As I’ve blogged before, this is a deliberate psychic exodus from the modes of living and being that go with summer(Kondratiev 112). Food offerings outside of doors helped the needy and the homeless per the themes of the other customs Danaher wrote about. 18 Ritual Themes, Customs and Traditions for Samhain, ... Bonfires are the ancient traditional way to bless a place from the ills of evil and mischievous spirits. Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. Retraite spirituelle. Some folks would steal crops harvested and stage it as if the neighbor had taken it, or a drunken person had their face painted (202). Celebrating the dead was of great importance which is evident from the magnificent cairns and passage tombs built across the country. I roll in the all souls day practices into Samhain itself as it would have been there at one time. It’s not time to be offensive in the clothing of the opposite sex. When the dead returned, though, they were seated around the fire. The Sun God and earth fall into slumber, as the nights lengthen and winter begins. Possibly the biggest festival of the Witches’ year, Samhain is a time to remember those who have passed on, celebrate the Summers end and prepare for Winter months ahead. Folks in costumes were called Vizards, Hugadais, Buachaillí Tuí and most commonly Guisers (214). In addition to having a meal and inviting the ancestors, setting up ancestor altars is … What we know as Halloween today was derived from the Pagan holiday, Samhain, and was influenced by the ancient Romans and early Christians. by Culture Vannin (Public Domain) Samhain (pronounced “SOW-in” or “SAH-win”), was a festival celebrated by the ancient Celts halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. Afterward, unharvested crops belong to the fairies. Some of the ancient traditions … The blurring of traditions. In the presence of potential mates, things which were left undone, like spools of thread in kilns, or clothing to dry at a fire to see who would resolve them, such as re-spool the thread or flip the shirt (202). Halloween CAN Go on With These Fun Ancient Traditions ; In Ireland and many other areas, bonfires were lit in part as offerings to the spirits who walked the world during Samhain. Samhain in Ireland was an important festival, it marked the end of the bright half of the year and the start of the dark half. People call them boxty when they made them with cooked mashed potato (204). This is in direct opposition to driving your animals through the two fires at Bealtainne. Just fill a bowl with water and throw in some apples. Like Samhain, an ancient Celtic celebration which, over time and through immigration became known as Halloween, Imbolc became St Brigid's Day-- and St Brigid's Day became linked to Groundhog Day.. Contemplative efforts bring us back to childhood before ego, identity, and the rationalization of our suffering took hold. In modern times, it helps to get outside of yourself during this season. I believed in magic but was not sure about the gods for the longest. They set places around a fire, and when food was left out for the fairies, they put it in front of a fire (Evans 89). Another game involves the household making a cross and on two of its arms, they placed candles. The origins of Halloween can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. Pagan Celtic tradition held that Samhain was believed to be the time of year when the veils between this world and the Otherworld were at their thinnest. Ireland Keeps Ancient Samhain Alive with Fiery Festival Halloween is an ancient tradition that traces its origins back thousands of years. In fact, if you were a Celt in the Middle Ages, you would have likely been required to participate in the holiday festivities. Their origins are thought to be over 2500 years old. The Feis of Tara would have been held at this time which lasted several days, 3 days before Samhain and 3 days after. As we enter winter, we assume a restful, contemplative state of indoor affairs and reflection on indoor things. Or so says ancient Celtic tradition. The Welsh word for witches or hags is gwrachod. Colcannon also called ‘champ’ or ‘pandy,’ is made of potatoes boiled and mashed, mixed with cooked green cabbage, raw onions chopped, sprinkled with pepper and salt (204). Spirits had the ability to pass from one world into the other. Kids can participate in Samhain rituals too!. In my modern practice, I consider Samhain to be from Samhain night to All Souls day. Indeed, the symbolic weight of apples is a particularly heavy one. Renewing the sovereignty of the tribe, druids kindled a sacred fire of sovereignty and distributed its power to all regions of the land (114). They swept the floor, lit a good fire in the hearth, and the family goes to bed earlier than usual, leaving the door unlatched and a bowl of spring water on the table. At Samhain, held on November 1, the world of the gods was believed to be made visible to humankind, and the gods played many tricks on their mortal worshippers; it was a time fraught with danger, charged with fear, and full of supernatural episodes. It was also a time to honor the dead and gods using pagan rituals. People trying to solicit the help of spirits would find a briar that with roots on two ends and crawling under it while making their request, usually magical powers (203). Samhain means ‘Summer’s End’ and starts on Oiche Shamhna(EEha HOUWNna), or the Night of Summer’s End. Bobbing for apples and coins was popular (202). Get updates from From a Common Well delivered straight to your inbox. Last updated March 2, 2020. The fires would guide the path of friendly spirits and the people would wear masks and costumes to ward off any evil spirits that found their way from the other world. Then, when the … On a piece of paper write a habit you wish to break or a lingering anxiety you wish to let go. This is in direct opposition to driving your animals through the two fires at Bealtainne. A person drives a stake in the mud at the joining of two streams, and the next morning the clan elders would divine the weather from its appearance (Danaher 203,218). The hobby horse customs include dressing up like a mock horse and going door to door with the spirit of the season’s shenanigans, singing culturally handed down songs and charms. Creatures that usually hide in darkness walk the Earth, and anything trapped in other dimensions is set free. Irish Halloween Traditions. Holy water was sprinkled on animals Samhain night (200). November 1st marks the time where the Samios, or summer power, yields to Giamos, or winter power throughout the year. In other traditions, this is the night to remember, honor, and toast our beloved departed, for the veil between the living and the dead is thin, and communication is possible on Samhain Eve. Thus the king’s fire would remain until the next renewal period. The dead in the mound were cremated and their ash spread on the floor and covered by stone slabs. Contrary to what some believe, is not a celebration of a Celtic god of the dead. Skilled frontman, Neil Hannon, indisputable talent for writing, arcane and witty personality, and his…, COPYRIGHT 2019 YourIrish.com | Made in Ireland. Samhain, pronounced as ‘sow-in,’ was based on the cycle of the pagan Wheel of the Year. Customary belief in these beings, often called hobgoblins, says they are at “high revel” (207). So, who the hell cares. This fire most likely would last six months as fires were smoored and rekindled but never put out. 18 Ritual Themes, Customs and Traditions for Samhain, the Feast of the Dead. Sometimes this was a matter of family pride since professions were handed down through generations. Instead of performing religious rituals, wearing costumes is done to keep harmful spirits at bay. For these ancient Celts, the year splits in two. In another few weeks I will have been in quarantine a year.... Serious Play: Shifting Our Perspective on Ritual. Folks brought the gathered goodies together to a party. So Samhain in Gaul was at least three days long. On occasion, someone would lace four plates with different things of varying value, and a blindfolded person would choose to know their fate for the coming year (219). Here's what you need to know. ... an annual victory for the spirit of the Sun. And let them go on their way. Samhain Rituals and Traditions. People did apotropaic folk magic to protect their homes and animals, hanging a cross of plain wood over the door inside the barn or on the ground outside; holy water would be sprinkled across the threshold, and spit on animals thought to be plagued with illness by spirits (203). The Slua or Host(of the dead, not the Slua Sidhe or Host of Fairies) would process through the tribe, each of the dead spirits stopping at the house of their kin, entering and sharing in the celebrations with their living family. Two hills in the Boyne Valley were associated with Samhain in Celtic Ireland, Tlachtga and Tara. This is when they believed it was the mid-point between the Fall equinox and Winter solstice. And give something to the boys, Folks could be fairy led or led astray on this night. The traditions that we use to celebrate Halloween today began thousands of years ago with this ancient Irish high holiday. Parcells, or Halloween crosses, are 7-inch equal-armed crosses with a piece of straw woven under one arm then over the next (208). Insular sources provide important information about Celtic religious festivals. Embedded into the psyche is the cycle of the year. The various traditions and ceremonies from Samhain came from Celtic beliefs. Samhain (/ ˈ s ɑː w ɪ n, ˈ s aʊ ɪ n /; Irish: [ˈsˠəuɪnʲ] Scottish Gaelic: [ˈs̪ãũ.ɪɲ]) is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or "darker half" of the year.In the northern hemisphere, it is held on 1 November, but with celebrations beginning on the evening of 31 October, as the Celtic day began and ended at sunset. Kids can participate in Samhain rituals too!. As darkness falls and families light their pumpkin Jack-o'-lanterns, they are, perhaps unknowingly, repeating the ancient traditions of honoring the dead and marking the beginning of the ‘dark half’ of the year. Sean-Samhain, Spirit Night, Oiche na Sprideanna, Puca Night(Rees 89). The bonfire is the most ancient Samhain tradition that exists to this day. No, I mean Samhain – it’s a Gaelic word, pronounced sow-in by the way – and it’s a pagan festival which originated among the Celts in Ireland and Scotland a really long time ago. These events became known as Óenach, a fair of a large gathering of people. The day before it became known as All Hallows’ Eve, or Halloween. Through time other traditions have blended into Halloween, for example the American harvest time tradition of carving pumpkins. I never learned a methodology; it has always been with me. This video gives a demonstration. Other fires in Ireland would be extinguished and people were forbidden to kindle fires except for this great fire. At the heart of all these traditions is the belief that Samhain is a time when the veil dividing this world and the beyond is thin. Over 2,000 years ago in Ireland, there were four fire festivals to mark the turning of the seasons, Samhain being important as it was the start of the dark half. In Ireland the year was divided into two periods of six months by the feasts of Beltine (May 1) and Samhain (Samain; November 1), and each of these periods was equally divided by the feasts of … Between October 31st and November 1st, the harvest season comes to a close and winter is ushered in. The history of Nowrus, the Persian New Year can be traced to Zoroastrian … Fruits such as apples also played a central role in Samhain rituals, with these late harvests holding significance as pagan symbols. The winter’s wood needs to be gathered and split. Parents and grandparents place oatmeal and salt on the heads of children for protection. When the spirits of those who have passed could be with the living once again. On the other two arms they apples jammed onto the other arms. The ancient traditions were finally replaced with the arrival and spread of Christianity in Ireland who incorporated their own holidays such as All Saints Day falls on November 1st and All Souls Day on November 2nd. Known as the third harvest because it rounds up and finishes the harvest season. We celebrate it on the kalends(first) of the month, which shifted due to calendrical shift. Winter also, per my last article, deconstructs cosmos so that more chaos from the well of potential can be drawn in to build the next summer. After the large supper, the untouched plate of food would be placed outside to be left for the wee folk such as Faeries and even Pookas who were very active on this night. Doors and windows were left open or unlatched as an invitation to deal loved ones (Kondratiev 117). When they heard the horns, the folks inside would rush to get the whitebread or other treats ready and hand them through a half-opened door as the leader approached chanting in Irish (211). Plenty of Halloween party games have their roots in ancient traditions. Halloween festivities such as trick-or-treating also derived from the ancient Samhain traditions, which saw people going door-to-door singing songs to the dead. Samhain ( pronounced /sow-ween/ in Irish) is the final fire festival of the Celtic year. Search your pockets, The puca spit on blackberries to blight them (Danaher 200). Isfahan-Chehel-Sotoon-Museum. Like Samhain, an ancient Celtic celebration which, over time and through immigration became known as Halloween, Imbolc became St Brigid's Day-- and St Brigid's Day became linked to Groundhog Day.. Esoteric Spiritual Traditions Samhain is a time-honored tradition followed by witches, Wiccans, ancient druids and countless other modern pagans across the world, celebrated as October turns to November. Samhain is the ancient Celtic pagan festival of the dead celebrated in modern times on October 31st. Celebrating Samhain, Hill of Ward, Ireland. Samhain was the final harvest and the New Year Festival. The Aos SÍ . And seership for me feels like a game of pretend where I imagine a false narrative and let my intuition describe it, and it matches your real story. It’s time to put yourself in their shoes and take on the identity. Food was offered to the gods and the dead with great feasts being held. I always get twitchy when someone introduces themself as an elder. Our New Celtic Halloween Traditions. The traditions that we use to celebrate Halloween today began thousands of years ago with this ancient Irish high holiday. The guisers would wear masks that were painted and sometimes grotesque (210). Yes, Halloween is based on this old pagan holiday when people believed the ancestors and dead could visit the physical realm more readily. Cuardaigh do phócaí It is now a global festival, but this year, sadly, it … In ancient times, animal fur and skin were used as costumes. Folks on their way home from Samhain gatherings would clown around and place wheels on houses and do other shenanigans. Heide Benser / Getty Images. Rings, nuts, or a tiny boat in a fruitcake, the bairín breac, or the champ foretold of marriage or a journey. Samhain begins on the sunset on Oct 31st and serves to be the conclusion of summer. One of the traditions they brought with them was Samhain. But now I write not as a practicing lay scholar, but as a believer. Halloween was said to have originated among the ancient Celtic people who referred to it as “Samhain.” To the Celts, Samhain represented the end of the agricultural cycle, the beginning of the winter months, and the day on which souls that had died the previous year traveled to the other side. Most of the Samhain focus was rekindling all the hearths of the country from the king’s fire. It is customary to leave plates of food, dishes of butter and cheese, outside the door or on the window sill outside. The concept of Trick or Treat here is encapsulated. All the corn, hay, potatoes, turnips, apples, and the like must be put away and stored or made into things that can be consumed or preserved (Danaher 206). Merging of the First and Second Functions to secure a victory. And those rituals weren’t just fun and games. Nó buail mé féin idir an dá shúil I celebrate the new moon’s end or gealain, divine on it and call them the mini Samhain of the month. A cord in the middle would hang it from the rafters (Evans 268). Ancestor Altars. People trying to solicit the help of spirits would find a briar that with roots on … Also, send me the Pagan Newsletter and special offers. Or hit me between the eyes, The cross was spun around in a circle, and folks tried to bite the apples and not the lit candles, getting a mouthful of liquid hot wax (Danaher 206). However, some of the customs involved dressing as the opposite gender. Some of the literature also associates Samhain with bonfires and sacrifices. I want you to be safe on spirit night. We Have No Idea How Druids Practiced? There was an ancient myth, that Samhain was the time of the year when the wall between the dead and the living was at its faintest. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. This means that if you want their aid, you must solicit or compel such bargains, as is consistent the rest of European traditional witchcraft where the spirits are sometimes cajoled or threatened into giving the magician aid. Samhain is a very special sabbat for many Witches, and it’s even been called “The Witch’s New Year”. It began at sunset in the modern calendar of October 31st through to sunset on November 1, although festivities in Ireland would be over several days rather than one. At the Hill of Tara is the Mound of Hostages, also built in Neolithic times. If this applies to you, go for it, if it doesn’t try one of the other customs which speak to you. Google Tag Manager Feb 01, 9:17 PM EST Agus scaoil chun siubhail iad; Other names are Snap-apple night, November Day, November Eve, (Danaher 200), Sean-Samhain, Spirit Night, Oiche na Sprideanna, Puca Night(Rees 89). Yet, historical investigation has unearthed a few ancient practices. The Great Fire Festival played an important role in the rituals of Samhain, it gave light and warmth for the dark days ahead. Other ways to celebrate Samhain today is to set up altars for the dead, decorating them with Samhain symbols, organize feasts, visit graves of loved ones, and explore divinatory methods like tarot cards. Samhain marks the beginning of the ‘dark half of the year’, otherwise known as the New Year. There are also tales of the Nemed people who feared the mysterious Fomorians who represented personifications of chaos, darkness, death, blight, and drought. On the Samhain sunrise, a standing stone within one of the chambers is illuminated by the sun marking the cross-quarter days. In fact, historians trace its roots back to an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain, celebrated around 2000 years ago. Qualtagh is a Manx custom wherein new cycles you characterize a new visitor to the home into intuition about the future of that cycle. Chinese New Year And Nian. These days, Samhain is a celebration of your local environment, the land spirit and its yield. Here's how to celebrate Samhain today. They would go from home to home gathering donations of food to offer up to the gods and dead, a ritual that was also followed in Scotland. Ghosts, monsters, and the fae were believed to be at the peak of their power on this night. Our ancestors believed that the fairies visited every plant in every part of the land to give them a winter blast (Danaher 200). In fact, if you were a Celt in the Middle Ages, you would have likely been required to participate in the holiday festivities. You can perform bonfire magic by having a fire in a small cauldron outside or in a designated fire place (indoor fireplaces count too!). (Though to be hygienic, it might be best to ensure everyone has their own individual bowl!) Samhain is a magical time. It was also believed that the fires purified the land and gave it protection from supernatural forces. If you’d like to incorporate family Samhain traditions into your celebrations, we have a few simple ones for you. It’s at this time of year the link between this world and the other world is at its thinnest. The beginning of Samhain was marked by the Great Fire Festival at the hill of Tlachtga (Hill of Ward). This was a great gathering of people who honored the dead, proclaimed laws, and festivities to entertain. It’s a time that marks the division between the light (the warmer, brighter days), and the dark (the long and colder nights). Some suspect this connects with Christmas caroling traditions. At Midwinter, offerings are left for ancestral, spirit, and Bethlehem travelers. Tuathánaigh, or farmers, had to secure their livestock, their food, and health for the coming winter. The Nemed’s paid a heavy tax to the Fomorians by giving them two-thirds of all the wheat, butter and milk that was produced. Few probably associate the lighthearted traditions of Halloween with their origins in Samhain, an ancient Celtic pagan festival. Samhain has deep roots as an ancient Celtic celebration. Others, to welcome the spirits of friends and family into the home. The moon foretold of the storms and amount of rain of the season by the way it is covered, partial, fully, or not at all (218). Each Samhain, the one above the door would be moved elsewhere like to the barn or another room, replacing it with the new one. The druids of Ireland gathered around the Great Fire to offer sacrifice to all the gods. There is no doubt that our celebrations of Halloween today originated from the ancient celebrations of Samhain. Apple bobbing is one of the best known games, and it’s one of the simplest. There are many more events in Irish Mythology that occurring during Samhain which reflects how important this time of year was to the ancient Irish. Samhain in Ireland is often referred to as Halloween but realistically both are separate celebrations. Nowruz - Persian New Year. History of Halloween tradition #2: Trick-or-treating. It began at dusk around October 31st and likely lasted three days. Sometime around the 5th century Christianity made its way westward and the ways of the Celtic Pagans were forever changed. To commemorate the ancient festival, neo-pagans recreate rituals to honor ancestors and spirits. Good morning everyone! Now, Mistress, Samhain (pronounced ‘sow-win’) originated with the ancient Celtics. The early literature says Samhain was marked by great gatherings and feasts, and was when the ancient burial mounds were open, which were seen as portals to the Otherworld. It was the time of year when the veils between this … Because for the Celts apples bore association with the realm of the spirits. Apples are the last fruit harvested of the season before summer is ritually closed (Kondratiev 118). Guisers would dress up to scare off evil spirits. Holy water was sprinkled on animals Samhain night (200). It has its roots in an old Irish tale that says if any crops are left out after November 1st they may be spoiled by the Faeries. The seasonal change was often connected to death. It’s a passage tomb with an estimated 250-500 bodies buried underneath in layers. On Samhain, people took omen in the wind at midnight, its strength and direction told of fruits of the winter season. Tlachtga was the location of the Great Fire Festival which begun on the eve of Samhain (Halloween). Shadow Self Visualization. Animals and food supplies needed special protection during this time, too. Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Samhain is one of eight annual festivals commonly celebrated by pagans of various traditions, along with Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Midsummer, Lughnassad and Mabon. Halloween tradition such as trick-or-treating also derived from the ancient Samhain traditions, which saw people going door-to-door singing songs to the dead. Samhain Rituals with Fruit. Costume wearing goes back to at least traditional Christian Ireland. They buried their dead and those with great importance were often buried on hilltops. The Aos SÍ Nowruz is celebrated by about 300 million people and many of its ancient traditions—particularly the use of bonfires and colored eggs—remain a part of the modern holiday. It was a time to clean out the old and welcome the new, to reflect and forgive, and to visit with loved ones - both living and dead. The two first plates of champ and mash were placed on top of a pier or pillar for the dead or the fairies as an offering (Evans 103). Samhain Celebrations: Ancients Wisdom and Traditions for the Modern-Day Pagan and Wiccan. – Kinsale, Co Cork (212). Le píosa leath-choróineach. Balderdash! Great feasts were held in honor of the dead with a place set for ancestors who may visit from the otherworld. Learn more about its origins, traditions, interesting facts and more. Eventually, like many Pagan traditions, Samhain would be reframed as a Christian holiday, arriving in America with the millions of Irish immigrants escaping the Potato Famine of the 1840s. 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