Staff Writer
Most people know it as Halloween, but to Wiccans and Druids it is a sabbat, or holiday, to honor the ancestors that came before them. Samhain (pronounced “Sow-en”) is a fire festival first practiced by the Celtics. They believed that during Samhain the veil between our world and the next is the thinnest. Sunset on Samhain marks the Celtic new year.
During the feast of Samhain loved ones who have passed were invited to the feast and remembered by those who loved them. During this time the children who were born in the last year were officially welcomed to the community. They also celebrated with traditional games.
They would also reflect on the last year and come to terms with it so they can move into the future. They believed their priests could predict the future because the veil between the two worlds was thin. They would dress in costumes of animal heads and skins.
When the festival was over the people would go back to their homes and light their fires. They not only lit their fires to warm themselves but to protect them from evil spirits, as well. So Samhain is known as a fire festival.
Modern Wiccans and Druids decorate their homes and altars with autumn leaves, pine cones, small pumpkins, and other symbols of the season. They perform the traditional rituals as accurately as possible, and celebrate this sacred sabbat either solitary (by themselves) or in a group, called a circle or a coven.
Wiccan and Neopagan Festivals." Wiccan Holidays, Neopagan Festivals, Pagan Holidays, Pagan Festivals. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.religionfacts.com/neopaganism/festivals.htm>.
Robinson, B. A. "HALLOWEEN: FROM AN WICCAN / NEOPAGAN PERSPECTIVE." HALLOWEEN: FROM AN WICCAN / NEOPAGAN PERSPECTIVE. N.p., 13 Oct. 1997. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/hallo_np>
During the feast of Samhain loved ones who have passed were invited to the feast and remembered by those who loved them. During this time the children who were born in the last year were officially welcomed to the community. They also celebrated with traditional games.
They would also reflect on the last year and come to terms with it so they can move into the future. They believed their priests could predict the future because the veil between the two worlds was thin. They would dress in costumes of animal heads and skins.
When the festival was over the people would go back to their homes and light their fires. They not only lit their fires to warm themselves but to protect them from evil spirits, as well. So Samhain is known as a fire festival.
Modern Wiccans and Druids decorate their homes and altars with autumn leaves, pine cones, small pumpkins, and other symbols of the season. They perform the traditional rituals as accurately as possible, and celebrate this sacred sabbat either solitary (by themselves) or in a group, called a circle or a coven.
Works Cited
Wiccan and Neopagan Festivals." Wiccan Holidays, Neopagan Festivals, Pagan Holidays, Pagan Festivals. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.religionfacts.com/neopaganism/festivals.htm>.
Robinson, B. A. "HALLOWEEN: FROM AN WICCAN / NEOPAGAN PERSPECTIVE." HALLOWEEN: FROM AN WICCAN / NEOPAGAN PERSPECTIVE. N.p., 13 Oct. 1997. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.religioustolerance.org/hallo_np>
Samhain. N.d. Photogragh http://craftychickscuppacoffee.blogspot.com/2010/10/samhain-witches-new-year.html, n.p.
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