Crisp air like a freshly picked apple and leaves the colors of sunset indicating the ending of a season; here comes Autumn and with it a very popular pagan holiday: Samhain!
This is a remake of my original Samhain post. This one is going to be a long one so buckle up!~
While us those in the northern hemisphere are celebrating Samhain, our friends in the southern hemisphere will be celebrating Beltane!
The name âSamhainâ (pronounced Sah-when) comes from the Old Irish samain which literally means âSummerâs endâ as it was created using Old Irish sam âSummerâ and fuin âendâ (etymonline.com).
By now Iâm sure youâve guessed Samhainâs origin, itâs a Celtic* festival, one of four major holidays.
**In this post when I refer to âCeltsâ or âCeltic peopleâ I am referring only to the Insular Celts, more specifically the Gaelic-speaking Celts. To learn the difference between Celtic and Gaelic please read this article
For these Celts, Samhain was the beginning of the new year. Due to the oral nature of the culture, not much is known about the traditions of Samhain, though we have some documentation from other cultures as well as some ideas from historians as to what they may have done.
The traditions of Samhain may vary by group or even by family, but one common tradition was to have a large, public sacred bonfire. (Fun fact, the term âBonfireâ comes from the English âbonefireâ meaning literally âa fire of bonesâ). During these bonfires, the Celts would sacrifice livestock and crops as offerings to their deities.
Households would extinguish their hearth fires earlier that day and would take the flame from the public bonfire to reignite their hearths. This was likely to represent renewal or new beginnings as they transitioned to the new year as well as a representation of community.
The veil between this world and other worlds is thought to be very thin on Samhain, making it easier not only for us to reach out to spirits, deities, and the like, but for them to reach out to us. These otherworldly beings are thought to be able to influence our world more powerfully during Samhain.
In some places, like Britanny, they believed that the dead would visit their living friends and relatives during this time.
In Welsh tradition, people would leave out food, leave doors unlocked, and prepare the house for the spirits of relatives that may come to visit.
Large turnips were hollowed out and would have faces carved into them and then place on window sills to ward off evil spirits.
In other places, like Scotland, Samhain was a time for mischief. Young men would dress up as spirits, donning masks, painting their faces, or wearing costumes.
Divination was very popular during this time, especially marriage divination. This wasnât just done by druids but by the common folk as well.
In some places, it was considered taboo to forage for fruit or grain during and after Samhain, it was thought that the fae or spirits would have passed over and tainted them. There were even laws against doing so.
Samhain is the Irish name for the month of November.
Samhain is one of the four main holidays of the ancient Celts, the other three are Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Imbolc.
Pigs were the choice of sacrificial animal for Samhain.
Samhain was a sacred time that often welcomed assemblies and would be used to settle important business matters like the inauguration of new kings, debts being paid, and trials.
In Celtic mythology, the Second Battle of Mag Tuired begins on Samhain.
Trick-or-treating is a modern-day tradition but could have derived from the many different traditions of old.
The Cailleach is a seasonal goddess said to rule the âdarkâ side of the year (fall and winter) and would rule between Samhain and Beltane. Likewise, the goddess Brigid would rule the âlightâ side of the year between Beltane and Samhain.
While Wiccans may celebrate Samhain as part of their Wheel of the Year, it is not a Wiccan-specific holiday and has ties to much older traditions.
Modern Halloween is an amalgamation of Samhain and the Christian All Hallowsâ Eve or All Saintsâ Day and All Soulsâ day. Halloween found its popularity after many Celts immigrated to North America.
Similar to these holidays is DĂa de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) which originated in Mexico. This holiday reunites the living and the dead, allowing the spirits of loved ones to cross back over to our world for a short period of time. Families will make altars and give offerings to those who have passed. Festivities and celebrations are held during this time. It is traditionally held on November 1st or 2nd but is celebrated on October 31st or November 6th depending on the location.
As long as youâre aware of and honor the history of Samhain and are being respectful you can celebrate this holiday however you choose!
Here is a list of correspondences and the like that I found throughout my research for Samhain, some have historical backing and others donât. Take what speaks to you and leave what doesnât.
Mead, beer, and mulled wine
Bread, soul cakes, pies, and other such pastries.
Apples, squash, and potatoes.
Warm colors such as red, orange, brown, and yellow.
The Morrigan and The Dagda seem to be the main deities for Samhain as per Celtic mythology but you could also choose to honor any Celtic deity or even other deities on this day, especially those involving liminality and death such as:
Here are more liminal deities and here are more death deities.
Spirit work: honoring or communicating with spirits
Banishing and cleansing (out with the old and in with the new!)
Decorating or creating an altar for Samhain
Death in the Tarot often means âthe end of something with the promise of something new on the horizonâ, and represents transition the perfect card for a holiday of similar sentiment.
The World tarot card indicates cycles, closure, and completion.
Fehu can represent new beginnings.
Eihwaz represents transformation, out with the old and in with the new, which pairs well with the ancient Celtic new year.
In Samhain's past, it wasnât uncommon for men to dress in traditionally womenâs clothes and women to dress in traditionally menâs clothes. While the social idea of gender is shifting and we donât gender clothes as often in some modern societies, we can still use this as a way of celebration. Androgyny is like the liminal version of gender, neither male nor female. So trans witches or gender non-conforming witches of all flavors: show yourself some extra love this coming Samhain holiday!
References and Further Reading
The Ancient Origins of Halloween - History.com
Samhain - Worldhistory.com
Halloween Customs in the Celtic World - by Bettina Arnold
Samhain - Flying the hedge
Secular Celebrations - Samhain - @breelandwalker
yousharknotpass
baratheonpilled
prguitarman
annaxmalina
turnnoffyourmind
pixelskylines
