Samhain, summers end...

One of my favorite holidays is fast approaching: Samhain. This holiday is little known to the American culture, as Halloween, though very similar, has taken the lead in fall holidays. Did I mention Halloween is my wedding anniversary? One year ago I married the woman of my dreams during the beautiful celebration of Samhain.

Dan & Mel's Halloween wedding cake.

Samhain marks the harvest, when all the grown food is gathered, thus seeing first hand what is available to survive the coming cold dark days of winter, understand this was a time before central heating and fiberglass insulation. This was a time of fire and lambs-wool! The world around them was turning brown, like ours during fall, and they would have to decide which animals they could keep fed through the winter, and those that they could not, would be slaughtered for their meat and supplies. It is easy to see why this time of year was a dark and "creepy" setting.

Costumes are plentiful during Halloween, but the origins of costumes may be Samhain. It is believed that Celtic tribes wore costumes and masks during Samhain, maybe as a ritual for ancestors or to ward off the angry vengeful dead. The particular reasons are debated, but its ties to the American Halloween are unquestionable.

One of my favorite traditions is pumpkin carving, or Jack-O-Lanterns. It is believed the Jack-O-Lanterns origins point to Ireland's Celtic history. There are many debated stories of the origin of Jack-O-Lantern, but it is known turnips, not pumpkins, where carved out and used for lanterns in Ireland, and in order for the light to escape, a hole, and often a design, would be cut into the turnip to make a fashionable lantern.

Fun Carving : Dan 2009

So whether or not you have Celtic Blood, Samhain... or Halloween, can be celebrated by all. It is a modern celebration of fun and joy, and the collection and stockpile of sweets to get you through a long cold winter. It is also a time to explore other cultures and learn about each other. So have a gathering, carve a pumpkin, or a turnip, and enjoy Samhain!