Samhain – (pronounced sow-win) is the Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the winter. It is also known as the third harvest.
What does Samhain mean to you?
Well I can say that before I began to study and read on my current path I didn’t even know there was a thing as Samhain. I always knew the day, October 31st as “Halloween”. Even growing up in a Lutheran home we were allowed to celebrate it by dressing up and going trick-or-treating.
We were even able to celebrate it in school which no that I think about it was strange. I still see the time of the year as Halloween from the perspective of the retail side and the kids coming by for Trick R Treating. But now I also see it as the time to remember those who have passed beyond the thin veil. To let go of things past and look toward the future.
How did/will you honor it?
Unfortunately this year I was not able to honor the Samhain part of the day. Economic limits and time constraints didn’t lend to getting candy and decorating the house. All of this also prevented me from attending any sort of organized gathering or ritual.
Maybe next year.
Do you separate your Pagan rituals from your modern Halloween traditions?
Yes and No. Yes the performing of the Samhain ritual is separated but I incorporate decorating the house into all of it. It is so hard to tell what is for ritual and what is for decorating for the sake of Halloween. I don’t bother to separate that part out.
Thank you Sunfire for this quick prompt from Pagan Blog Prompts. It is nice to get to writing again.
