Whisperz Speakeasy

At Samhain, time lost all meaning and the past, present, and future were one. The dead, and the denizens of the Other World, walked among the living. It was a time of fairies, ghosts, demons, and witches. Winter itself was the Season of Ghosts according to the ancient Celts, and Samhain is the night of their release from the Underworld.

Samhain traditions include lighting bonfires to ward off evil spirits, feasting with neighbors and community members, and honoring ancestors through rituals like "dumb suppers" where participants eat in silence. People also wore costumes to disguise themselves from spirits, carved lanterns from vegetables like turnips or pumpkins, and performed divination to see into the future, as the veil between worlds was believed to be thin.

Samhain was a time for honoring the dead and ancestors. People created altars with items and pictures of deceased loved ones to welcome their spirits. They left food and drinks as offerings for ancestors and wandering spirits and honored the deceased with a silent meal. Those too poor to share in the feast would practice "souling," where they would go from house to house praying for the dead in exchange for food, a Samhain tradition reworked into modern day “trick-or-treating.”

Large bonfires were lit to scare away evil spirits during Samhain and people wore disguises, costumes, and masks to either blend in with spirits or frighten them. Faces were carved into turnips and pumpkins to create lanterns that deterred evil spirits and a torch was carried around the home's perimeter while protective crosses were placed over doors.

Samhain was also a time for prophecy and seeing into the future. As the Celtic New Year, Samhain is a time for reflecting on the past year and setting intentions for the year to come. Various methods for prophecy and divination were used, such as bobbing for apples or looking for messages in nature, some of which still survive today!

Its easy to see how many of our key Halloween traditions like carving jack-o'-lanterns, wearing costumes and masks, lighting bonfires, and even "trick-or-treating” are rooted in the ancient Celtic Festival of Samhain! Whether you’re celebrating with us at our Masquerade Party or home for a feast with friends, Happy Samhain to you, on both sides of the veil!