Pagans..Samhain?

Question

can you guys tell me some things I can do with my children in keeping with the traditional Samhain celebrations
just want to try something a little different this year
keep in mind I am not Pagan and usually do the normal Halloween stuff
tell me the differences please , how do you celebrate ?

can someone read my questions please .... because I dont recall asking for a sermon in it
thank you very much

Answer 1

Well, I'm the only Pagan in my family and so for me it doesn't involve children, although I do take my nephews and niece on the usual trick or treat.

I tend to have some quiet time with lit candles, my alter set up for Samhain and think of family and ancetors long since past. I send them my blessings and invite any spirit friends who wish to join me.

For each pagan the celebration will be different, it is also our new year celebration and opposed to the christian 31st December.

But as I said, I celebrate alone...But I have had a troll around and found some interesting sites that may help, plus a couple of books with ideas.

Hope it all helps.

Web sites:

Activities:

http://www.wicca.com/celtic/akasha/samhainchildren.htm

http://celebratesamhain.com/children.html

http://www.funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/edu/celebrating-samhain.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/57491/celebrating_samhain_with_your_children.html

http://www.wyldwytch.com/weavings/articles/pagan_creche/pages/samhain_for_children.htm

Food:

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/7039/AshlinCC.html

http://www.ecauldron.com/samhainfood.php

http://www.magicspells.in/wiccan_recipes_for_samhain.htm

And two books:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sacred-Celebrations-Sourcebook-Glennie-Kindred/dp/0906362482/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/203-8455369-2195910?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190846591&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magickal-Crafts-Kristin-Madden/dp/1564148394/ref=sr_1_1/203-8455369-2195910?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190846624&sr=1-1

Hope you have a wonderful time...

Blessings

Cerri

Answer 2

Ok, this is my first year as an official pagan, so this is the first year I will celebrate it in the pagan way. My coven will perform a ritual for the gods, but opening circles and summoning are dangerous things, and more so in samhein, therefore I can't give you details on that.

I am mexican, and my mother was american, so every year , before coming out of the pagan closet, I used to do a fussion of both traditions. In Mexico, the 2nd of November is the day of the dead, in ancient indian tradition, it is the only day of the year in which the dead are allowed to come visit the living and spend the day with us. So, we set an altar for our dead, with pictures of them, and we put things that they used to like, toys for the children, cigarrettes and tequila for the adults, and food, we prepare the dead person's favorite dish and set it on the altar.

The dead are supposed to arrive at 8 o'clock, so we try to have everything set up by that time, maybe even play some music, like throwing a party that they would like.

I like the day of the dead, but I also like halloween, so I usually have elements of both traditions on my altar for my dead, and I do the costume thing as well.

This year I guess I'm gonna fuse all 3 traditions, I am looking forward to it...

Oh, to answer your question, I don't even know how to word this, so I don't know what's gonna come out of this:

Halloween is a pagan tradition, so many of the elements are still the same. Pagans try to focus on the emotional and spiritual thing, so during Samhein, people are not just about buying decorations and costumes, they actually do rituals honoring the gods and the dead, Samhein is a good time for oracles, for tarot readings and such.

In the emotional or spiritual territory, Samhein is the end of the pagan year, as the agriculture year is over. No plants can grow, all the gathering of grains for the winter should be ready at this point. This is a good time to review your year, how well you have worked on your resolutions or in correcting your flaws, or if you have been working on yourself at all. Keep a note on your failures and flaws of the year so as to work on them the next year.

Answer 3

well if you manage to get to Salem it shows samhain quite well through wiccan perspectives, i am a witch with wiccan views(though some call me neopagan) my views may differ, you can cook goods such as pies and cakes and tell samhain stories, visit where the spirits lie, tell your children of the spirits and what samhain really means, and of course candy is a must for children , trust me i know you don't want to give in to the whole Halloween scenario but they will be upset if all the other kids are getting candy and they're not, however explain the difference between Halloween and samhain so they wont be confused, praise who your normally would praise, dance and celebrate and have a nice get together with fellow pagans/wiccans/witches

Answer 4

P, Samhain is the time for honoring our ancestors and those who have died within the last year. Some pagans put out a plate of food for the ancestors who are walking between the worlds at this time. the usual halloween traditional stuff is just fine.. do what is right for you and yours.

Answer 5

Greetings!

The Veil between the Worlds Thin.

The Ancestors are Seen and Heard.

Then we put on costumes and go trick-or-treating!

Bake bread, pies, and puddings-decorate in Fall colors, talk about the Family with stories of Those Who Have Gone Before-give the kids a perspective of who they are in relationship with the Family-

It`s also the end of the year for Celtic Pagans, as Winter usually rolls in about then. We look at Calendars and Time as Circles and Cycles, with the Earth basically "going to sleep" for the Winter, then "waking up" in the Spring.

It`s a time to put away preserves for the long Winter Nights, bring in the Animals, Crops, Seeds-

That`s the "Northern Traditions"- down South, it`s the opposite, but all can share in this time of year-

/!\

Answer 6

You've already got some great stuff here, so I'll just give my little slant to it. For one thing, I agree totally that you must have pumpkin bread, and also pumpkin pie, custard, anything you can think of to use pumpkins. Including jack-o-lanterns, of course.

Samhain is indeed the day to honor the dead, but I have always heard it as specific to those who have died within the last year. That is, it does not do to keep calling them forth over and over, year after year. This is the time to let go of them, let them get on with the next step in their development.

I also agree that a party at home -- costume party, of course -- is way better than going out trick-or-treating. And yes, bobbing for apples is pagan, as are most of the things Christians do at Halloween.

Have a great time!

Answer 7

The "normal Halloween stuff" is actually pretty spot on. *G*

In addition, as noted, this is a day for honoring ancestors . . . and not just in ancient Celtic cultures, either. From the Mexican Dia de los Muertos to the Korean Chusok to my own Norse Winternights Disablot, traditional peoples around the world have turned their attention to those who have made the Final Faring at roughly the same time of year for millennia.

I set a feast table for my ancestors, and honor my Disr (familial mother goddesses) with libations and gifts, personally.

Answer 8

I have a daughter age 9 and a son age 15.
My daughter has agreed that I could buy her some candy instead of going out trick or treating.
Instead, we are planning on having some of their friends over (mostly my son's--but I think the parents of her friends would rather drop them off at my house instead of running the neighborhood with them all night.
We are just going to have party trays and hot dogs--and everyone will be dressed up.
I hope this is what you were talking about. If not, just ignore my answer.

Answer 9

My speciality (when organising a party that's going to be attended by non-pagans also) are disgusting looking dishes (food).
I can make cocktails that look like frog spawn, are green and bubble, or are all other crazy, disgusting colours, I make finger food that looks horrible but is really quite nice and healthy.
For example: take normal grapes, peel the berries, put a spoon of whipped cream on it and a couple of drops of some green juice (like kiwi or green apple), jsut enough to cover them. It'll look like frog eggs floating in white foam.

Answer 10

Pangel, after my Samhain Circle I usually have my Cowan Friends and neighbors over for a party. Nothing beats a HAlloween Party hosted by a Witch. The early evening is devoted to the younger set and bloody fingers in bandages are served (basicaly, Hot dogs with ketchup on them but done up to look like fingers and the rools have al the crust removed so it looks like bandages. Green Eyes (Green olives stuffed with pimentos, Monkey Brains (red jello loosely mixed with blueberry cool whip), and of course the ineveitable WItch's Brew (Hawaiian punch served out of a bowl with a good sized cake of dry ice added to make it look like it's smoking.

If it's permissible a bonfire is started and a stuffed manniquin of John barleycorn is ceremonially tossed onto the bonfire to keep winter at bay.

I tend to make MY John barleycron with a few pyrotechnic surprises in him. HIs pumpkin head's eyes are lined with Magnesium Ribbon which glows very brightly when it catches fire. thehead explodes shortly afterwards (having been prestuffed with fireworks) and his pockets and finger and legs also explode with sutiable fireworks hiddden in the appropriate areas. EVERYONE, Adults ANd kids REALLY enjoy that a lot. Then the Fire Master (Myself, of course) tosses Magickal powders onto the fire and produces flames collored Green, Red, Blue, Purple, Magenta and Bright White. (Essentially metallic salts, mixed with saltpeter and a bit of powdered charcoal, various recipes are available just by entering "colored flames" into a search engine and exploring).

Don't forget the spooky music, you can find all kinds of downloads off of Limewire around this time of year.

Happy Halloweening with the kids AND the adults too.

BB,
Raji the Green Witch