Hallowe'en/Samhain 2021

It was Hallowe'en and Samhain last weekend (Sunday 31st October). I celebrated by carving a pumpkin and making some food and drink. I made my usual Demon's Blood drink (ginger beer mixed with apple juice and orange juice, dyed green) and potato salad and baked some gingerbread skeletons.

The Demon's Blood is a recipe from Kate West's book The Real Witches' Kitchen and the potato salad is based on a recipe from The Kitchen Witch by Soraya. I use chives and or/spring onion instead of rosemary. This year I used chives. I had the potato salad with some other snacky/buffet bits.

Here's a picture of my pumpkin:

Sorry it's a bit dark! I take the flash off on my phone to take a picture in the dark but it doesn't come out the clearest.

I also had some decorations like previous years, a sort of Hallowe'en altar. I got an orange candle this year and some paper decorations (two pumpkins and a witches' hat). I knitted a new orange heart and used the pumpkin lights from last year. Here's a pic:

 

As I mentioned in my Samhain/Hallowe'en Round-up post, I most often make gingerbread skeletons and sometimes chocolate ginger bats. This year I made the skeletons again, using an old recipe from Closer magazine that I've used for several years. It's not online anymore but here's a similar one for Christmas gingerbread: https://www.flora.com/en-gb/flora/recipe/gingerbread-biscuits-183529

For Samhain 2019 I tried this recipe instead:  https://crumbscorkscrews.com/halloween-gingerbread-men/

But this year I went back to my favourite. I got some new cutters at Marks & Spencer (where I also bought the paper decorations), so I made a ghost, pumpkins and a spiderweb. I used ready-made icing for a change, (most often I make up my own, like I do for the Lammas gingerbread). I thought it would be neater for decorating but I had trouble getting it out! lol. Never mind, the gingerbread was still nice.  Here's a picture:

A couple lost their heads but it fits the spooky theme!

 

The next day I went up to my favourite nature reserve on a hill at sunset, to take some pics. It was quite a nice sunset, although not as vivid as some. It's getting colder now (some nights it's around 3C/37F and 12C/53F during the day) and I probably won't go up there again till next year! Here are a couple of photos:

Sunset on Mill Hill, Shoreham-by-sea.

So, we're in November and moving towards late autumn and winter. I'm really noticing the shift in the darker weather and shorter days now, especially since the clocks went back (on Hallowe'en/Samain this year!). The next sabbat (final one of the calendar year) will be Yule/the Winter Solstice and I'll do a celebration post nearer the time. 

Hope you had a good Samhain/Hallowe'en! (Or Beltane!) :) 

P.S. For some late autumn inspiration, check out these posts:

Autumn 2020 Photos + More Inspiration (my post from last year): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/10/autumn-2020-photos-more-inspiration.html

30 Reasons to Love November (post from Autumn of Witchcrafted Life: https://witchcraftedlife.com/30-reasons-to-love-november/

Healthy, Slow Living Ideas for Fall: https://homespunseasonalliving.com/healthy-slow-living-ideas-for-fall/