My favorite holiday is here... Samhain!
By Leca
@lecanis (16647)
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
October 31, 2007 11:50am CST
I'm so excited today. All day I've been smelling scents that remind me of my dead loved ones around me. Already I am thinking about dinner tonight, where we will invite them to share our table. We have a new guest to invite this year, my mother-in-law... and I hope she comes and sees my son, whom she never got to meet.
For those of you who celebrate Samhain, I hope it is as beautiful for you as I know it will be for me! Do you have a celebration planned? Usually my family goes to a friend's house for this holiday, but this year we are celebrating in our home with just my husband, myself, my son, and whatever spirits choose to grace us with their presence.
I love Samhain because we honor our loved ones who have passed on, and almost everyone who was dear to me in my early life has passed on. It sounds so sad when I put it that way I suppose. Still, though, it's my favorite holiday, and the one day when I am never sad, only reflective, and comforted.
5 people like this
13 responses
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
31 Oct 07
Hi lecanis, I am not familiar with Samhain...I hope it is everything you hope it will be..It sounds very interesting..
3 people like this
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
31 Oct 07
Hi lecanis, thank you for explaining Samhain to me..
2 people like this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
1 Nov 07
The early stories in the Irish "Ulster cycle" date back as far the 8th century, and have references to Samhain in them. Which means it started not then, but before that at some point. Since the Ulster cycle is one of the earlier Irish historical/mythological references we have, it's hard to go back much further, because the records were usually passed down by oral tradition and not writing, so much of the history got lost along the way.
All Soul's Day and All Saint's Day became the Christian version of this (at the time when the church was shoving all its holidays into timelines that fit pagan holidays to make conversion easier)... it also became All Hallow's Eve, from which the name Halloween was born.
1 person likes this
@Feona1962 (7526)
• United States
1 Nov 07
Hi lecanis, so is it only certain religions celebrate Samhain? I appreciate the history behind this...
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@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
1 Nov 07
I too celebrate Samhain, in fact its THE most important celebration in this house and yesterday was the FIRST TIME I wasnt able to celebrate AT ALL...I was SO SICK (still am but am doped up on pain pills and Sudafed so I'm functioning) yesterday I was in tears from the bone pain, my head felt like it was goin to explode and the whole nine....I'm totally bummed I couldnt do anything...Hell I could barely move :-(
2 people like this
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
31 Oct 07
happy samhain... i might not understand what is it all about... but sounds very interesting and i believe that you are going to have a great time tonight... enjoy it and hope you have a great time...
2 people like this
@mimpi1911 (25464)
• India
1 Nov 07
That sounds good! I am not very clear about Samhain or Halloween though. It's like invocation of spirits and stuff like that, I guess.
Just enjoy and have a great day.
2 people like this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
1 Nov 07
Hmmm... it's easier than invocation. It's just an invitation, to those you love, to come visit you on this day. It doesn't take much real power or focus, since the veil between worlds is thinner and spirits can move about as they will. So it's just making the invitation and then seeing if they show up. =)
Halloween is basically Samhain after hundreds of years of being messed with and watered down. It went through bring All Soul's Day and All Saint's Day and all that by the Catholics, and then became the secular Halloween.
1 person likes this
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
31 Oct 07
This makes me so happy for you! I love that you are planning a celebration and looking forward to it. It's moments of "little pleasures" like this that make everything else in our lives seem alright. Personally I don't celebrate any holidays at all. I sort of go with the flow of what is happening around me and still my heart when I am able to. I will be doing that tonight sweet Lecanis, as I am thinking about your family, the candles, the sacredness and the silliness. Blessed Be~D
2 people like this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
31 Oct 07
*nods* Hehe, I am very happy that you are happy for me. What a silly statemnt, but true!
Actually I figured you didn't really celebrate holidays, but I'm glad you came to my discussion anyway! Your way of just going with the flow sounds wonderful, and like it works well for you! =)
Thanks for thinking of us!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
31 Oct 07
To be honest I'm so ticked off at myself...LOL...I was invited to a Halloween party tonight at my friend who lives just down the block from me...she has the greatest get togethers...and wow, the way she decorates the place for Halloween..not to be missed...Well...looks like I'm going to miss it..woke up in such pain today with my arm...it had bothered me Monday, then okay yesterday, but now the pain is back...So I'll just have a quiet reflective night myself...light my candles on my altar, and decorate it Halloweeny style--and yes set a plate for "guests"...even my recently passed kitties..Just so ticked off though that I feel like this...NUTS
2 people like this
@Angelwhispers (8978)
• United States
6 Nov 07
My fav, is Christmas, I get to put up every little ornament, my child has made for me In my case times 3. There are santa's and faerie's , and elf's. there are witches and warlock's princes and princesses. There are hands and feet, Luck of the Irish. What we do not do is add more religion then is necessary
1 person likes this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
10 Nov 07
Sounds like you are looking forward to visiting with the ones who passed on. I sure hope they all come to dinner. I know a lot of people do not believe in this but I do. I am a week late so I hope the dinner went well and your guests behaved themselves.
1 person likes this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
10 Nov 07
I had a beautiful dinner, thank you. And my guests were well-behaved. Though I'm sure there's a prank rigged up somewhere in my apartment and I still haven't found it, since my great-grandfather was here, and he always leaves something interesting for me to stumble upon later. I'm having fun trying to find what it is this year! :)
@sheenmadness (1286)
• Philippines
1 Nov 07
We have related celebration with you and we called it Holloween. Usually we celebrate it NOV.1 & 2. During this days we go to cemetery and bring flowers and candles and offer some prayers to our love ones who departed already. And at the evening we try to celebrate it with my family and friends. Right now my plan is to go to my husband's cousins house and have dinner with them. :0
1 person likes this
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
1 Nov 07
I hope your celebration goes well! Thanks for sharing with me!
Most people where I live just celebrate the trick-or-treating, dress up in costumes type Halloween, or they don't celebrate it at all because they declare it "evil". But I don't have the typical religion for where I live, so I celebrate different holidays than others.
1 person likes this
@sheenmadness (1286)
• Philippines
1 Nov 07
I guess it depends upon one's belief and in our case we do celebrate Holloween the way other's mostly celebrated it. We also dress up for the occassion and do some trick or treating. It's kinda fun and just want to enjoy the occassion. I don't bother on others sayin that its kind of evil what is important to me is that I am enjoying and my friends and family are enjoying. I guess that's all that matters. Happy Holloween my friend! :0
1 person likes this
@catskisses (434)
• United States
31 Oct 07
Blessed Samhain to you and yours. Yes, I too love Samhain, not only because I love the Halloween holiday, but because my loved departed will surely be here. I am the only pagan in my family, but they indulge me on this day now that I moved back home to care for my mom. Bless her, she does not try to understand, but she allows me my 'idiosincrasies'. As we live in the house my grandfather built and where my dearest relatives of my mom's family lived their final years, they always come, and my dad's relatives do also. I am preparing all of my granddad's favorites and favorites of other relatives, including my dad, gone 5 years now. My room belonged to my grandparents, so they will be here to have a midnight chat and watch over me as I sleep. I have the pictures of the great great grandkids up for them to admire and gush over. We have two new ones since last year. I always look forward to samhain. My granddad was very special to me, my surrogate father because my real dad was estranged from the family during my growing up years. He will be here I know, and as every Samhain, I will talk to him of my troubles before sleep and he will send his wisdom to me in my dreams to guide me along. Once the visiting goblins are gone home to eat their candy, mom and I will settle down to a great meal of my grandma's specialties and a cozy evening watching horror flicks. My granddad will be there too, as he also was a great fan of monster movies lol. I hope your Samhain is very special, I know ours will be. I have been so blessed that my departed loved ones have always come to my house this night no matter where I have lived. But now that I am 'home' again, it has a special closeness and Granddaddy, Grandma Granny (my great grandmother) and my Aunt Lizzy (grandma's sister) stay for an extended visit. And yes, I can feel them here already, Granddaddy was here when I came home from work today, the scent of Old Spice in my room as it is when he is about.
1 person likes this
@catskisses (434)
• United States
31 Oct 07
oops, small spelling error there, as if it matters to anyone but me lol. it should read my Granddaddy, Grandma, Granny and Aunt Lizzy. Grandma and Granny are two different people, Granny was my Granddaddy's mom.
1 person likes this
@libertarianfreedom21 (3198)
• United States
31 Oct 07
hey lecanis I hope you have a good time tonight we know about samhain but we dont celebrate it like its supposed to be. We do the regular holloween thing. We know all the holidays that are pagan or whatever but we celbrate them like they are today. they are almost all christian holidays now too. like easter is a pagan holiday meaning almost the same as they have the meaning in the christian since. same with christmas is close to the pagan holiday and so on and so forth i dont know if im making that much since right know lol
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@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
31 Oct 07
Thanks for sharing, lib! I hope you have a great time tonight too!
I completely understood what you are saying... that you know the backgrounds of the holidays but still celebrate the modern versions. I think everyone should celebrate whatever they choose, so it's fine with me either way, as long as you are happy. =)
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