I love nature, I love the seasons we have in the UK, and while I do not consider myself to be a follower of any one spiritual path, I do love the Pagan and Wiccan ways of living. To me, giving thanks, releasing and blessing different parts of the year in time with the seasons, makes the most sense to me. And one of my favourite celebrations is Halloween (or Samhain pronounced Sow-en).
I investigated this particular celebration (otherwise know as a Sabbat) some time ago as I wanted to know what was behind our western Halloween traditions, and so here I am revisiting this because it’s great to gain knowledge and awareness behind why we do what we do.
Samhain takes place on the 31st of October and in Pagan traditions is New Year’s Eve. The Celts believed that the 31st of October was the end of summer and the 1st of November was New Year’s Day, so Pagan traditions carry on into the 1st of November and merriment continues.
Samhain according to the book ‘The Wiccan Way – A Path To Spirituality; Self- Development’ by Sally Morningstar states:
“Samhain is the festival of remembering the ancestors, marking the end of the Celtic year and the dawning of the new year, and honours the last of the harvest festivals for the year just passing. The crops are in and the days become ever shorter and darker. Since this night ( October 31) rests on the threshold between the old and new year, it is considered to reside between the worlds. Thus, the veils that separate spirit from matter are thinner and more easily crossed than at other times of year. This is an ideal night for divination as well as for remembrance.”
This explanation makes sense in that we have crossed the tradition over into it being a spooky night of the year full of ghosts and ghouls and goblins. To me, it’s a great time to light some candles, to remember my family who have passed before me, to raise a glass of thanks to them and to celebrate a new beginning.
The ancient traditions involved lighting giant bonfires on the 31st of October and the people would gather around the fire to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. This was symbolic of giving the Gods and Goddesses a share of the previous year’s harvest, and the fire was also a part of cleansing the old year and getting ready for the new.
Many of these celebrations involved wearing costumes (hence why we adapted this into our Halloween) and dancing took place around the bonfire. The dances represented stories of the cycle of life and death and the cycle of the wheel of life.
At the end of the celebrations on the morning of the New Year, each family would take a burning ember from the remaining sacred bonfire and take it home. As their own home fires had been extinguished during the day, they were relit with the sacred flame of this fire, which acted as a protection for the home and family, and as a way of unifying the small communities. The fires would be kept burning for several months to protect them during the harsh winter.
So where do our Halloween traditions come from?
- Wearing a costume – This was to honour the dead who are allowed to rise on this eve from the netherworld. Costumes were also worn to hide from the dead, who may be up to trickery on this evening.
- Jack-O-Lantern (carving turnips) – apparently a souling custom, which was a way of remembering souls trapped in purgatory. Pumpkins were brought in to celebrate the end of the harvest, but were not related to the Halloween date until the late 19th century.
- Trick-or-treating is similar to the medieval practice of souling, where the poor would go door to door on November 1st, begging for food in exchange for prayers for the dead on All Souls’ Day (November 2nd).
- Apple Bobbing (place apples into a large container filled with water, place your hands behind your back and see if you can bite into a bobbing apple) – Similar to the tradition of hanging apples from string, apple bobbing was not just a game to see who could grab the apple with their teeth and enjoy the fun to be had there, but was a form of divination. It was believed that the first person to bite the apple would be the next person to get married. An ancient tradition, along with many Halloween traditions, where communities would come together and there would be dancing and feasting, and people would relate strongly to the transient nature of life and death and make it into a celebration.
- Orange and Black – The colours orange and black are significant to this particular Sabbat (Samhain). Orange represents the awakening of the dawn that comes during Yule (Dec 21st – 1st January) when the God is reborn. And black represents the time of darkness after the death of the God (represented by fire and sun) during an earlier Sabbat known as Lughnasadh (also known as Lammas) and the waning light of the day.
Some of the things you can do on Samhain can include:
- Welcome and thank the spirits of the ancestors, your guardian angels, and spirit guides. Share your thoughts for those friends and family who have died, but do not attempt to call them back in any way.
- Light a fire and place in it an object, something written on paper, or something symbolic like a twig or leaf that you wish to transform or purify. Speak it out. Honour the cycles of endings and rebirth.
- Eat an apple and use the seeds to share with each other whatever you wish to incubate during the winter months – and eat them.
- A good night for doing tarot readings, consulting the ancestors, asking for guidance. Ask your spirit guides to protect you and work with you, to help you on your spiritual path.
SAMHAIN – HALLOWEEN – COMPETITION & REVIEW
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Kelly Martin, author of ‘When Everyone Shines But You’ is a dedicated writer and blogger who fearlessly explores life’s deepest questions. Faced with a decade of profound anxiety and grief following the loss of her father and her best friend Michael, Kelly embarked on a transformative journey guided by mindfulness, and she hasn’t looked back since. Through her insightful writing, engaging podcasts, and inspiring You Tube channel Kelly empowers others to unearth the hidden treasures within their pain, embracing the profound truth that they are ‘enough’ exactly as they are.
I always carve turnips for my kids as my mum used to carve them for me and my siblings – she would also always make a huge pan of homemade broth using the left over turnip and we would eat it before we went trick or treating. Now every Halloween I do the same – carve turnips and make homemade broth! Halloween wouldn't be the same without it!
All time fave is dressing up the front of the house as spooky as possible – What a lark!!
Oh I love that, I am a Geordie and we always carved turnips (not pumpkins) but we never had broth sounds a wonderful tradition.
all good fun, I love dressing up, I don't really have the opportunity to as much now but love the traditions of this season.
I love dressing my house up and my children, we play bobbing apples, spooky musical statues, I make lots of food halloween related and place a pumpkin at the window so trick or treaters call for some fun.
Pumpkin carving,I love to watch them glowing in the dark.
My two boys are a little bit too old to go trick or treating now but that was always my favourite bit! Getting them ready and one trying to outdo the other to see who had the scariest and most gory mask!
We guage the success of our efforts by how many people are too spooked to approach – but we are nice really & always hand out really cool stuff including non food in case we get someone come past who cannot eat sugery goodness
Sounds great and I love the idea of non-sugary food. Enjoy!
sounds so much fun, I wish I had children sometimes to do this with lol
Making pumpkin stew with my mum, grandma & little brother!
Setting a place at the table to remember loved ones no longer with us
Dressing up and eating sweets as it reminds me of being a child.
Eating sweets!
Love seeing all the kids dressed up & trying to be scary!!
tick or treating 🙂
Having a party for my children and their friends
SEEING HOW EXCITED THE KIDS GET BEFORE THEY GO 'TRICK OR TREATING'
Pumpkin carving 🙂
I always enjoy pumpkin carving
Apple bobbing
trick or treating
My favorite Samhain tradition is setting an extra place at my dinner table for my family who
Have passed on. Then those who have passed are welcomed to join our feast.
I like seeing the children dressed up.
trick or treating 🙂
Making a Pumpkin lantern
Avoiding black cats!
Pumpkin lantern and pumkin soup!
lots of pumpkin carving and enjoying pumpkin recipes afterwards!
pumpkin carving great fun for all ages
I love carving detailed pumpkins. Done it every year since 2009. I love creating atmosphere by candlelight,and scent:)
I love this idea so much, I am going to do this.
why are you avoiding black cats Stevie ? (wide grin).
wonderful, I wish I was as creative with a carving knife.
Just love pumpkin carving.
carving a pumpkin and apple bobbing 🙂
It's fun seeing the kids dressed up as ghosts and spooks 🙂
Carving a pumpkin then putting in a candle. We put it on our doorstep to invite the children to call for their treats.
Carving a pumpkin with my children because it is wonderful to do it together as a family
The pumpkins with lights inside.
🙂 <3
pumpkin carving – definitely!
pumpkin carving:-)
I love bobbing for apples!
I work in elderly care and see a fair few people die without family or friends to mourn them, I sit somewhere quiet and recall their names and faces as best I can, and think about my own family and friends who are no longer with us. I find it a very reflective time and its a very special night for me. Oh, and I like dressing up too!
The kids love getting dressed up then going trick or treating
The kids happy faces.
trick or treating
carving pumpkins, it's creative and they look great lit up at night 🙂
Trick or treating 🙂
I like going to special events at like stately homes or museums 🙂
Decorating the house.
bobbing for apples
I love carving pumpkins
It's my birthday so I eat cake :0) and party
Its christmas as then i have all my family with me
ITS got to be the carving of the turnip
Apple bobbing – guaranteed lots of giggles
Setting alter and treats for departed family/friends
Trick or Treating with my grandchildren. I couldn't get away with it alone.
My husband sometimes grows his own pumpkin, he did it one year and it was the first food our baby boy ate, that was wonderful 🙂
Costumes are definitely my favorite part of the holiday. Not only do I love the fun my children have dressing up but I enjoy it myself too!
pumpkin faces
I love Halloween – we don't go completely over the top but I love to decorate the mantle on my fireplace with candles and little pumpkin and ghost ornaments. 🙂
Dressing my daughter up in her little Halloween costume
Any excuse to overeat, I like the toasted marshmallows
Favorite Tradition: Dressing up!
oh how lovely, that is great to hear.
you keep your traditions from Christmas going into Halloween?
Its halloween don't you mean?
What a beautiful way to connect with this season. Thanks for sharing this.
great day to be born!
making pumpkin faces with my kids cause they really enjoy it.
Dressing up and eating lots of yummy sweets!
Taking the kids trick or treating. x
I am hoping a family tradition will count . We have never liked celebrating the Bonfire Night/Guy Fawkes tradition so Halloween is our night to provide the kids (and to be honest most of the adults) in the family with some of the trappings of that "celebration". After some games and fireworks we usually end up around the bonfire with baked potatoes telling scary stories . Its great to be away from the lights, TV, games consoles etc and just rely on our imaginations .
When I tried to pin from the ap it didnt work but couldnt edit . Have pinned vua pinterest share button below x
seeing all the kids dressed up because they are cute
Dressing the kids up & seeing how excited they get when we take them trick or treating
I love seeing how excited my children are when they dress up in their costumes. I don't take my children Trick or Treating but instead we have a sweetie treasure hunt around our house and garden!
trick or treating
carving gourds to decorate
Christmas eve love it!
i always have a line of salt over my doorstep on halloween to protet the house from evil spirits. my grammy used to do it and it just became part of the tradtions
baking Halloween cakes
putting up teh halloween decorations!
Making caramel apples. (Gianna)