BOO!! No, really....

Why is it that when it comes to Halloween, there is such fear that is instilled in humanity? Seriously. It's not like there are ghouls, ghosts and goblins that are hiding in every single possible crack and crevice imaginable, just waiting to jump out and scare you right out of your skin. Or....are there? Samhain (properly pronounced 'sow-man', or 'saw-man') is a multitude of celebrations, and remembrances, for people who follow Pagan-based belief systems. First, and foremost, it is our 'thanksgiving'. It is the day we celebrate the bountiful harvest from our hard labors during the hotter months of the year. Secondly, it is our 'memorial' day, where we remember those who have passed on the year before. For many of us, it is a day that we spend in remembrance of all those in our families, who have died...regardless of how long ago they died. Finally, for many of us, it is our New Year. Remember, most of the elders live by two calendars, not just the standard Gregorian calendar. We also have a traditional circular calendar.  The Celtic calendar is called the 'Lughnasadh' (pronounced: 'loo-neh-sah'). The modern name for the Pagan calendar is simply called 'The Wheel Of The Year'. Basic, and to the point. 

      Thanks to the media hype surrounding this holiday, it has been all but crushed into stereo-typical dust, under the unapologetic hooves of just about every non-Pagan culture on the planet. Sadly, much of our history, tradition and culture have been lost in translation. What is a simple practice of remembrance, has been stretched to mean that we are conjuring up demons, evil spirits and demons from the very deepest bastions of Hell itself. In truth? We're praying. We're remembering. We're asking that those who were left to live out the rest of their days, be blessed with good health, happiness and good fortune. For novices, this may be a bit daunting, and confusing. When an elder says that they wish for those within the realm of the immortal be banished from the realm of the living, it is not a bad thing. It is an elder simply wishing for those who have died to have passed on to an immortal realm, free of suffering, pain and anguish - on any level. It is also a wish for those who are living, to know that their loved ones who have died, are no longer suffering, are no longer in pain and are no longer in anguish. In other words...it is the same as someone saying: "May the lord be with you", and the other person responding with: "And also with you". Pagans just tend to be a tad more specific with their wording. Which, can sometimes get rather lengthy. None the less, I promise, we're not trying to invoke any demonic spirits.

You may have heard of Pagans offering 'blood sacrifices' to their gods, and/or goddesses. This does not mean that we are drawing and quartering people on a slab of cold marble, under a full moon, with a rusty knife, while a group of people look on as if they were watching a football game on the television. No one is standing around with placards that read: "Go Druids!". No. Not going to happen. A 'blood sacrifice' is also not the slaughtering of puppies and kittens, babies or fawns. In fact, the only reason Pagans even kill an animal at all is for food. That is it. Also, like the Native American Indians, every single possible part of any animal that has been killed for food, will be used for as many things as possible - including the bones. The blood sacrifice is the name of the ritual slaughtering of an animal that is being killed for food. It is never a young animal. Rather, it is an animal that has been intentionally allowed to live as long as possible, and is only slaughtered in order to feed an entire community of people....not just one family. Cows and horses were the most common animals used for this purpose, simply because there is a large amount of meat to be gained from such a slaughter. There is also a larger amount of everything else that can be used. When those were not available (and this was not often, but it did happen every so often), pigs or larger sheep were used. Remember, this was not just a celebratory ritual, it was a necessity in order to keep as many people alive as possible throughout the winter months.

     Death holds a tremendous importance for Pagans. Not because it is a bad thing, but rather, Pagans recognize that death, and the process of death, is a very human thing. It reminds us of our own mortality. It reminds us that no matter who, or what, we are...we will all eventually die. We simply see death as the final stage of life. We do not celebrate it as if it's necessarily good thing. We do, however, believe that not every death is a tragedy. At least, not for the person who has died, and certainly not for ourselves. We are not here to worry about the dead. We are here to support the living who have to carry on from the point of another person's death. More or less like a moral support system for those who grieve the loss of a loved one.  To us, death is something we look at daily. We do not believe in Heaven, nor Hell....much less any masters of such places. The 'goddess', to us, is our planet. The 'god', to us, is the universe. There are many 'patron' gods, and goddesses, that several Pagan sects have adopted, just as there are many patron saints that Christian sects have adopted. 

Pagans also believe that on Samhain, the 'veil' is at its thinnest, and that those from the immortal realm can walk freely in the mortal realm. Of course, modern practitioners know that this isn't exactly a physical reference. Rather, it is a figurative one. Granted, it's been the foundation for the Halloween traditions that many of us practice today. Trick or Treating was derived from the ancient Pagans taking lanterns, candles and torches into the streets, and marching to the outer edges of the town (which, were generally roads that went off into the middle of absolutely nowhere), in hopes of getting any spirits to follow them...and keep them away from the homes of the townsfolk. They would 'trick' the spirits into following them, and at the end of the journey, they would 'treat' the spirits with an offering of food and grains on an altar. This is also where we get Jack O Lanterns from. They were not originally made from Pumpkins. Rather, they were made from Turnips, gourds, and other such foods. Once those food lanterns were placed on the altar, they too were offered as part of the 'treat' for the spirits.

    3,000 years ago, people decided that along with the benevolent spirits, also came the malevolent ones.  As such, people would disguise themselves in hopes of scaring off the 'evil' spirits. Which, is where we got the idea for Halloween costumes. The idea, back in ancient days, was to look as scary as possible. Now, people can be anything they want to be. They can dress up like a roll of paper towels if they so choose to. It may take a bit of planning, but heck...it's possible.

     The 'new year' bit is something Pagans have celebrated since the beginning of the belief system. It is the 'new year' for them as their calendar starts fresh with Samhain. Remember, it is circular, not boxed (Gregorian). The top (or, starting point) of the Pagan calendar is the beginning. That starts at the end of October. There are 4 quarters in the Pagan calendar, but not specifically days, or weeks. This did not get added to the Pagan calendar for quite some time. The best estimate is that this was added with the onset of the general population when they began adopting the Gregorian Calendar.  

Regardless if you celebrate Halloween, or Samhain, you can be rest assured that these traditions go back thousands of years (literally), and are not likely to change anytime in the near future. There will still be miniature witches, ghosts, goblins, ghouls, demons, princesses and super heroes running up and down the streets....knocking on the doors of strangers, and asking for candy. There will still be die-hard anti-Halloween people, just as there will still be die hard pro-Halloween people...just as there will still be the many companies that lap up all of the dollars that people spend on the celebration of the holiday. However you celebrate the Halloween/Samhain holiday time, please, I beg of you - be respectful to those who are celebrating it in a more traditional manner. Pagans do not run around during the Christmas season, yelling at people to stop putting nativity scenes and lit up menorahs on their lawns. That would be the fanatics of every other religion on the planet. Pagans? We couldn't care less. Really...we just don't care. Heck, we might even help you carve out a pumpkin to light up your front stoop! Let you borrow a witch hat for your costume? No problem. Help you decide which fictional character to dress up as? Not an issue. Help you build a miniature grave yard on your front lawn? Sure! Ask us if our holiday sign that reads: "Witch parking only. All others will be toad." is really possible? Biiiiiiiig no no! Oh, an by the way... BOO!!! No, really....