Samhain is one of the eight solar holidays or sabbats of Neopaganism. It is celebrated in the northern hemisphere on October 31 or November 1 and in the southern hemisphere on May 1.
The holiday, with Beltane, is one of the most popular among Neopagans, and public Samhain rituals invariably attract large gatherings. It is the last of the harvest festivals (after Lammas and Mabon); in some traditions it symbolizes the death of the old god.
Samhain, one of the Greater Wiccan Sabbats, is considered by many Pagans and Witches (especially those of Celtic heritage) to be the date of the Witches’ New Year, representing one full turn of the Wheel of the Year. The symbolism of this Sabbat is that of The Third (and final) Harvest, it marks the end of Summer, the beginning of Winter. It is the time when the Sun God dies, and the Crone is at Her height of power. It is believed that on this night, the Veil Between the Worlds is at its thinnest point, making this an excellent time to communicate with the Other Side. It is also considered to be the night of the Wild Hunt.
Trick-or-Treating evolved from Pagan ”Souling,” when children representing ancestors collected food and blessed the houses they visited. Putting a lighted candle in a carved pumpkin blesses the house and scares away evil spirits. In Ireland it is still custom to leave candles in the windows and plates of food for the visiting spirits. Apples were buried along roadsides and paths for spirits who were lost or had no descendants to provide for them. It was believed that if clothes are left outside overnight, they will take on bewitching powers for all who wear them. Any crops still in the field on Samhain were considered taboo, and left as offerings to the Nature spirits. It is also considered taboo to travel after dark and to eat grapes or berries on this day.
Among the sabbats, it is preceded by Mabon and followed by Yule.
From an astrological perspective, the setting of Pleiades, the winter stars, heralds the supremacy of night over day and the start of the dark half of the year that is ruled by the realms of the moon.
Carving pumpkins, scrying, burying apples for the dead, making scarecrows, trick-or-treating, burning woes, wearing costumes and masks, bomfires, and having a Witches’s Ball.
“Ye Witches hear these tidings: now Samhain fires are burning Come tread the round on sacred ground: the Sabbat wheel is turning / Set your spirits free, blessed be: by earth, air, water and fire / Let none have fear who enters here: but fulfillment of desire.” – Lady Isadora
“Dance the ring, luck to bring, / When the year’s a-turning. / Chant the rhyme at Hallowstime, / When the fire’s burning.”
“Let’s ride, let’s ride, to the Sabbat tonight, / We’ll ride over hill, over dale. / We’ll ride to the feasting and ride to the dance, / And ride to the October ale. / Let’s dance, let’s dance at the Sabbat tonight, / We’ll sing with a heart full and glad. / We’ll sing and we’ll dance through the chill autumn night, / And remember the loves we have had. / Let’s ride, let’s ride when the Sabbat is done, / Let’s ride back to hearth and to home. / Let’s ride back together all under the stars, / And wait for the next Sabbat to come.”
“Pumpkin orange, / With grizzly face, / Protect tonight / My homely place.” – Pumpkin spell
