I am so sorry! I feel like my post yesterday made people sad, oh my goodness! I apoligise. I promise it’s not a bad thing to be comfortable to be alone.
I also apologise also, my posts have not really been Halloweenie, have they? The world is falling apart, I got put back some happiness in there!
Halloween and Samhain, have got the best music.
From Classics such as “This is Halloween” to the famous or infamous “Psycho” theme. What sounds/music/theme/tunes makes you truly believe in the spirit of Halloween?
It’s weird to think 4 years TODAY I finally got off the couch after being laid up for 3 days on the couch, too terrified to move…Only moving because Travie needed someone to open the door…And here I am today, having fun, feeling happy…and getting off the couch because Travie needs someone to open door, lol
I was reminded today, why you should always look out for signs from those who have crossed before. Samhain, is when the veil between the dead and living is at it’s thinnest. Be on the look out for signs, more than ever today.. I only realise today, that 4 years ago, today, I was getting the biggest sign of them all!
I always remembered that my huge anxiety attack, that took me out for about a month, is around now. Today, was the first day I got off of the couch, to paralyzed with fear before, and started to “come back”. So honour those who have passed first ❤ They are always with us, giving us signs ❤
(I don’t have pics from my Dad’s side, my nanna and poppa passed away before Facebook, and I’m not at home to get photos. They weren’t really that nice anyway. I doubt it was them helping me.)
Long there has been debate whether or not Christianity “stole” Samhain and made it a holiday called Halloween. When large numbers of Irish people emigrated to the United States after the Great Famine in the 19th century, they carried their Christian-Pagan tradition with them, which lead to the popularity of Halloween in America today.
“Jack o’lantern” comes from the Irish legend of Stingy Jack. The story goes, that Stingy Jack invited the devil to have a drink with him, but Jack didn’t want to pay for the drink, so he convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin. Instead of buying the drink, he pocketed the coin and kept it close to a silver cross in his house, preventing the devil from taking shape again. He promised to let the devil go as long as he would leave Jack alone for a year – and that if Jack died, the devil wouldn’t claim his soul. After a year, Jack tricked the devil again to leave him alone and not claim his soul. When Jack died, God didn’t want such a conniving person in heaven and the devil, true to his word, would not allow him into hell. Jack was sent off into the night with only a burning coal to light his path. He placed the coal inside a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the earth ever since.
People in Ireland and Scotland began creating their own creations of Jack’s lanterns out of turnips, beets and potatoes. The tradition traveled to the United States along with the immigrants and people began to use pumpkins, native to North America, for the lanterns instead. Some say though that in Samhain tradition, they really used human heads!
It was believed that phantoms walked the earth on the night of Samhain, so people would dress up in costumes in an effort to repel the spirits.
In the eighth century, in an effort to spread Christianity, Pope Gregory III decreed November 1 as All Saints’ Day and incorporated some of the rituals of Samhain.
Samhain was one of four major Celtic seasonal festivals, along with Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh, which occurred around 2000 years ago.
Trick-or-treating was inspired by the medieval English tradition of “souling,” which involved children going door-to-door on All Souls Day, offering prayers for residents’ deceased loved ones in exchange for food.
A HUGE part of both Halloween and Samhain is…the FOOD!
Here are some food, and a recipe with them that I have actually used over the years. Since I am not a confident cook, below are all the recipes that I actually have used. I’m going to also include my recommendations.
This is clearly the easiest dish to make, and also one of the yummiest. You just generally melt some marshmallows and chocolate buds together, and use the biscuits or sweet crackers to dip with. These days you can find vegan friendly marshmallows as well. So you can make two different dips, but one vegan friendly.
These are also pretty easy, because it’s just strawberries dipped in white chocolate, with little chocolate frosting for eyes. Of course though, if you’re running out of time though (sometimes the icing and the strawberries, kind of “melt” into each other), don’t worry about the eyes.
I have differed this recipe as few times. You can make the mousse yourself, or just buy the mousse (especially if you have a place that makes really nice mousse). You can put all sorts of animal lollies in it. I love getting frogs (which we have in Australia) sour worms. You can use any kind of biscuits for the Headstones, or none at all. One time I put gummy bears in the mousse, making it look like some buried them. There are body part lollies.
Again, this is one that you can differ to your tastes. I suggest using a sweet and/or salty, popcorn. I would also suggest just using white chocolate, rather than milk or dark chocolate. I just found that the white chocolate just made it taste a little sweeter. You can add whatever you want as well, I usually use just candy corn, white chocolate drizzled, icing sugar and sweet and salty popcorn. In the recipe, the author suggests that you can use pretzels, M&Ms, Reese’s pieces.
Now this is one of the harder recipes that I found to do, mainly because it a little fidgety. But they are a lot of fun to eat. Remember you don’t need to heat up the hotdogs in water, you wait until they are wrapped, and placed into the oven. They cook in the oven, with the dough wrapped around. Of course, you can choose whatever dip you want. The usual sauces and condiments go well with this recipe.
I love to drink too, all drinks…except jagerbombs and that horrible water, what’s it called, it’s got all bubbles in it…Oh, and that aniseed stuff. I have tried experiments over the years, but I cannot get drinks right.
I love music, it definitely can change my mood. Halloween music can definitely get me in the mood of Halloween, and Samhain type Celtic music, makes me feel humbled, and that I should do more to honour those who have passed. Now I was thinking of doing my 5 favourite Halloween and 5 favourite Samhain…But I think I might stick with Samhain, for the moment. Everyone else will probably do a Halloween one anyway, lol
This probably my most favorite one…I even have it on my ipod…The Spiral Dance
Bernard Alvarez
If you haven’t heard this one, this one makes me feel wicked, but in a good way.
Out of the American “Holidays” … Halloween is my favourite, but they probably got that from the Celtic Pagans and their festival of Samhain. Anywhoo, this is the month where we “celebrate” the dead!
This year I think I want to see about how to “celebrate” my Samhain side. I think this year is turning out to be even crazier than last year. I’ve already got stuff together for trick and treaters though! Even though I am Australian, last year, the neighbours actually did the whole trick and treating thing. This year, I would like to join them.
Mainly for myself though, I would rather do Samhain. We are currently looking at homes for my Gran, and we need to be really be able to go at anytime.
So some things I was thinking of was:
Make my own little witch broomsticks (just little tiny ones from twigs out the back). Hang them around the front.
I’m getting just a plain black wreath, so I can probably do something with that.
Light candles, even if it’s just those little flickering fake ones.
Sage everything!
I’m thinking because Samhain is for honouring and thinking of those who have passed. I don’t know how, but make a little memory table, and perhaps, even get people in the community to write down the name of a lost loved one. Then take them and burn them in our fire pit, or barbecue.
I agree with the above article. A LOT of people complain about Halloween in Australia “We’re not Americans”. No we are not Americans but Halloween wasn’t “invented” by the Americans either. The only true part they came up with was the trick and treating. Like most “Christians” events…They were taken from Pagans/Celts…What is it with Americans and the Irish? They’ve always seemed to have “issues” lol.
It’s a festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the darker half of the year. Traditionally, it is celebrated from 31 October to 1 November, as the a Celtic Day actually began and ended at sunset. This is about halfway between. There are four other Gaelic Season Festivals: Imbolc,Bealtaine and Lughnasadh.
A lot of Witches Celtic and Pagan, celebrate Sahmain for the “Thinning of the veil”, the one night of the year to celebrate loved one lost. The best night to speak with the dead. It’s just a funny thing because my Gran has always said that I tend to “live beyond the veil” sometimes. When I was little, if I didn’t want to be somewhere…I’d just go…If that makes sense? Not physically go…In the more “olden days” people would put out extra plates and cups for the dearly departed.
I think the festival of Sahmain is something that really does speak to me. As mentioned above I am part Irish, so this seems absolutely perfect too me. My Gran, who is even more Irish than myself, is happy about this too. I did not know that she celebrated it too!
Lolsys Library 