Samhain: The Celtic New Year By A.R. Fiedler

Harvest and New beginings  Ancient festival  Celebration of nature  A time of renewal  Communion with ancestors  Root of Hallow’een

Who celebrates Samhain? -The Celtic People of Ireland -Pagan practitioners

The Celtic Calander  “beginning in darkness and working towards light”  Two Halves  Four Quarters  Imbolc (Feb)  Beltane (May)  Lughnasa (Aug)  Samhain (Nov)

When Is Samhain Celebrated?  Samhain (Sow-in) literally “the end of summer”  Time of the crone  Starts at sundown  From Oct. 31 st to Nov. 1 st  “a time between years”

Preparations  Herd brought from pasture  Sacrifice of the weak  Harvest gathered and stored  “faeries blight”

A Time of Gathering  General Armistance  Meeting with your enemy  Political boundaries disolve  diplomacy  Settling of Debts  Feasting with family

Lighting and Extinguishing the Fires  Home fires put out  Darkest night  “fire of bones”  Hygienic  Prayers/hopes  Return with fire  The start of a new year  Ashes to ashes  Protection/fertilization

The Thinning of the Veil  A time in between  The dead walk the earth  Leave out food and drink  Let no mortal hand touch it  Leave all doors and windows unlatched  Entertain the dead  The young play games  The old review the year, encourage the attention of the dead

Protection - A humble parshell- The Pooka

Christianity -Samhain became Hallowmass -Commemorate the souls the the blessed dead -Modern day Hallowe’en

References  Biege, Bernd. Samhain, A very Irish Feast  amhain.htm amhain.htm  Barrett, Suzanne. Samhain, the eve of all hallow  m m  Haggertu, Bridget. Samhain, the Irish new year  hain.html hain.html

Photo Credits  Samhain: wilsonsalmanac.com  The hallow: wilsonsalmanac.com  Calendar: about.com  Face: ferdawg.blogspot.com  Bonfire: heavenandearthessentials.com  Cross/pooka: googleimages.com  The saints: ferdawg.blogspot.com