Pagans...What is a good ceremony/ritual to honor one's ancestors?

Question

Christians, I know the bible probably considers it a sin. Blah blah blah.

Answer 1

Every Samhain (October 31st), our worship group holds a rite of remembrance for the beloved dead. It's part of a larger Wiccan ritual (including the invocation of the Goddess and the God), but part of that ritual is the offering of the first "bites" of the feast we'll be having after the ceremony to the dead. The person responsible for issuing the invitation holds up the offering plate of food to the altar, saying:

“And to you, our beloved dead, we open our arms and our hearts
On this night when the veil between the worlds is thinnest.
Welcome to our circle!
We have food for you, and drink, and many fond memories.
Come, and hear the stories we will tell.”

Everyone in the circle sits down around the central cauldron on the altar, which has a lit incense charcoal inside it. A small bowl of incense is passed from hand to hand, and each person has a chance to talk about those they have lost to death in the past year (or long ago), concluding the remembrance with an offering of a pinch of incense. The bowl may go around several times before everybody is done telling their stories. At the end, everyone has the chance to write messages to the dead on pieces of paper, which are burned in the cauldron to send the messages across the veil.

When this has been done, the person responsible for inviting the spirits lights a white candle for them, saying:

“The time has come to bid farewell to those who have joined us from beyond.
Know that you are loved, O Spirits, and that you have not been forgotten;
And when you choose to leave our celebrations,
Take with you the light of this candle to guide your footsteps on your journey,
In the names of the Goddess and of the God.”

The candle is left burning and taken with us into the room where we'll be feasting after the ritual is over, and is allowed to burn itself out.

Good luck, and I hope you find a ceremony that suits you. :-)

Answer 2

I always do a Sumbel to honor my ancestors. It's a more mundane and social sort of ritual than the blot, but of no less importance. When Beowulf came to Hrothgar, the first thing they did was to drink at a ritual sumbel.

The sumbel is actually quite simple. The guests are seated, (traditionally, in some formal fashion), and the host begins the sumbel with a short statement of greeting and intent, and by offering the first toast. The mead horn is then passed around the table and each person makes their toasts in turn. At the sumbel toasts are drunk to the Gods, as well as to a persons ancestors or personal heroes. Rather than a toast, a person might also offer a brag or some story, song, or poem that has significance. The importance is that at the end of the toast, story, or whatever, the person offering it drinks from the horn, and in doing so "drinks in" what he spoke.

Answer 3

One of the simplest and best ones I have found is when you have a big family dinner, set an extra seat and serve food to it. This is the seat at your table for the family member who has passed but is still recognized as family. At the end of the meal have the food on this plate spread outside instead of "thrown out".

One of the nice things about this is that it doesn't make members of the family from different faiths uncomfortable as it only shows to remind everyone of family members without being overly religious.

Bright Blessings )O(

Answer 4

Follow your instincts, maybe there was some type of tradition in your family and you could take part in that to honour them or you could write a poem or letter to your ancestors and burn them in a candle flame thus sending it to them on the spiritual plane, or you could burn an incense you've prepared yourself, also you could dedicate a meal of cakes and wine to them and leave it as an offering.

Answer 5

It is a sin and a complete waist of time. They are on the other side not in the grave.

Answer 6

dont go to their party, go to GOD's party. Jesus is alive!!!!