Hi, it’s me, Nicole. I’m the resident witch on staff here at Weird Wyrlds. And as such, Halloween is a very important holiday for me.
Well, let me rephrase. Samhain is an important holiday for me. Halloween is a very fun holiday for me. I love Halloween so fucking much, you guys. But Samhain is something different.
It’s pronounced Sow-wen, by the way. Don’t worry if you didn’t know that. I spent my whole first year as a witch looking up how to pronounce the names of the Sabbats.
Now, you might have seen some people use these two names interchangeably online. Or, perhaps a fedora-wearing poser has tried explaining to you that Halloween is just Samhain and there is no difference.
This is wrong. Now, traditions vary, and cultures are going to disagree about this. But from what I’ve experienced as someone who started practicing witchcraft later in my life, there are enough differences between the two that they’re easily different holidays. So, let’s talk about it.
Traditions in common
Halloween and Samhain have the same roots. Like many other Fall holidays, the theme is harvest. As in, the harvest is now over, so we can finally take a breath and celebrate!
And as we finally now have a chance to breathe, we also have a chance to properly grieve and honor loved ones we’ve lost.
I lost someone this year. A friend of mine passed. Of course, I’ve lost people before. You don’t get to forty without a funeral outfit, sorry to say. And I was blessed to be able to take a moment and mourn him. I went to his funeral, then went out for drinks with fellow friends. We remembered him. It was beautiful.
Rural people in the past didn’t have that kind of time in the Spring or Summer. Every day counted, because whether or not you survived the Winter depended entirely on whether you could bring in and store enough food. So mourning and telling of stories had to wait.
The darker days of the year have always been a time of remembrance and telling of tales. Largely scary tales, because we’ve always loved a little horror. So, families got together and celebrated.
We still celebrate today. You know the drill. Costumes, candy, spooky decorations. And pumpkins.
I love a good Jack-o’-lantern. And yes, this is a tradition for both Halloween and Samhain. Here’s a link to a really great story from the Carnegie History Museum about Stingy Jack.
The real difference between Halloween and Samhain is the ghosts. Or, should I say, it’s the way the living respond to ghosts.
For Halloween, ghosts are scary. The unquiet dead coming back to seek vengeance. The spirits of evil people who continue to be evil in the afterlife. The eerie, unsettling ghost that is a harbinger of death.
For Samhain, ghosts are visitors. They’re guests.
When you get down to it, Samhain has more in common with Día de los Muertos than American Halloween. We invite our loved ones back when the veil is thin. We tell loving stories about them. We make their favorite foods and set out plates for them. Many witches like to interact with spirits on Samhain, either through ancestor veneration or divination. If you’ve got something you’ve always wanted to say to someone you’ve lost, this is the time to say it.
Samhain is also considered the Witch’s New Year. Because the start of Winter was the new year in many cultures. So witches will write out resolutions and New Year goals. Basically, Samhain feels more like Thanksgiving and New Year’s rolled into one. Except that you’re setting plates for family that you won’t actually see. But in my experience, you’ll feel them. In little ways, you’ll know they’re there.
If you’re new to the practice, here are some of my favorite Samahin traditions. This will be a very light overview. Any of these practices can be as complicated or as simple as you want/need them to be.
Dumb supper/Dumb tea
Lots of witches will do a full dumb supper for Samhain. A dumb supper is simple. You make a lovely meal, and sit down to it with whoever you want to eat with, alive or dead. Which is to say, you set plates and leave chairs open for the lost loved ones you want to visit you. These meals are often eaten by candlelight alone. And no one living is supposed to speak during the meal.
I do a dumb tea instead. I make chocolate chip cookies using the Nestle Tollhouse recipe, just like I did with my Great Grandma when she was alive. Then I set out a plate of cookies and have a cup of tea in silence.
Ancestor alters
This is not an Ofrenda because I’m not Hispanic or Catholic. But in practice, it’s pretty damn similar. (Also, I freaking love Ofrendas. They’re gorgeous, and I love seeing everyone’s on social media. Thank you, everyone, who shares their family in this way. I’m honored.)
My altar consumes my whole kitchen table. It has a candle for each loved one. It has pictures of the people I welcome back. It has fresh flowers that I always spend too much money on. I also pack it with food offerings. Wine, blessed water, and food they loved in life. My friend who passed was a big fan of Guinness. He always had candy on him, too. My great-grandmother loved diet caffeine-free Pepsi. (God knows why.) Some of the cookies make it on the altar as well, along with beet pickled eggs which my other great-grandmother made from scratch. Because my great-grandmothers and my friend who passed were Catholic (And I’m Christian myself), I include rosaries and a statue of Jesus.
My beloved pets who have passed are not forgotten. I put out pet treats, pictures of them, and any personal items I have.
Note: if you’re going to do this, maybe don’t put those offerings close to the edge of the table where your living fur babies might steal them. Ask me how I know.
New Year goals spell
I love me a good manifestation spell. So, on Samhain, I write down everything I want to achieve in the coming twelve months. I do this in peace, with a nice drink and a candle burning. Then, I fold the paper three times towards me, and tuck it away on my altar for a little spiritual help in the coming year.
Spirit divination
Of course, it wouldn’t be Samhain without some divination.
Who am I kidding? It wouldn’t be Tuesday without some divination in my house. I love me some cardomancy in all forms. Tarot, Lenormand, oracle cards, all of them. I started reading with a plain old Bicycle deck of playing cards, and I still use them from time to time. And when the veil is thin, I get the best readings. Readings that bring tears to my eyes, more often than not.
Finally, I want to thank you. Because you’ve been a part of my Samhain celebration this year.
The most important part of Samhain is remembering those we’ve lost. We remember them by telling stories about them. And through this post, I’ve shared small things about those I’ve loved. What they liked, what they were like, and what I remember about them. Thank you for listening.
If you want to, please share a story about someone you love who’s on the other side of the veil. And whatever you celebrate, I hope you have a fantastic holiday.
If you’re looking for another essay about Halloween, check out my thoughts on Haunted Houses.
My book, Station 86 Volume One, is available now on Amazon! It’s got two dark sci-fi stories about murder and mayhem on the station of First Contact.
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