What are your end of October plans? Do you celebrate Samhain, the ancient tradition of the Celts, focussed on the harvest, the start of winter, and the ‘thinning of the veil’ between the human realm and the Otherworld, where spirits and magical creatures dwell? Perhaps you celebrate the Central and South American Aztec and Toltec traditions of the Day of the Dead, honouring your ancestors with colourful tributes. Or maybe you prefer the more modern interpretation of Halloween, with costumes and candy and trick or treating around the neighbourhood, the way lit with flashlights and pumpkin lanterns, hoping that the rain holds off just a little bit longer.
Of course within all these traditions there are overlaps and blurring of lines and blending of elements from many religions and regions across centuries and continents; bits and pieces of rituals and beliefs carefully preserved. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ within these, it is just whatever traditions you might have grown up with, or adapted to where you live.
As a child growing up in Canada, I was inevitably roped into the commercialized and costumed Halloween traditions of North America (and I have the very cringeworthy photos to prove it). Little witches and ghosts, superheroes and movie characters roamed the neighbourhood streets, and treats were duly handed out. Spooky Halloween movie soundtracks snaked out into frosty air from behind the doors we knocked on, pillowcase sacks or plastic pumpkins held out in shy anticipation. My partner, who grew up in the U.K. around the same time, recalls school pageants with fancy dress but no trick or treating. When my own child was young and growing up in the U.K. some decades later, not much notice was taken of Halloween at all. When we moved back to Canada, she was at first bemused and then delighted when we explained to her the traditions of costumes and trick or treating. She has carried this delight through to adulthood, coming up with inventive costumes year on year, although she outgrew trick or treating a long time ago.
And now I am back in the U.K., having not experienced a Halloween here in over two decades and with no idea what to expect. If television shows are to be believed, the U.K. has wholeheartedly embraced the commercialized corporate version of Halloween. But at least where I am in the Forest, there is little evidence of this. While in Canada the stores are stuffed with ‘fun-sized’ candies, lawns are littered with plastic skeletons, and carved pumpkins are displayed with pride, here I have not seen even one skeleton or pumpkin or ‘Happy Halloween’ banner on any home nearby. Even in the shops there are few nods to Halloween, as aisles instead begin to fill with advent calendars and Christmas cards.
I can’t say that I miss the North American version of Halloween. I understand that for many people, the parties and the costumes and the flirting with spooky elements in a safe way is immensely fun, a way of gathering in the community before we settle into our dens to hibernate for the winter. For others, this is a time for quiet reflection and gratitude for what the Earth has provided, or to acknowledge and thank our ancestors.
For me, the tradition that has the strongest pull is Samhain, although interpreted in a more modern context. It is a time to gather resources, to let the Earth rest, to make cozy our homes and settle in for the winter. I must confess though that I remain partial to chocolate, and my Samhain observances are more likely to include hot chocolate, candlelight, and cozy pjs with my partner, rather than more prescribed rituals.
October 31 is a turning point in the year; the days grow noticeably shorter and at least in the U.K. somewhat gloomier and rainier. Meanwhile the shadows and the nights grow long, and the wind rattles the bare branches of the trees against the window, cold air seeking warmth, darkness seeking light. As October ends, we can happily welcome the opportunity to celebrate what the summer and the harvests brought, and to have that last hurrah before the winter storms chase us all indoors. But this retreat is only for a short while; just before the the winter solstice and the traditional date for Christmas, the nights begin to retreat, imperceptibly at first, and the winter cold still creeps uninvited across our doorsteps. But we know that this too shall pass.
So what does the end of October look like for you? Parties and costumes? Reflection and gratitude? All of the above? Or perhaps none of the above – after all, October 31 is just 24 hours like every other day of the year. Whatever your favoured tradition is, I wish you a warm hearth and a warm heart as we all prepare for the winter.
