samhain: the celtic new year by a.r. fiedler. harvest and new beginings ancient festival ...
TRANSCRIPT
Samhain: The Celtic New Year
By A.R. Fiedler
Harvest and New beginings
Ancient festival
Celebration of nature
A time of renewal
Communion with ancestors
Root of Hallow’een
Who celebrates Samhain?
-The Celtic People of Ireland
-Pagan practitioners
The Celtic Calander
“beginning in darkness and working towards light”
Two Halves
Four Quarters Imbolc (Feb) Beltane (May) Lughnasa (Aug) Samhain (Nov)
When Is Samhain Celebrated?
Samhain (Sow-in) literally “the end of summer”
Time of the crone
Starts at sundown
From Oct. 31st to Nov. 1st
“a time between years”
Preparations
Herd brought from pasture
Sacrifice of the weak
Harvest gathered and stored
“faeries blight”
A Time of Gathering
General Armistance Meeting with your enemy Political boundaries disolve diplomacy
Settling of Debts
Feasting with family
Lighting and Extinguishing the
Fires Home fires put out
Darkest night
“fire of bones” Hygienic Prayers/hopes
Return with fire The start of a new
year
Ashes to ashes Protection/fertilization
The Thinning of the Veil
A time in between
The dead walk the earth Leave out food and drink
Let no mortal hand touch it Leave all doors and windows unlatched Entertain the dead
The young play games The old review the year, encourage the
attention of the dead
Protection
- A humble parshell
- The Pooka
Christianity-Samhain became Hallowmass
-Commemorate the souls the the blessed dead-Modern day Hallowe’en
References
Biege, Bernd. Samhain, A very Irish Feast http://goireland.about.com/od/historyculture/qt/
trad_samhain.htm
Barrett, Suzanne. Samhain, the eve of all hallow http://www.irelandforvisitors.com/articles/samha
in.htm
Haggertu, Bridget. Samhain, the Irish new year http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/ACalen
d/Samhain.html
Photo Credits
Samhain: wilsonsalmanac.com
The hallow: wilsonsalmanac.com
Calendar: about.com
Face: ferdawg.blogspot.com
Bonfire: heavenandearthessentials.com
Cross/pooka: googleimages.com
The saints: ferdawg.blogspot.com