Samhain (pronounced soww-in) is one of the eight Wiccan Sabbats, and it’s one of my favorites. Samhain is the third and final harvest, the witch’s new year, and a time when the veil between this world and the afterlife is the thinnest—therefore, it’s also a time of honoring our ancestors. Samhain is celebrated on October 31; as such, many Halloween traditions (Jack-O-Lanterns, for example) are actually adaptations of Samhain traditions.
Samhain is the final Sabbat before Yule, when the Sun is born again and begins its return to fullness at the Summer Solstice. For Wiccans, birth, death, and rebirth are all represented in the Wheel of the Year. As we honor those who have gone before us at Samhain, we are also mindful that death is not the end of our existence. That being said, this is not at all a mournful time; it’s a period of reflection and looking forward to the new year.
Samhain can be celebrated in many ways. In my personal practice, I celebrate with a ritual followed by a feast (usually homemade chili, kale with garlic, and baked apples). A plate of food is set aside for the ancestors. My altar is decorated with pumpkins and rosemary (rosemary is for remembrance). For the rest of the evening, I light candles, burn incense, and invite my ancestors to communicate with me through divination.
I love and look forward to putting up Halloween decorations as much as anyone else, but Halloween and Samhain aren’t exactly the same; in my world, as a Wiccan, Halloween is secular, while Samhain is spiritual. Regardless of what you do or don’t celebrate, I wish you the brightest of blessings at this time of year.
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