Samhain marks the end of the old and the beginning of the new.  The last of the harvest, the gourds and other late harvest vegetables are brought in for the winter.  The seed from this year’s harvest is protected, ready for planting anew in the spring.  Weaker animals from the herds, those who might not survive the long, hard winter, are slaughtered – the meat not only prepared for this festival but also smoked and/or salted for winter storage.

It is this season when the border that divides our world from the Otherworld seems thinner.  It is a time when the Nature Spirits, Gods and Ancestors might come for a visit, and should be shown the hospitality that any visitor should:  that of food, drink, and a place to rest.  One way to honor the Ancestors and those close to you is with a ‘dumb supper’.  At the feast table, put out a place setting for them, so that they can join in the feast as well.  As Neo-pagans we honor our dead, we do not fear them, because we know that we will eventually join them and that they, and we, will return.

Although in modern times, this is a time for big parties and fun, it was a frightening time for our Ancestors.  If the food ran out early or if there was a rampant illness, either you or someone you loved would die.  There was also the fear of upsetting the Nature Spirits, by not offering food or wandering around their known haunting grounds for there are many tales of a settlement, township or village being destroyed by the Otherworld.

Growing up in middle-class America, my early memories are all of the traditional Halloween activities for kids – Trick or Treating, Apple bobbing and Haunted Houses.  (297 words)