Samhain and Halloween

Note: The book Secrets of the Druids: From Indo-European Origins to Modern Practices by Teresa Cross was a great resource for this post.

Halloween is right around the corner. Needless to say, I’m excited about its approach. This is especially true since I have a preference for dark aesthetics. I can say that Halloween for me is more of a lifestyle than a holiday.

It’s commonly said that Halloween is a Christianized version of the Celtic Pagan festival Samhain. While they are related, that’s not 100% accurate. Like so much in life, it’s more complicated than that.

We begin with the date. We all know that Halloween always lands on the same date each year (October 31st). This is because Halloween is based on the solar calendar. However, the Celts followed the lunar calendar. For them, the full moon marked the month’s change. As a result, the date of Samhain changed each year. In addition, the Celtic holy days started at sunset. Hence, the Celtic festival of Samhain began at sundown on the last full moon of the month we call October. 

Unlike the modern Halloween, Samhain wasn’t a time of fear of ghosts and evil spirits. Instead, it was time to honor the dead rather than fear them. Nor was it for just one night. The Celts celebrated Samhain for three nights that began the night of the full moon. There was "food for the dead” in which food was collected and given to the needy. In addition, there were bonfires and the carving of turnips to resemble skulls (a practice that continues in modern Halloween with pumpkins.)

So as you can see, Samhain isn’t exactly the same as Halloween. I used to celebrate these on the same day; however, starting this year, my wife and I plan to celebrate them as two different holidays. We’ll celebrate Samhain as a three day festival starting at sunset on October 28th. Each day we’ll have a different ritual to honor loved ones who have passed on to the Otherworld. Then on October 31st we’ll celebrate the secular festival of Halloween as a night of spooky fun.

Samhain

Previously, I wrote about the upcoming Pagan festival day, Samhain, and how the emphasis is on honoring one’s ancestors. After posting that, a friend asked me a simple but important question. Nowadays, when many people don’t make it a practice to ritually honor their ancestors, how is that done? How can we ritually honor our ancestors?  

(Note: I use the word “ancestor” loosely in this post. These don’t have to be family. They can be close friends who have passed, for example.)

Dumb Supper

One method is called the “Dumb Supper.” The word “dumb” here is an archaic way of saying silent, as will become apparent later. 

There is no required menu for a Dumb Supper. Some make Soul Cakes (visit here for a good recipe). However, any dish will suffice. If you have a specific ancestor in mind, I would recommend using their favorite dish if they had one.

Some recommend decorating the table in black. Black tablecloth, plates, and so forth. If you don’t have such, nearly every Halloween and party supply shop is loaded with them. However, black is not necessary. It is important to ensure each seat is fully stocked with salt, pepper, and so forth, whatever the color, so that no one feels the need to ask for something during the meal. As you set the table, there should be one seat at a place of honor where no one sits. This seat is for the ancestor(s) that you’re honoring.

The area should be designated as a sacred space. This can be by invocation, prayer, incense, or other methods. This can be done before or at the start of the supper. All phones should be silenced, and radios/ televisions turned off. If you’re hosting a Dumb Supper, you may want to remind the participants of the need for silence before it begins.

How it concludes depends on the host. One way is when each person finishes, that person sits quietly. Then the host silently motions that all may leave the table simultaneously. 

Alternative Ritual

If a Dumb Supper is impractical, something as simple as pausing to focus on the memory of an ancestor works also. If you have a photo, place it on a table, possibly next to a candle. After lighting the candle, speak from the heart. Express any feelings of gratitude. 

Conclusion

Samhain isn’t an alternative to Halloween. While Halloween started as a Christian holy day, for many, it’s now a secular festival without religious implications. So feel free to enjoy some spooky Halloween fun after your Samhain event. Life goes on despite our losses.

(The website Learn Religions was my source for a Dumb Supper.)

The Thinning Veil

Halloween is fast approaching. For most contemporary Pagans, this day is about more than just dressing up, watching spooky movies, and trick or treating. It’s also a sacred high festival day known as Samhain.

Samhain (pronounced SOW-ahn) has Celtic roots and means “Summer’s End.” It’s a time when the boundary between our physical world and the Otherworld thins, allowing easier interaction between the living and the spirit realm. Contemporary Pagans refer to this as the “thinning of the veil.”

I find the metaphor of the “veil” to be apropos. Imagine reality as a room with a veil hanging down from the ceiling dividing it in half.  The sheerer the veil, the easier it is for the occupants on both sides to interact with each other.

A positive aspect of the thinning veil is that it makes communication easier with deceased loved ones and other helpful spirits. It’s a great time to honor one’s ancestors, find closure with the deceased, and contact the spirit world. 

Unfortunately, some find contact with the deceased frightening.  Interacting with the deceased, even the benevolent dead, reminds us of our mortality and is frightening for many. The frightening aspects of the thinning veil play a significant role in the spookiness that permeates modern, secular Halloween.         

So with October 31st right around the corner, make plans to celebrate both Samhain and Halloween. Have some spooky Halloween fun. Yet also, make sure to set aside time to honor your deceased loved ones and the spirit world by celebrating Samhain.