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The Origins of Samhain

The most sacred holiday celebrated throughout the Wheel of the Year is Samhian. Sometimes referred to as Halloween, Hallows, Hallowmas, or All Hallows Eve - the "hollow" in all of these names comes from the Middle English word that means "holy." The name "Halloween" means "hallowed evening". The traditional Celtic name for this night is Samhian (pronounced something like; 'sow-en'), which may mean "summer's end" or may be named after Samana, an Aryan death god who is the Grim Reaper and leader of the ghosts of our ancestors. The veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is thinnest on this night. Celtic tradition says that all those who die each year must wait till Samhain before crossing into the spirit world where they will begin their new lifes. At this moment of crossing, the spirit of ancestors who still have unfinished business in this world may appear. In ancient times, people who feared the presence of hostile spirits would attempt to drive them away with grotesque faces carved on pumpkins lit from within by a candle. Samhian is the time to celebrate the Crone, the wise one, the healer. In modern times, she is represented as the witch flying on a broom with her familiars, the owl and the black cat, across the full moon. In the Demeter/Persephone myth, it is the time when Demeter finds Persephone in the underworld and begins the long journey to bring her back. Samhain is a celebration of the link between the living and the dead. Ponder the fact that directly opposite Samhain on the Wheel of the Year is Beltane, that joyous, exuberant celebration of light and life.
(from Stardancer' s Wheel of the Year)
 
 

More Information on Samhain and Halloween!

Originally, a pagan festival of the dead, which has survived to the present in popular culture as Halloween, a night of trick-or-treating by children and others dressed in costumes of fantasy and the supernatural. All Hallows Eve is observed the night of October 31, followed on November 1 by All Hallows Day, also called All Hallowmas, All Saints' Day and All Soul's Day. The ancient Celts called the festival Samhain (pronounced sow' an) and observed it to celebrate the onset of winter and the beginning of t h e Celtic New Year; "samhain" means "end of summer." In Ireland the festival was known as Samhein, or La Samon, the Feast of the Sun. In Scotland, the celebration was known as Hallowe'en. Samhain was a solar festival marked by sacred fire and fire rituals. During the height of the Druids, the priestly caste of the Celts, all fires except those of the Druids were extinguished on Samhain. Householders were levied a fee for the holy fire which burned at their altars. In ancient Ireland, the Druids scarificed t o the deities by burning victims in wickerwork cages. All other fires were to be extinguished and were relit from the sacrificial fire. Samhain marked the third and final harvest, and the storage of provisions for the winter. The veil between the worlds o f the living and the dead was believed to be at its thinnest point in the year, making communication between the living and the dead much easier. On the eve of the holiday, the souls of the dead freely roamed the land of the living.

The Romans observed the holiday of Feralia, intended to give rest and peace to the departed. Participants made sacrifices in honor of the dead, offered up prayers for them, and made oblations to them. The festival was celebrated on February 21, the end of the Roman year. In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. Later, Gregory III changed the date to November 1. The Greek Orthodox Church observes it on the first Sunday after Pentecost. Numerous folk customs connected with the pagan observances for the dead have survived to the present. In addition to the souls of the dead roaming about, the Devil, witches and numerous spirits are believed to be out and at the peak of their supernatural powers. In Ireland and Scotland, the custom of extinguishing one's home fire and relighting if from the festival bonfire has continued into modern times. Samhain, as it is still called in some parts, is a time for getting rid of weakness, as pagans once slaughtered weak animals which were unlikely to survive the winter. A common ritual calls for writing down weaknesses on a piece of paper or parchment, and tossing it into the fire. Cakes are baked as offerings for the sou ls of the dead. In some parts of modern Scotland, young people still celebrate by building bonfires on hilltops and high ground, and then dance around the flames. The fire is known as Hallowe'en bleeze, and custom once included digging a circular trench ar ound the fire to symbolize the sun. The custom of trick or treating probably has several origins. An old Irish peasant practice called for going door to door to collect money, breadcake, cheese, eggs, butter, nuts, apples, etc., in preparation for the festival of St. Columb Kill. Another was the begging for soul cakes, or offerings for one's self-particularly in exchange for promises of prosperity or protection against bad luck.

© Rosemary Ellen Guiley 1992
 
 

The Origins of Halloween Throughout the World

Celtic: The ancient Celtic (Irish, Scottish, Welsh) festival called Samhain is considered by many to be a predecessor of our contemporary Halloween. Samhain was the New Year's Day of the Celts, celebrated on 1 November. It was also a day of the dead, a time when it was believed that the souls of those who had died during the year were allowed access to the land of the dead. It was related to the season: by Samhain, the crops should be harvested and animals brought in from the distant fields. Many traditional beliefs and customs associated with Samhain, most notable that night was the time of the wandering dead, the practice of leaving offerings of food and drink to masked and costumed revelers, and the lighting of bonfires, continued to be practiced on 31 October, known as the Eve of All Saints , the Eve of All Hallows, or Hallow Even. It is the glossing of the name Hallow Even that has given us the name Hallow e'en. The spirits of Samhain, once thought to be wild and powerful, were now said to be something worse: evil. The church maintained that the gods and goddesses and other spiritual beings of traditional religions were diabolical deceptions, that the spiritual forces that people had experienced were real, but they were manifestations of the Devil, the Prince of Liars, who misled people toward the worship of false idols. Thus, the customs associated with Halloween included representations of ghosts and human skeletons -symbols of the dead- and of the devil and other malevolent, evil creatures, such as witches were said to be.

England: Guy Fawkes Day, 5 November, is celebrated in ways reminiscent of Halloween. Guy Fawkes was accused of attempting to blow up the Houses of Parliament on that day in 1605. He was apprehended, hung, drawn, and quartered. On 5 November 1606, the same Parliament declared the fifth of November a day of public thanksgiving. The act of treason was viewed as part of a 'popish' -that is, Roman Catholic- plot against the Protestant government. Because Holloween was associated with the Catholic church calendar, its importance diminished, but many of its traditions shifted to the annual commemoration of the death of Guy Fawkes. Today, for weeks in advance of 5 November, English children prepare effigies of Fawkes, dummies known as Guys. They set them out on street corners and beg passers-by for "a penny for the Guy". The eve of the fifth is know as Mischief Night, when children are free to play pranks on adults, just as 30 October, the night before Halloween, is know as Mischief Night in m any areas of the U.S. On the night of 5 November, the Guys are burned in bonfires, just as the ancient Celts burned bonfires on 1 November.

Germany: Throughout the Western world, 1 May, like 1 November, is a day of traditional significance. The 30th of April, the eve of May 1, is in areas of Germany, particularly the Harz Mountains, Walpurgisnacht, or the eve of St. Walpurgis Day. Witches are supposed to be especially active this day, as are spirits of the dead and demon creatures from the nether world.

China: The care of the dead through prayers and sacrifices were part of a spring festival of purification and regeneration.

Japan: Bon festival, dedicated to the spirits of ancestors, for whom special foods are prepa red, occurs during the middle of the summer (one of the most important festive periods of the year). Three days in length, it is a time when everyone goes home (reminiscent of the American Thanksgiving). The first week of November is marked in many countries, especially those with a strong Catholic influence, with festivals concerned with death in a playful but serious way. In Catholic countries we often find some cognate of Halloween associated with All Saints' or All Souls' days.

In Mexico and other Latin American countries, the first and second of November are the Days of the Dead -El Dias de los Muertos. In some regions, the evening of 31 October is the beginning of the Day of the Dead Children, which is followed o n 1 November by the Day of the Dead Adults. Skeleton figures-candy (sugar skulls), toys, statues and decorations-are seen everywhere. It is a time for great festivity, with traditional plays and food. It is a time to play with death and decorating family graves, which is preceded by religious services and followed by picnics. The human skeleton or skull is the primary symbol of the day. Unlike the American Halloween, in Mexico people build home altars, adorned with religious icons and special breads and other food for the dead. The Day of the Dead incorporates recognition of death as a concept with rituals that remember the deaths of individuals.

Halloween has become one of the most important and widely celebrated festivals on the contemporary American calendar, and it is not even officially a holiday. No day off is given for Halloween, no federal decree is proclaimed establishing it as a national holiday. People simply do it.

Santino, Jack - "Halloween and other Festivals of Death and Life" University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, 1994
 
 

History of the Jack-o-Lantern

Pumpkins are carved into Ja ck O'Lanterns for Halloween. We bake them into Pumpkin pie. Tales of terror have used pumpkins to create an eerie atmosphere. How did the pumpkin become associated with Halloween? Well the answer is in the tale of an unfortunate soul named Jack. According to Irish folklore a man named Jack, well known for his drunkenness and quick temper got very drunk at a local pub on All Hallows Eve. As his life began to slip away the Devil appeared to claim Jack's soul. Jack, eager to stay alive, begged the Devil to let him have just one more drink before he died. The Devil agreed. Jack was short of money and asked the Devil if he wouldn't mind assuming the shape of a sixpence so Jack could pay for the drink and after the transaction the Devil could change back. Seeing how the Devil is quite gullible in almost all of these folk tales, he agreed again to help Jack out and changed himself into a sixpence. Jack immediately grabbed the coin and shoved it into his wallet which just happened to have a cross-shaped catch on it. The Devil, now imprisoned in the wallet screamed with rage and ordered Jack to release him. Jack agreed to free the Devil from his wallet if the Devil agreed not to bother Jack for a whole year. Again, the Devil agreed to Jack's terms.

Realizing he now had a new lease on life, at least for a year, Jack decided to mend his ways. For a time Jack was good to his wife and children and began to attend church and give charity. Eventually Jack slipped back into his evil ways. The next All Hallows Eve as Jack was heading home the Devil appeared and demanded that Jack accompany him. Once again Jack, not too eager to die, distracted the devil by pointing to a nearby apple tree. Jack convinced the Devil to get an apple out of the tree and even offered to hoist the Devil up on his shoulders to help him get the apple. The Devil, fooled once again by Jack, Climbed into the tree and plucked an apple. Jack took out a knife and carved a cross into the trunk of the tree. Trapped once again the Devil howled to be released and told Jack he would give him 10 years of peace in exchange for his release. Jack, on the other hand, insisted the Devil never bother Jack again. The Devil agreed and was released. Almost a year later Jack's body , unable to keep up with Jack's evil ways, gave out and Jack died. When Jack tried to enter Heaven he was told that because of his meanness he would not be allowed into Heaven. When Jack attempted to gain entry into Hell, the Devil, still smarting from years of humiliation refused Jack admission. However, being the kind Devil that he was, the Devil threw Jack a piece of coal to help Jack find his way in the dark of limbo. Jack put the piece of coal into a turnip and it became known as a Jack O'Lantern. On All Hallows Eve if you look you can still see Jack's flame burning dimly as he searches for a home. You might be asking yourself, "Hmmm, that was an interesting story Mr. Web Page guy but where do the pumpkins fit into this?" Well I will tell you my friendly net surfer. The use of Jack O'Lanterns as festival lights for Halloween is a custom that descended from the Irish who used carved out turnips or beets as lanterns. On Halloween, these lights represented the souls of the dead or goblins freed from the dead. When the Irish emigrated to America they could not find many turnips to carve into Jack O'Lanterns but they did find an abundance of pumpkins. Pumpkins seemed to be a suitable substitute for the turnips and pumpkins have been an essential part of Halloween ce lebrations ever since.

taken from http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Corridor/9316/jacko.html

 samhain Info

Traditional Pagan Foods of Samhain:
Apples, pumpkin pie, hazelnuts, Cakes for the Dead, corn, cranberrymuffins and breads, ale, cider, and herbal teas (especially mugwort).

Traditional Ritual Herbs of Samhain:
acorns, apples, broom, deadly nightshade, ditany, ferns, flax, fumitory, heather, mandrake, mullein, oak leaves, sage, and straw.

Samhain Altar Decorations:
a jack o'lantern, apples, candles in the shapes of Witches, ghosts, black cats, skulls, photographs of deceased loved ones, tools of divination, a small statue or figure representing the Triple Goddess in Her Crone aspect.

Samhain Incense:
apple, heliotrope, mint, nutmeg, and sage.

Sacred Samhain Gemstones:
all black gemstones, especially jet, obsidian, and onyx.

Samhain Deities:
The Goddess in Her dark aspect as the Crone, Hecate (goddess of fertility and moon-magick, and protectress of all Witches), Morrigan (Celtic goddess of death), Cernunnos (Celtic fertility god), and Osiris (an ancient Egyptian deity whose annual death and rebirth personified the self-renewing vitality and fertility of Nature.)

Samhain Candle Colors:
black, orange, red