Samhain is the highlight of one of my favorite times of year, and I’m hardly the first Pagan to feel that way. The air is colder, the changing leaves are a riot of color, and there’s a smell of woodsmoke in the air that makes my heart beat a little faster. The wind blowing ragged clouds past the moon on crisp, sparkling nights evokes feelings of freedom and exhilaration and of reveling in the possibility of mysterious and transformative communion with Gods and spirits. It’s a magical time of year.
Historically, Samhain was a Gaelic seasonal festival, the first of four (Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughasadh). It was when cattle were brought back from their summer pastures and livestock was slaughtered for winter. What we know of its historical celebration comes from Irish literature (including the Tochmarc Emire) and mythology, but a similar festival might have been held in Celtic lands. We know that bonfires were lit and rituals were probably enacted, but we don’t know what those rituals entailed, as religious rites for Samhain are not mentioned in historical literature. According to historian Ronald Hutton, from at least the sixteenth century onward, people in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the Isle of Man dressed in costumes or disguises on All Hallows’ Eve and went from house to house, usually reciting songs or verses in exchange for food. For Christians, All Hallows’ Eve precedes All Hallows’ or All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. All Saints’ Day is a time to honor the saints and All Souls’ Day is a time to pray for the souls of the recently departed who have yet to reach Heaven. These Christian traditions likely influenced our modern Pagan conception of Samhain as a time to honor the ancestors and the beloved dead.
Although we Pagans often think of Samhain as a time when “the veil between worlds is thin”—an idea we owe to James Frazer, who had a knack for poetic truth and a tenuous grasp on historical fact—Ronald Hutton explains that the supernatural may have played little role in historical pagan celebrations of Samhain. In medieval Ireland, Samhain marked the end of the season for trade and warfare and the beginning of the season for tribal gatherings. From a literary perspective, this made it an ideal temporal setting for stories about marvelous happenings; consider the stories of King Arthur and his knights that take place at Pentecost or New Year’s Day for a parallel example.
Scientifically speaking, Samhain is another cross-quarter day: it’s approximately halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. Some Pagans celebrate on November 7 instead of October 31, since November 7 is closer to the actual astronomical midpoint, but many agree that Samhain is more of a season than a single day and that it’s appropriate to celebrate any time around the end of October or the beginning of November.
A lot of modern Pagans see Samhain as a time to honor or connect with the ancestors and the beloved dead. Some set up shrines with photos of ancestors, lighting candles and making offerings to loved ones who have passed on, family members from the past both recent and distant, and ancestors of spirit whose existence influenced ours in some significant way. Another way to honor the beloved dead is to hold a Silent Supper: cook a special meal, set an extra place for your departed loved ones, and invite them to join you in the feast, which you consume without speaking. In the Victorian era, Samhain was a time for love spells and love-related divination, believe it or not: young people would work magic to try to get a glimpse of their future beloveds. Modern Pagans often do divination, pay special attention to their dreams (which many report are extra vivid at this time), and contemplate death. Some prepare for their own death by writing wills or writing instructions for their funerals. Since Samhain is traditionally associated with the Good Neighbors, it’s a good time to leave an offering outside for them. Because this is a witchy time of year even in secular culture, it makes sense to acknowledge and celebrate your fellow witches and Pagans at Samhain. Samhain decorations could include an ancestor altar, Dia de los Muertos décor if Dia de los Muertos is part of your culture, and the same kinds of Halloween decorations enjoyed by many, regardless of religion, at this time of year.
I decorated for Halloween for the first time this year: it’s only my second Halloween as an adult that I’ve had an outside to decorate, and the first time I’ve been home to enjoy the decorations on October 31 (last year I had to work well into the evening). My partner and I made floating ghosts and a creepy, life-sized jack-o-lantern man in a lab coat, whom we named Dr. Pumpkin. We handed out candy to trick-or-treaters, although I let my partner take the lead on that since he finds it more fun than I do. I watched Over the Garden Wall, which has become a Halloween tradition for me and a couple of my friends.
Sadly, my celebration was limited to the secular. I couldn’t figure out what Pagan things I wanted to do! As the only Pagan in my household, and practically the only Pagan I know, it’s sometimes hard to muster the energy to go all-out for holidays, and even daily practice can feel a bit discouraging. I’m trying to get better about that while remembering that religion isn’t a competition or an academic program. This Samhain, I just leaned into my awareness of the changing seasons and the incredible beauty of Nature in autumn. I figure there is always room for growth.
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