Just wondering. I really don't know much about Wiccans and Pagans. Sorry if this is a dumb question.
2006-10-31 12:55:58 · 12 answers · asked by Heron By The Sea 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yep. I attended a Halloween ritual today and it was a religious sort of thing.
2006-10-31 12:58:01 · answer #1 · answered by i luv teh fishes 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Not Halloween - Samhain (sow-IN).
Samhain is the holiday Pagans celebrate today, as it was celebrated by the ancient Celts prior to Christianity.
Samhain means “end of summer.” It was not only a celebration of a new year, but also of the Harvest and of the thinning of the veil between the world of the living and of the dead. It was believed that it became so thin on this night, that the souls that had past the last year could come back and walk in the world of the living.
People would have a "dumb dinner" (dumb as in “unable to speak”) which was served backwards (dessert first, appetizers last), and in silence. There would be an extra place setting and a chair left empty to invite a spirit guest to join them. Vegetables (commonly turnips) were carved into lanterns, lit with consecrated candles, and placed in windows to guide friendly spirits to their homes.
Costumes and masks were worn when outside of the home to confuse spirits who might not have been so friendly.
Leftovers from the harvests were left on doorsteps or buried in the ground for passing spirits, which is one tradition that fed the practice of Trick or Treating.
Bonfires (which play a major part in all Pagan celebrations) were lit to appease the gods who were thought to control the patterns of the sun, and were asked to ensure the returning of longer days after winter was over.
Thank you for the question! It is a most welcome break from the usual bombardment of "you're evil," "you're going to Hell," and the ever popular, "stop worhiping Satan!"
Blessed be, and a Happy Halloween (and a Blessed Samhain) to you this night!
2006-10-31 13:18:00 · answer #2 · answered by Lady of the Pink 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Not a dumb question. =)
Yes, Wiccans and most Pagans celebrate Halloween (Samhain) in a religious way, generally with a Ritual (either with a group or solitary) reflecting on the turning of the Wheel of the Year - what has passed behind us, what is before us with the upcoming winter. Many include rituals honoring those who have died.
Agriculturally, it is the third of the Harvest festivals, so recognizing the bounty of the earth is often incorporated.
Mythologically, Samhain marks the death of the God, who will be reborn at Yule (Winter Solstice).
It is the time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest, so divination (Tarot, runes, scrying) is often also done.
And we also hand out candy to trick or treaters. ;)
2006-10-31 13:06:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
NOT a stupid question at all!
A lot of us will be having some sort of ceremony or circle tonight, and this is a common time to say "howdy" to the ones we've loved who've died. (This might be by burning a little incense, pouring out a libation (drink) of something they liked or burning/burying a bit of food, decorating an altar, making a donation to a favorite charity and putting a token of this on a gravesite or the altar....lots of ways. We're pretty flexible. Some of us on "Pagan Standard Time" may have done this on the weekend, if there's conflicts that make it really tough to work on the "classic" days.)
See also the other comments on Samhain. Thanks for asking, and come on back with more questions if you like. There's a number of us Pagans/Wiccans here....and learning more about ALL kinds of people tends to reduce mistrust and hatred, so ask away!
2006-10-31 13:12:46 · answer #4 · answered by samiracat 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
We will be celebrating Samhain on the full moon this weekend. We will honor our ancestors and deities with ritual, praise, song, and offerings. We will finish preparing the yard/gardens for winter (it's a harvest holiday) and then feast on seasonal foods. We will tell stories and hold wishes for the new year. We see Samhain as the end of summer (the light half of the year) and the beginning of the dark half of the year.
This question isn't dumb at all---thanks for asking.
2006-10-31 23:55:24 · answer #5 · answered by Witchy 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
b/c some believe that Halloween is the "new year" for them. That's why they celebrate it
2006-10-31 13:17:18 · answer #6 · answered by HU4L 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Haven't really seen any on the streets for the past couple of hours.
Maybe they're all at mass?
2006-10-31 12:58:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
thats a really good question
i'm not quite sure but I would think they would...
2006-10-31 12:58:20 · answer #8 · answered by Coxie Megan 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, we do.
2006-10-31 13:23:43 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
yes we do
2006-10-31 13:00:16 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋