Samhain: Spooky Spirits

Let’s face it: aside from heart-attack-inducing freak-show houses of horror, Halloween has become cutesy-spooky and pumpkin-y. On All Hallow’s Eve, adult ghosts, goblins and witches sex it up—babydoll style—and obscure their essence as frightening creatures of the night, while the zombified go for kitschy horror. In short, America does Day of the Dead light.

In contrast, during the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations, the living immerse them-selves in death by painting their faces in a decorative skull motifs, becoming dancing skeletons, building shrines to their deceased loved ones, and picnicking on the graves of dead family members.

If we limit our Halloween celebration to jack-o-lanterns, pumpkin spice lattes and sexy-spooky costumes, we’re missing out on the chance to go deeper, not only like our neighbors to the South, but like our ancestors and modern-day pagans.

Halloween originated as Samhain (pronounced: Sah-win or Sah-ween), an ancient, pre-Christian Celtic festival of the dead. The Celts believed that at the time of Samhain—October 31—the souls of the dead returned to Earth. During Samhain the boundary between the spirit world and the human world is easily crossed. Communicating with ancestors and departed loved ones is easier and it is the perfect time for divination and prophecy. In other words, during Samhain, we can talk to dead people.

So how can we bridge the gap and still enjoy our perky, pumpkin-patchy Halloween while also delving deeper like the Celts? Incorporating a few spiritual elements from Samhain into your candy-corn filled Halloween can infuse the day with a new mean- ing without abandoning tricks or treats.

Ancestors’ Altar. Create an altar or shrine honoring loved ones you have lost and dec- orate it with mementos and symbols of Samhain and the harvest. Draw inspiration from Day of the Dead shrines. Feature photos, heirlooms, and sentimental keep- sakes. Adorn your altar with skulls, skeletons, or grave etchings and harvest produce, like pumpkins or decorative squash. You can also add dried leaves, acorns, and marigolds.

Ancestor Stories. Explore your ancestry by visiting grave sites of your ancestors or by researching your family tree. When you visit a family grave, create a headstone etching with a pencil and a piece of paper.

Feast of the Dead. Host a silent supper, one of the traditional Samhain celebrations. The meal honors the dead, and guests remain silent. Place an empty chair at the head of your table and bring offerings of food for ancestors who might wish to join you. After the silent supper, sing and dance, speak the names of the deceased, and share stories.