autumn here in the Northeast, there are a lot of trees sporting vibrant
colors, as their leaves are transformed from the greens of Spring and summer to
the varied hues of Fall.
In
the park where I walk, there are colors everywhere: bright red and yellow and
orange, mixed here and there with the darker shades of purple and brown, and
still a fair amount of stubborn straggling green. The leaves mirror the bounty
of the harvest season, and the coming celebrations of Halloween and
Thanksgiving.
On
these pleasant Autumn days, it is easy to imagine nature donning her colors as
a sort of mask, dressing up like a child anticipating the delight of the
Halloween ritual of trick or treat.
 |
© Patrick J. Walsh
Each day the tree unveils a bit more color, as though it were taking part in some silent conversation… |
The
‘trick’, of course, is that the process by which the leaves change from green
to their various colors is actually the opposite of ‘putting on’ color; it is
instead a process of revelation, as the pigments already in the leaves are
revealed when the green pigment of chlorophyll fades away.
In
the Fall, when days grow shorter and trees prepare to weather the winter months
by living off their stored food, the process of photosynthesis slows and the
reduced role of chlorophyll results in the fading of the green and the
emergence of the hidden colors.
Among
all the brightly colored trees in the park, there is one in particular that
each day unveils a bit more color, as though it were taking part in some silent
conversation while it gradually changes from a vibrant green to an incredibly
vivid orange.
In
this time of reflection alternating with anticipation, I have come to think of
the tree with the bright green and orange leaves as a Halloween Tree. In its
slow transformation, it seems to costume itself as a symbol of the movement of
the days of this particular year, from the gentle warmth of summer to the
nervous chill of Autumn.
This
natural transformation of the seasons is mirrored in the historic and cultural
markings of the holiday. In its 18th century origin, “Halloween” was
derived as a contraction of “All Hallow Even (as in ‘evening’),” — a reminder
that the fanciful celebration of costumes and apparitions is in fact a
harbinger of the Christian religious celebration of All Saints Day.
In
memory and in application, as its practice passes from one generation to the
next, Halloween in these suburbs around the park reveals much about what is
important to the people who live here.
For
children, there is the innocent joy of being out after dark with family and
friends, and the excitement of visiting the neighbors to share the creativity
of a Halloween costume while receiving gifts of candy and a warm welcome. For
adults, there is the casual interaction of the social ritual, and consideration
of the larger implications inherent in the Christian rite of the following day.
And
in the muted voices of the celebration moving up and down the street and in the
coolness of the Autumn evening, there is the slow transformation of the
seasons, while the hidden colors of the trees await the dawn of the new day,
and another chance for revelation in the brief time left before winter.
©
Patrick J. Walsh
The Walk in the Park series:
• The Men
• The Hawk
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