Blessed Samhain
To most people, today is Halloween. However, today's holiday is steeped in history from many older religions. Some of these holidays occur at different times of the year. However, they all have similar themes. It is a time when they believe that the veil that separates this world and the spirit world is at its thinest.
In Mexico, they celebrate El Dia De Los Muertos on November 1st and 2nd. They believe that these two days their deceased loved ones will rise up to come visit them. They hold all manor of festivities in honor of the deceased. They create pathways of flowers from the graves to their homes so that the deceased can find the way home. There are offerings left for the deceased.
Ancient Celts celebrated October 31st as Samhain. Many modern day pagans still celebrate Samhain. This day is the Celtic new year. At this time of the year, we celebrate by holding rituals to honor the gods and goddesses of the dead as well as the deceased themselves. In some pagan groups, it is believed that those who have died since last Samhain do not cross over until this Samhain. Though I do not completely believe that, I do believe that the veil is at its thinest.
One of my favorite ways to celebrate Samhain is through a silent supper. In the past, I had gone to the one hosted by a local Unitarian Universalist fellowship. However, since I moved in February, it is a little far for me to go.
Basically a silent supper is one where you set place settings at the table for deceased relatives. You invite them to come dine with you. You need to create sacred space around the area in which you will be dining. This is usually done by casting a circle. However, if you are not pagan, you can do this in any manor such as prayer or however you feel that you connect with your god and/or goddess. Generally the meal is eaten in silence with the lights off and candles lit. Most people have something on the table next to the place settings for the deceased that reminds of them. An example would be a picture, a statue, a stuffed animal, etc. Anything that you feel reminds you of that person. You would generally cook foods that remind you of the people you are inviting. If they have favorite dishes, now is the time to dust off those recipes. We would always dish out small helpings on the plates for the deceased. The food on these plates would be placed outside afterwards as offerings. Yes we know that the small animals are the ones eating it, but it is the thought. Just as Christians know that the crackers aren't really Christ's body and the wine really isn't his blood. Its symbolic.
China has the Ghost Festival or Zhongyuan Jie. This takes place on 13th night of the 7th lunar month. It is believed that the 3 realms of Heaven, Hell, and the realm of the living are open. During this time Buddhists and Taoists perform various rituals to rid the deceased of any suffering they might have. During this time, people will make food offerings, burns items, and such to help themselves and their deceased loved ones. The chinese also have a feast that is similar to the Silent Supper. They create grand feasts and set place settings for their deceased loved ones as well.
In Mexico, they celebrate El Dia De Los Muertos on November 1st and 2nd. They believe that these two days their deceased loved ones will rise up to come visit them. They hold all manor of festivities in honor of the deceased. They create pathways of flowers from the graves to their homes so that the deceased can find the way home. There are offerings left for the deceased.
Ancient Celts celebrated October 31st as Samhain. Many modern day pagans still celebrate Samhain. This day is the Celtic new year. At this time of the year, we celebrate by holding rituals to honor the gods and goddesses of the dead as well as the deceased themselves. In some pagan groups, it is believed that those who have died since last Samhain do not cross over until this Samhain. Though I do not completely believe that, I do believe that the veil is at its thinest.
One of my favorite ways to celebrate Samhain is through a silent supper. In the past, I had gone to the one hosted by a local Unitarian Universalist fellowship. However, since I moved in February, it is a little far for me to go.
Basically a silent supper is one where you set place settings at the table for deceased relatives. You invite them to come dine with you. You need to create sacred space around the area in which you will be dining. This is usually done by casting a circle. However, if you are not pagan, you can do this in any manor such as prayer or however you feel that you connect with your god and/or goddess. Generally the meal is eaten in silence with the lights off and candles lit. Most people have something on the table next to the place settings for the deceased that reminds of them. An example would be a picture, a statue, a stuffed animal, etc. Anything that you feel reminds you of that person. You would generally cook foods that remind you of the people you are inviting. If they have favorite dishes, now is the time to dust off those recipes. We would always dish out small helpings on the plates for the deceased. The food on these plates would be placed outside afterwards as offerings. Yes we know that the small animals are the ones eating it, but it is the thought. Just as Christians know that the crackers aren't really Christ's body and the wine really isn't his blood. Its symbolic.
China has the Ghost Festival or Zhongyuan Jie. This takes place on 13th night of the 7th lunar month. It is believed that the 3 realms of Heaven, Hell, and the realm of the living are open. During this time Buddhists and Taoists perform various rituals to rid the deceased of any suffering they might have. During this time, people will make food offerings, burns items, and such to help themselves and their deceased loved ones. The chinese also have a feast that is similar to the Silent Supper. They create grand feasts and set place settings for their deceased loved ones as well.
Comments
Creepy but it really makes sense.The silent supper.When I die, I really still hope that I will be remembered that way.