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Celebrating Samhain

© Cosette Paneque

For many modern Pagans, Halloween is known as Samhain. It is a magical night when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. It is the final harvest, a time to give thanks, remember those that have passed on, and as the Witches New Year, it is time to make vows for the future.

Getting children into the spirit of Halloween is not very hard, but teaching them about Samhain can be, especially when the holiday is so closely tied to death and often associated with fear. Pagans are not afraid of the spirits of the dead, however. We see them as our beloved friends and ancestors. While nobody really knows what happens when a person dies, most Pagans believe we move on to somewhere pleasant - Summerland, the Land of Youth, Avalon, and so forth.

It's important that children understand that Samhain is not an evil holiday and that scary things like witches and ghosts aren't really scary at all. Regardless of whether or not you want to address the issue of death with your child, teach him/her the origins of Halloween and the true significance of Samhain. Stress that the ghosts of our friends and ancestors are friendly and can help and guide us. Remind them that real witches are not bad.

You don't have to do this all at once of course. Most families don't trim the Yule tree, buy and wrap the presents, decorate the house, bake the cookies, and send out cards all on the same day (at least, I hope not for sake of sanity). You have all month. Here are some ideas to get you started. You'll have to decide what's appropriate for your child given his/her age and level of maturity.

Decorate
Decorate your home in the spirit of the season. Use pumpkins, ghosts, witches, black cats, and everything else you can think of. Involve your children as much as possible. This is a good time to explain the origins of Halloween and the real meanings of these images of witches, skeletons, and ghosts.

Create an altar
Make a big family altar. Put symbols of the seasons on it, like pumpkins, fall leaves, pomegranates, and corn. Put pictures of your beloved dead on the altar, as well as anything that reminds you of them - an aunt's string of pearls, a grandfather watch. Encourage your child to add to the altar. They can add a drawing, a favorite picture, photo of a beloved pet that has passed away, or just something that evokes the spirit of Samhain like a witch doll or a small scarecrow. If possible, make the altar low, at your child's eye level.

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