Wiccan Halloween Traditions
Modern neopagans, often known as Wiccans, still practice Halloween traditions that incorporate or modify rituals practiced by the ancient Celts. Halloween is a celebration that evolved from Samhain (pronounced "sow-in"), a Celtic festival that occurs on October 31st and marks the beginning of the New Year. The festival also celebrates the final harvest of the season, so Samhain traditions also incorporate themes of death and renewal in nature. It is believed to be a time when there is no separation between the living world and the dead world, and the living can communicate with departed ancestors. Does this Spark an idea?
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Fire Festivals
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Fire festivals are among the important traditions practiced on Samhain. Traditionally, Wiccans light bonfires to cook large feasts, welcome friendly spirits and ward off evil ones. Fire also represents the sun and a longing for heat and growth. Embers from the fire are sometimes given to those in attendance, who will use them to light their own fires at home to keep evil spirits away.
Feast of the Dead
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During Samhain, Wiccans believe the dead return to the living world and inhabit their previous homes. The Feast of the Dead tradition celebrates this return, which is marked by family members lighting candles and leaving foods around their loved ones' graves. Wiccans will also wear costumes during the feast and offer treats to welcome those from the other world; the modern custom of wearing costumes on Halloween derives from this tradition.
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Bobbing for Apples
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Wiccans incorporated two Roman festivals with Samhain: Feralia, an homage to those who died, and Pomona, an homage to the goddess of fruit and trees. While you can see the strong influence of Feralia on Samhain traditions, especially in the fire festivals and feast of the dead, Pomona surfaces in one tradition: bobbing for apples, which combines her role in agriculture with a water ritual of the ancient Druids.
Rituals
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In one fire ritual practiced by Wiccans during Samhain, participants mark a stone and throw it into a fire. They then try to retrieve the stone; if it is missing or damaged, that person will have bad luck. In another ritual, each person throws a nut on the fire. If the nut burns quietly, the caster will stay alive for the next year; if the nut flares, she will be married within the year. For those already married the marriage will stay intact if the nuts don't burst.
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References
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