Samhain (pronounced sah-win) is a Gaelic harvest festival celebrating the beginning of the darker part of the year. Samhain is one of the most important Pagan holidays.
Other names for Samhain include:
- All Hallow’s Eve
- Day of the Dead (Nov 1-2 Mexican holiday)
- Feast of the Dead
- The Witch’s New Year
The Meaning of Samhain:
- A celebration of those passed and the honoring of ancestors.
- The veil between the living and the dead is lifted.
- The third and final harvest.
- The end of summer and the beginning of the darker part of the year.
Deities:
- Cerridwen
- Hades
- Hecate
- Inanna
- Lilith
- Persephone
- Psyche
- Rhiannon
For your altar:
- Apples
- Bells
- Besoms
- Bones
- Jack-o-Lanterns
- Masks
- Pumpkins
- Sickle or scythe
- Skulls
- Wine
- Tarot: Death
- Rune: Othala
Stones:
- Amethyst
- Jet
- Obsidian
- Onyx
- Petrified wood
- Smoky quartz
Herbs:
- Catnip
- Lavender
- Mugwort
- Nutmeg
- Patchouli
- Rosemary
- Sage
For your table (seasonal harvest foods):
- Apples
- Beef
- Nuts
- Pears
- Pomegranates
- Pork
- Poultry
- Pumpkin
- Soulcake
- Turnips
Activities for Samhain:
- Bury apples on Samhain to feed the souls of passed ancestors.
- Carve a Jack-o-Lantern to protect your home from negative energies.
- Create a memory or ancestor altar for passed loved ones.
- Create a witch bottle to protect yourself and your home.
- Create masks as a traditional way to protect yourself from negative spirits.
- Hold a Dumb Supper, a meal where no one may talk, to honor the dead. Burn a note to a passed loved one upon completion.
- Leave a plate at your dinner table for the deceased.
- Leave offerings just outside your door to the dead.
- Make a besom for the new year.
- Perform divination while the veil is thin.
