The High Holy Day of Samhain By Jay Barrymore Of all the Pagan Sabbats, none rivals the ambiance, spiritual significance and mystique of Samhain, now known as Halloween. There are two great High Holy Days, Samhain and Beltane. It has been said that a Wiccan may miss the other Sabbats, but these two shall be observed. Samhain (pronounced sowen or sahveen) marks the end of Life and Summer and the beginning of Death and Winter. To both ancient and modern Pagans it is a serious time when the veil that separates this world from the Summerland (the abode of the dead awaiting reincarnation) lifts and the living can easily commune with those on the other side. The Church tried to Christianize Halloween by listing the holiday on its calendar as All Saints Day, or All Hallows (November 1st). The name Halloween derives from this source, being a contraction of Hallows Eve. Halloween is a fire festival. In ancient times, great bon-fires were lit on hilltops. Today, modern Witches and other Pagans follow suit when surroundings allow. All the frustrations and anxieties of the previous year are burned out of existence. The fires may also be seen as an attempt to enjoy the warmth and light of Summer one last time. It was also a more ominous occasion, for sacrifices to gods such as Cromm Cruach, a practice abandoned in our enlightened era. Samhain, despite embracing Death and Darkness, is also a Fertility time. The nuts and apples of Halloween are remnants of this aspect (as well as being divinatory tools). This holy day was a deliberate expression of sexual freedom, a defiant gesture of life in the face of the oncoming Darkness. It was the occasion for women to divine and catch their future husbands. Several Irish gods and heroes had affairs during Samhain, and it was the time when the Dagda mated with the Morrigan. Halloween has been known as a night for mischief down through the ages. The traditional trick or treat hailed by children at neighbors' doors warns of an impending prank should the householder not be forthcoming with some goodies. The Lord of Misrule begins his reign at this time (which ends at Candlemas, February 2nd). The Pooka spreads mischief throughout the countryside. This shape-changing hobgoblin delights in tormenting humans, and loves to destroy whatever has not been harvested in the fields. Lating was an activity associated with Samhain, when Witches would gather and consort with their familiars. Folk custom held that if a person carried a lighted candle about the fells and hills from 11pm to Midnight, and the candle burned steadily all the while, then that person had triumphed over the evil power of Witchcraft. Jack-O-Lanterns were one way of protecting oneself from mischievous demons. Pumpkins, turnips and other vegetables could be hollowed out with ferocious faces carved into them, their grimaces lighted by a candle from inside. These were to scare the mischief causing spirits themselves. Country folk carrying these Jack-O-Lanterns (while dressed in black cloaks and hoods at night) would project a horrifying spectacle for any person who came upon them. This image is surely related in Washington Irving's tale of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, where Ichabod Crane encounters the menacing Headless Horseman. Samhain is an ancient celebration. Today, for most people, it is just a notation on the calendar, with much of its symbology taken for granted. For a special few, however, it is holiday (holy day) and is still inspires special reverence. | 
