For many Wiccans, Halloween is known as Samhain, which is a significant holiday within their spiritual traditions. Samhain is celebrated annually on October 31st and marks the midpoint between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. During Samhain, Wiccans believe that the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is at its thinnest, allowing for increased communication and interaction with ancestors, spirits, and deities. It is a time for honoring and remembering loved ones who have passed away, as well as seeking guidance and wisdom from the spiritual realm. Wiccans often engage in various rituals and practices during Samhain, which may include lighting candles or bonfires, creating altars to honor ancestors, performing divination, and participating in group or solitary ceremonies. The intention behind these activities is to connect with the spiritual energy of Samhain and tap into the wisdom and guidance that it offers.
Celebrators of Samhain believe that it’s a time of year when the barriers between the physical and spiritual world break down, allowing more interaction between the living and the dead. The doors to the Otherworld - the realm of deities and the dead - are opened, allowing spirits to more easily enter our world.
This liminal period enabled both ancestors to visit their families and malicious spirits to haunt townspeople. The customs of Samhain include rituals to welcome ancestors and honor deceased loved ones while also taking action to thwart off and protect against the evil spirits.
In Celtic culture, people would leave offerings outside of villages and fields for fairies (also known as spirits or aos sí). They believed that spirits needed to be appeased so that families and their livestock would survive the long winter.
Some Celts dressed as monsters to deter fairies from kidnapping them. There were specific monsters: Pukah is a shape-shifter that comes for harvest offerings, Sluagh entered houses and stole souls, The Lady Gwyn is a headless woman dressed in white and accompanied by a black pig. Image source: The Alchemist’s Kitchen
Many Wiccans and other Pagans consider this to be the most important day on the Wheel, a time when the veil between the spirit world and the mundane world is at its thinnest. Often called the Feast of Hecate, this is one of the most popular Samhain traditions, and it stems from the worship of this goddess of the underworld in ancient Greece.
The intention behind these activities is to connect with the spiritual energy of Samhain and tap into the wisdom and guidance that it offers. While Halloween, as it is commonly celebrated in mainstream culture, has become associated with costumes, candy, and spooky decorations, Wiccans view Samhain as a sacred and meaningful time. It is a time to reflect on the cycle of life and death, to honor the past, and to seek guidance for the future.
Wiccans reveal religion of Halloween
Ah, Halloween. The only day of the year when it’s accepted, and even encouraged, to dress up in the most ridiculous costumes and gorge on junk food.
But not everyone will be reaching for the Snickers bars or Dracula fangs tonight. Many Christians do not celebrate Halloween at all, and some Wiccans, Celts and Druids celebrate it in a far different way than the rest of Americans.
‘It’s not right or wrong, it’s just not something I want to partake in,’ said Rachel Roy, a junior voice performance major. ‘I honestly don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything special.’
Roy’s mother did not let her or her siblings dress in costumes or go trick or treating, and as a child she did not understand. She did not go to school on the days of Halloween parties because it was impossible to avoid the celebrations.
But when she grew older, Roy, who is a born-again Christian, made her own decision to not celebrate the holiday because it has connections with worshipping Satan and evil spirits.
‘For the majority of people I know, their holiday celebration doesn’t involve worshipping Satan,’ Roy said. ‘But I know there are people out there, for example, witches and warlocks, who do.’
But Halloween is not about worshipping Satan, according to many Wiccans.
The holiday originated from the Celts and their priesthood, the Druids, said David Davis of Seven Rays Bookstore in Syracuse. It celebrates the harvest and happens to fall on the same day as the Celtic new year. Present-day Halloween is the Celtic New Year’s Eve, called Samhain, or summer’s end. It is part of a trilogy of days, followed by All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day.
‘Wicca’s become an earth-centered religion, with eight Sabbaths at the solstices, equinoxes and all the midpoints,’ Davis said. ‘Samhain is one if their celebratory times.’
Davis, who is not Wiccan, believes that Halloween is a day of harmless fun for most people and a spiritual day for others and is in no way dangerous.
‘God made all of the days. They’re all part of the cycle,’ Davis said. ‘It’s still sacred and holy.’
The Wiccan calendar is also based on the changing seasons and the harvests, said Caroline, a Wiccan Syracuse University student who would not reveal her full name. Halloween represents the last harvest, and Wiccans usually give thanks to the goddess or god for a plentiful year.
Caroline would only reveal her middle name because she is very uncomfortable revealing her religion to the public. Many students, she says, do not understand the beliefs and rituals of Wicca.
‘People can stereotype so easily, even on an open-minded campus,’ Caroline said. ‘Some people will just look at you and say, ‘So you’re a witch, right?”
But not all witches are Wiccans, Caroline said. Wiccans belong to many different sects, which each have varying rituals and traditions, Caroline said. Only satanist witches, who are not considered Wiccan, worship the devil.
‘Different sects believe in different things, and with me, there is no such thing as hell or a devil,’ Caroline said. ‘So when people associate witches with the devil … I feel offended because people just need to open their minds.’
The SU Pagan Association held Samhain circles to celebrate the day last Friday and Saturday nights on the Quad near Hendricks Chapel, and it also held an information session to educate members of the university community of its rituals and beliefs.
‘A lot of what we do know about the ancient practice is what people during the Inquisition wrote about it,’ said Kate Bell, the Interdenominational Protestant Campus Ministry chaplin. ‘Wiccans, pagans, we can’t just lump them all together.’
The organization, based in Hendricks Chapel, meets all the chapel’s requirements for a religious group, including one which prohibits a group from acting in secret.
‘In terms of standing within the chapel, they have absolutely the same standards as every other group,’ Bell said. ‘Are you working for the good of the world? Are you accountable for what you do?’
Halloween, which is celebrated more heavily in the United States than in any other country, is the second most lucrative decorating holiday for retailers. Some people do not celebrate Halloween for this reason, and because they believe Samhain maintains its original values and purposes.
‘It was created as a ‘holiday’ by corporations who made it up just to make money and exploit people,’ said Andrea Ogden, a graduate student studying social work. ‘I’ll participate and celebrate a ritual that has meaning and significance in my life, but I won’t be told what is and what isn’t a holiday by a corporation.’
Ogden fully supports those Wiccans and pagans who celebrate Halloween as Samhain because it has a real meaning for them.
‘If you celebrate All Hallows’ Eve and All Saints’ Day, then right on,’ Ogden said.
But if people learned more of the religious background about Halloween, Roy said, they could decide if they truly want to celebrate the day.
‘I wish people could be more educated about the history of it,’ Roy said, ‘rather than go about celebrating it just like everyone else does.’
Published on October 30, 2003 at 12:00 pm
In conclusion, Wiccans refer to Halloween as Samhain, a significant holiday that holds deep spiritual meaning. It is a time for honoring ancestors, connecting with the spiritual realm, and seeking wisdom and guidance for the year ahead..
Reviews for "The Allure of Wiccan Names for Halloween: A Deep Dive"
1. Sarah - 2 stars
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2. Michael - 1 star
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I attended the Wiccsn name for Halloween show with high expectations, but it fell flat. The production lacked creativity and failed to capture the essence of the spooky holiday. The actors lacked energy and didn't seem invested in their roles. The set design was minimalistic and unimpressive. Overall, I left feeling underwhelmed and unsatisfied. I would not go to this show again or recommend it to others.
4. David - 2.5 stars
The Wiccsn name for Halloween didn't live up to the hype. The performance felt disjointed and lacked a cohesive storyline. The actors tried their best, but the dialogue was underwhelming and unmotivated. The show desperately needed more suspense and scares to engage the audience. While there were a few moments of creativity, they were overshadowed by the overall lackluster experience. I wouldn't attend this show again or recommend it to others.