Happy Samhain/Hallowe'en!

I normally post on Sundays or Mondays, but I wasn't able to get this finished yesterday, so I'm posting today instead. :) 

 

Samhain (my favourite sabbat apart from Lammas) is coming up! This year it's on a Monday (31st October). I also celebrate Hallowe'en, which is thought to have originated from Samhain customs. In the past I've written several posts with ideas for celebrating and last year I did a round-up post linking to them all. During 2022 I've been writing posts sharing some links and ideas for the sabbats, rather than an in-depth post, so here is Samhain's. :)

Note: If you're in the Southern Hemisphere Beltane is almost here! You might like my Happy Beltane! post: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2022/04/happy-beltane.html

 

Samhain is the 3rd and final harvest festival on the Wheel of the Year, coming after Lammas in late July/early August and Madron/Mabon aka the Autumn Equinox in September. It marks the end of summer and the start of the winter season. Madron is the official start of autumn, but I think in the past summer and winter were seen as the bigger seasonal shifts. It is also thought to be one of the times of year (along with Beltane) when the veil between the worlds is thin. It is a cross-quarter sabbat and a fire festival, and takes places on 31st October, although some people may celebrate from 31st Oct to 1st November (sundown to sundown).

Samhain (also known as November's Eve) is considered the end of the seasonal cycle and some people also think of it as the start of the new one (and the Witches' New Year), while others consider Yule aka the Winter Solstice in December to be the start of the new cycle instead. I tend to think of Samhain as both (the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one).

This sabbat's themes include end of the harvest and the summer season, the start of winter/the darker season (although the "official" start of winter is often thought to be on Yule/the Winter Solstice in December), the thinning veil and ancestors/honouring loved ones we have lost. The modern Halloween/Hallowe'en (since the name comes from All Hallow's Even, "Hallowe'en" is an alternative way of spelling it) is likely based on Samhain traditions. 

Here is my 2021 round-up of previous Samhain posts on the blog: https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2021/10/samhainhalloween-round-up.html

 

And here are some posts from other sites:

The Celtic Festival of Samhain: https://www.irishamericanmom.com/the-celtic-festival-of-samhain/

Wiccan Holidays: Samhain (Part 1 of a 4-part series; click here to see all posts): https://greenmanmeadows.com/wiccan-holidays-samhain/ 

31 Samhain Quotes (plus info about the festival) from Witchcrafted Life: https://witchcraftedlife.com/31-samhain-quotes-that-are-perfect-for-the-witches-new-year/

Afura Nefertiti of The Writing Witch has a post and podcast/video about Samhain shadow work, including some prompts for your grimoire/Book of Shadows etc. and shares her autumn/fall decor in the video): https://writingwitch.com/2022/10/15/samhain-shadow-work-grimoire-prompts

She also touches on ancestry, identity and culture. I included a section on connecting with your ancestors (and some of the difficult topics that can come up) in my Celebrating Samhain/Hallowe'en post. 

For more on ancestor work, check out this podcast/video where Afura interviewed her mum and talked about their family history and DNA results: https://writingwitch.com/2022/10/19/how-to-work-with-our-ancestors/

I'm planning to make my usual Demon's Blood drink (the recipe is from the book The Real Witches' Kitchen by Kate West) and bake some gingerbread. My usual favourite to make for Samhain/Hallowe'en is gingerbread skeletons but I also like to make chocolate ginger bats some years. My fave gingerbread recipe is a Flora one that I first saw in Closer magazine. I don't think it's online anymore, but visit my More Samhain/Hallowe'en Inspiration post from 2020 for links to a similar one from Flora and other recipes (in the Make food and drink/bake section): https://livingseasonal.blogspot.com/2020/10/more-samhainhalloween-inspiration.html

I will also make potato salad (inspired by a recipe from The Kitchen Witch by Soraya) and have it with some buffet style food from the supermarket.

 

Here are a few recipe links if you're looking for some food to make this Samhain and/or Hallowe'en:

An "Injurebread" (gingerbread) men recipe from Asda: https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/injurebread-men

Samhain pumpkin bread: https://eclecticwitchcraft.com/samhain-pumpkin-bread/  

Gluten free pumpkin bread (found this recipe through a Cambria Joy email): https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/gluten-free-pumpkin-bread/

Recipes for Samhain (Part 4 of the Greenman Meadows post series linked above): https://greenmanmeadows.com/wiccan-holidays-samhain-part-4-recipes/

If you're vegan, here are some ideas and recipes from Vegan Kitchen Magick: https://www.vegankitchenmagick.com/a-very-blessed-and-vegan-samhain/

 

Hope you enjoyed the post and it gave you some ideas for celebrating! :) I will write about my celebrations the weekend after next. Happy Samhain and Hallowe'en! (Or Happy Beltane!) :) 

Photo: Pumpkins at Asda Hollingbury (Brighton). Moonsparkle 2022.