What does mean halloween for wiccans and the rest of pagans?
For Wiccans and other followers of earth based, pre-Christian religions, especially those of Celtic decent (which is where the holiday originates), Samhain (pronounced Sah-wen) is a solemn but benign holiday. The name Samhain literally translates from Gaelic to mean ‘Summer’s End’. It is the last harvest festival of the year. It is also a day to honor the ancestors and to invite their presence and blessings on our homes and families for the coming time of winter. Pagans don’t believe in the devil or bad spirits. While the souls of the dead can sometimes be ill intentioned, we invite only our beloved dead to dwell with us on Samhain. Witches are not evil, they are people who practice a special craft and who are often, but not always, Wiccan. Witch means ‘wise one’ in ancient Saxon. Please remember that.
Among a number of the Pagan and NeoPagan faiths, Halloween (which is a Catholic creation, after all) is celebrated as Samhain or the Day of the Dead. For many Wiccan, such as myself, Samhain is both a time to honor and remember loved ones who have passed away in the previous year, as well as the Celtic celebration of the New Year. We generally celebrate those who we lost, a celebration of gratitude for the bounty of the Earth, and we also celebrate the turning of the wheel of the year and the entry into the “dark half” of the year.
