Merry Meet All,
Samhain is around the corner. I hope you have all been trying the crafts and projects posted on this blog. Let’s take a step into the past to learn the history of Samhain.
Samhain is the Celtic Witches New Year. The Celts divided it into two seasons of light and dark. Samhain (Scottish Gaelic: Samhuinn) translates to “summer’s end”. In Wales, it was known as Nos Calan Gaeaf, the evening of the winter calendar. They had never heard of the Christian religion and when the Christians took over, Samhain became All Hallow’s Eve, to commemorate the souls of the blessed dead who were canonized that year. November 2 became All Souls Day. Prayers were offered to those who departed and those who waited in Purgatory for entry into Heaven. The Celts did not take to this change lightly. The Christians left them with little choice.
Samhain was a time for celebration. The people gathered together to smoke meat, make preserves, bring in the livestock, and harvest nuts and berries from the hedgerows. They made offerings to their gods and goddesses. They held festivals and to this day still light bonfires. They scattered ashes from the fires onto the fields to protect them during the winter months. The bonfires became known as bonefires, because they threw bones into the fires. As the last flames died, you had to run home fast and cry, “The black sow without a tail take the hindmost!” The last crops of the fields were left as an offering to their gods and goddesses.
Samhain means “End of Summer.” It is the third and final Harvest. Samhain is when the Veil between the worlds is lifted and it is easier to communicate with spirits. Samhain was the time for the Cailleach- the winter hag who ushers in the killing frost. Lore tells of the doors opening to the lands of the Sidhe (pronounced “shee”) or the Faery Realm being opened.
Next, we will look at Samhain lore and superstition.
Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch
