Halloween and witches?

Question

I am just curious....What do witches do at Halloween? I am not looking for any stupid answers like oh they fly on their brooms!!
People who are into all the wiccan stuff? Is their anything special you do?

Answer 1

On Halloween I take my kids trick or treating. On True Samhain (Sow-in) -when the sun reaches 15 degrees into Scorpio we have a feast to honor the ancestors and loved ones that have passed. We also celebrate the final harvest, and prepare for the comming of winter. No crops are supposed to be harvested after Samhain. All that is left on the vine or in the field is for the Fey...probably a good reason for that...because grain crops that have been affected by frost are very suceptible to infection with Ergot fungus ( a very hallucinagenic must that grows right on the grain) that is said to have cause mass hysteria in Europe & the states, leading to witch hunts and other hysterical events. Samhain is the time when the veils between world are the thinnest, it is a perfect time for divination & communing with spirits of the ancestors, It is a time for reflection, and a time for preperation for the long winter. It has also been called "Witches New Year" here are some moreinteresting tidbits on this high holy day http://www.witchway.net/hallows/lore.html

Answer 2

On Halloween I hand out candy to the kids trick or treating. On the actual day of Samhain (Sow-when) -when the sun reaches 15 degrees into Scorpio we have a silent feast to honor the ancestors and loved ones that have passed. Divination is also traditional at this time of year, because the veil between the worlds is the thinnest.

Answer 3

It's a combination of things. First, it's a celebration of the last harvest. Anything left in the fields after Samhain (the Gaelic name for it) was considered unfit for human consumption.

Second, it's the end of the Celtic year, and the end of summer (in the two-season calendar), so something akin to our normal New Year's.

And third, it's the time when the veil between the worlds is the thinnest - meaning not only is it a good time for divination, it's also a time when it's easier to pass between worlds. As such, there's a time of remembering the dead - telling stories, setting a place for them at dinner (aka "dumb supper"), wearing costumes, etc.

Answer 4

It's the Ritual New Year, which is like New Years, Memorial Day and Thanksgiving rolled into one holiday. It's our (Wiccans and Pagans) time to reflect on the past year and remember those who have died. It's also a time to prepare for winter. Each group within Wicca and Paganism do something different according to their own beliefs.

Answer 5

Most witches celebrate Samhain (not pronounced as it's spelled; I know there's a more common pronunciation, but I've always used the Welsh "Sah-wain", having been raised with Welsh tossed around) on or around Halloween. Usually there are bonfires and honoring of the dead, as well as more typical Halloween activities.

Answer 6

I'm an Ex Wiccan. Does that count?
Different Witches do different things. The group I hung out with celebrated the fall equinox and also embraced all that Halloween has become as a truly American holiday. There are many things that make up Halloween from many places and yes most of them are pagan. We get some from Europe and some from Mexico and even some african influience. Put them all together and you have a wonderfully made American holiday. So see it as a eclectic celebration and an ye harm none do as thou wilt
I am now Christian and hollows eve is all about dressing up as superman and trick or treating.. Actually treating.. we don't do tricks. We love Jesus and celebrate our salvation everyday. We also enjoy our culture as long as we are not doing rituals in our back yard. Jesus is Lord. Even over Hallows Eve.

May GOD richly bless ya.

Answer 7

I don't celebrate Halloween. I celebrate the Wiccan holiday of Samhain. I have a silent feast with my relatives who have "passed" and do a ritual. It is considered the most important wiccan holiday of the year and often falls on or around Halloween.

-Wiccan Teen )O(

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvVz2DKSBsZGP23E8Rble6wezKIX?qid=20061008104309AA9zGcU <~~~ Wiccans! I need HELP!

Answer 8

can not add anything to the other answers here except to point out the next day November is called All Saints Day which the Church declared was a religious time to honor and commemorate all the Saints who had not been awarded their own personal Saint Day at that time.

Answer 9

It is the time for the last harvest of the year to be gathered and a time to remember our deceased loved ones.

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Answer 10

Celebrate ... It's kind of like celebrating Jesus at Christmas ..
As for all you ignorant Christains out there , Wicca lets you celebrate Jesus or what ever higher power you prefer ... Don't be scared or what you don't understand ...