The most well known aspect of Samhain is it's role as the Feast of the Dead. It is a night to honor the ancestors, to celebrate their lives, and to toast their memories. It is an evening for families to gather and hear tales of Great Grandfather's life and the legends of the Old King and his knights. It was believed that on this night, the dead could return to earth to visit with the living. It was considered polite to set places at the table for those recently deceased and to leave food for them and for wondering souls. Lights should be placed in windows and along roads to help guide the spirits out for the night. This was the beginnings of the ever popular jac-o-lantern. Lights where places in gourds so that the wind would not extinguished them and left as guides and as wards to protect the household from any vindictive souls who may have tracked them down.
The other role of Samhain is slightly less known, possibly due to the adamancy to the Catholic church against divination. At Samhain, the veil between worlds is at its thinnest, which is why the dead can cross over on this eve. It also means that it is easier to see the into the future. It is a night to cast runes, deal cards, and scry. It is also a night to make decisions. The Celts have a tradition that is the root of the modern New Year's Resolution. The tradition states that on this day, one should reflect on the negatives in ones life and perform a ritual asking the Crone to help in dissipating them.
There are several forms of deviation that are particular to this Eve. The most entertaining were most popular amongst young girls and dealt with finding one's true love. One of the most popular of these was to gather a group of hazel nuts together. On the shells, one marks symbols representing people that one knows. The first nut to crack should have the symbol assigned to your true love. Of course, this can be modified for use with any question, but this is the most fun. Apples are of course, a very popular fall food and it would be unthinkable not to involve them in this holiday. It was said that is one cut an apple in to halves (long wise so that the star in the middle becomes visible) by candle light and ate it in front of one's own image, behind one's shoulder will appear the image of the one who loves you most. A tradition that I remember from my own childhood states that if one peels an apple so that the peel comes off as one long strand and throw is over the shoulder, it will fall in the shape of the first letter of your love's name. A slightly less pleasant method that does not lead to having something nice to eat even if one gets bad advice, it was claimed that a snail placed in the hearth ashes would draw the initial of the one meant for whoever put the snail there.e. |
