LIFE WITH CYNTHIA: Looking at the history of Halloween and its pagan roots

“If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear as it is – infinite.”  William Blake

Boo! 

Let the masks appear for all to see. What masks do you wear that cover the infinity of your soul? It's that time of year when masks and costumes come out, haunted houses surface and there is talk of the things that go bump in the night. Exhibits and light displays of the macabre frighten us and make us shudder. Macabre is defined as a disturbance relating to the fear of death. Halloween in all its propaganda brings out the scary. A time for the dark to come alive with ghosts and goblins. Our modern understanding of Halloween strays from its roots. 

Originally called the pagan religious festival of Samhain (pronounced SAH-win) originated from ancient Celtic spiritual tradition. Celebrating from October 31 through November 1, it was meant to mark the harvest and usher in the dark half of the year. This day of celebration is the midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice. After the harvest was complete, the celebrants would gather, and light a community fire using a wheel that represented the sun. As the folks dissipated from the celebrations and returned home, they would take fire from the wheel to light their darkened hearth in the home. During the harvest, they would allow the home fires to burn out in anticipation of bringing home new fire from the celebration. 

There is a belief that during Samhain the barriers between the physical world and the spirit world would open, allowing for interaction. Historically, feasts were planned where children would play games as a form of entertainment of the dead, while the elders would tell stories to update the ancestors on their lives. Windows were left open to allow the spirits to come and go, eating the cakes that were left for them. Carved turnips began to appear as decoration, stuffed with a piece of glowing coal. 

Do you ever consider a time of open doors between you and those who have died? This week I sat with a father whose daughter died of cancer in 2021. He was talking to me about his wonder of where she is now. He realizes she has been cremated, yet her ashes are not settled in one spot, such as a grave. He pondered, does that leave her in limbo? We spent a little time together in that thin place between here and there. I asked him to close his eyes and think of her. Did he have a picture? Yes, he did. There was her body, full of life, in his mind’s eye, alive and well because the symbol of her soul, the body, lives on in his memory. Her life is represented in a series of memories and mental images ready to be recalled at a moment’s notice.

Samhain is the celebration of the harvest and the welcoming of the darkness. Our appreciation of the darkness is often overlooked. Without darkness, we cannot appreciate the light. There is rest in the darkness and time to recognize the thin veil of connection with our ancestors and loved ones. The joy we feel when we watch our little ones entertain the night while we, the adults, create memories. This is paramount to the onset of the darkness of the wintertime. Setting fire to the community celebrations, while not in practice, can be done metaphorically through the joy felt within the community during trick or treating. Last year, I toddled along in joy watching all the children go from house to house gleefully entertaining the adults coming to the door. I believe isolation has taught us the need for community and connection. Setting fire to the tribal needs and bringing back the ancestry clan community will feed the fire. 

Donning the masks at Halloween is a game played by the children.  As adults, we need to remember to remove our masks and face life as an infinite opportunity to find joy. Samhain celebrations allow the curious to step to the edge of the wonder. Bringing the dead to life and life to the dead before we work through the darkness of winter. 

While there are always demons to fear and fight, community and family are where we find strength. This Halloween while you watch from your own space in time, celebrate the joy of the tradition. Open the window to your lost spirits and welcome them in for cake and conversation. Feel the presence of them in your mind’s eye and welcome the spiritual tradition of the Celts. 

Enjoy your harvest and take fire back to the darkened hearth. 

Cynthia Breadner is a grief specialist and bereavement counsellor, a soul care worker and offers specialized care in Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy with special attention as a cognitive behavioral therapy practitioner and trauma incident resolution facilitator.  She volunteers at hospice, works as a LTC chaplain and is a death doula, assisting with end-of-life care for client and family.  She is the mother part of the #DanCynAdventures duo and practices fitness, health and wellness.  She is available remotely by safe and secure video connections, if you have any questions contact her today!  [email protected]  breakingstibah.com