Samhain

traveler · ‎03-09-2010

Anyone celebrate? We're not really into Halloween. No children.

AngusandBuddhasMom · ‎03-10-2010

@traveler wrote:
Anyone celebrate? We're not really into Halloween. No children.

Yes my daugher's birthday is October 30th so the celebration starts for us early and after other significant holidays that fall before are observed and celebrated.

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

I acknowledge the Celtic New Year, November 1.

What do you do for Samhain? I consider Samhain the basis of Halloween.

Q4u · ‎03-17-2010

Both of my boys were born on Oct 27th (4 years 6 3/4 hurs apart) so we celebrate their birthday at the end of the month.

Both boys went to Lutheran School until 6th grade and although the All Hallows Eve was celebrated (the evening prior to All Saints Day).... the children were not allowed to wear devil or "evil" costumes (by the Church and by us) The school had a Fair, a Cake Walk and tons of fun activities and we took them trick or treating too but they had a little different education regarding the night.

*~"Never eat more than you can lift......" Miss Piggy~*

mstyrion 1 · ‎09-18-2014

I observe Samhain. As Noel said, it is the basis for Halloween and also a celebration of the Harvest. It's roots are Pagan and there is no All Saints Day associated with the Samhain holiday. That was a clebration added by the early Catholic church.

In Pagan tradition the veil between heaven and earth is said to be the thinnest on Samhain. It is when the spirits of the departed are closet to us.

~Enough is enough~

Moonchilde · ‎05-23-2010

@traveler wrote:
Anyone celebrate? We're not really into Halloween. No children.

Not sure what you're asking, by the thread title and your OP.

While Samhain as the Celts observed it is the the basis of the beginnings of our "modern" (19th-21st C) celebrations of Halloween, and Irish immigrants brought with them the roots of some of our Halloween customs, Samhain hasn't traditionally been just another name for Halloween, even if a few 21st C references say it is.

Samhain was and still is a Celtic pagan harvest festival and is still observed as such by some completely apart from "Halloween" traditions. It has more meaning than just trick-or-treat.

I recognize, and by that I mean acknowledge as 21st C celebrations/observances, both Samhain and the Winter Solstice/Yule, as well as Beltane and Lughnasa, in part because of my Celtic roots.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

All of the Celts celebrated celebrated Samhain as far as I know, but the Irish have come to stand for all Celts unfortunately. I see a lot of art that's Welsh but called Celtic by the umbrella term or even assumed to be Irish because it isn't specified.

Anyway, being mostly Welsh, then Irish with some Cornish, I imagine my ancestors pretty much all celebrated the festival.

Moonchilde · ‎05-23-2010

And Celtic peoples were not just restricted to the British isles. Brittany in France and Galicia in Spain have strong Celtic heritage in language (Breton), music, and culture, among other places in Europe and the Iberian Peninsula.

I haven't heard a lot of Galician music (have liked what I've heard), but I've learned that I love Breton music. The pipes they use (biniou) sound melancholy-medieval to me.

An excellent recording to get the feel is the album Celtic Wedding by The Chieftains.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all

RainCityWoman · ‎06-16-2015

Halloween has always been one of my favorite celebrations. As kids, we would plan all summer for our costumes, which we made ourselves. We had a costume parade at school and prizes were given, plus the moms would bring in cupcakes and punch for our rooms. Then my family would make their famous popcorn balls for just the kids on our street, plus we'd buy candy for everyone else. After that was the Trick or Treating. It was just the best.

I have Celtic roots, so I am familiar with the Druid celebrations and All Hallowed Saints Eve. I've been to Stonehenge, and have always wished that I could attend a modern day celebration in the shadows of the rocks on Halloween.