Showing posts with label jac o' lanterns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jac o' lanterns. Show all posts

Oct 25, 2009

Serenity Sunday

According to the Celtic mythology, Samhain or Celtic New Year was a gap in time. During this gap period, 'Our World' and 'Otherworld' came together and thought that the dead could return to warm themselves at the places they lived.  Some other names are also associated with the Celtic New Year: The Third Harvest; All Hollows Eve; The Day of the Dead and the famous Halloweens Day.




The Celtic New Year has an important feature of "divination of events." They use hazel nuts and symbols of wisdom for fortune telling. There were also some other Samhain traditions which referred to the Celtic Emhain Abhlach (Paradise of Apples) where the dead ate the scared fruit and became immortal.

Celts practice many rituals for their ancestors at this time. They put food and drinks for the dead and let their house doors opened to give the dead a free passage to enter their house. But all the spirits from the Otherworld were not good. To stop the evil spirits, villagers carved images of spirit guardians onto turnips and kept these "jack o'lanterns" in front of their doors. What are some of your favorite Samhain traditions? 


My List:

1.) My kids

2.) Carmel apples

3.) Falling leaves

4.) Roasted pumpkin seeds

5.) Warm blankets

6.) Orange candles

7.) Crisp afternoon walks

8.) Homemade apple cider

9.) Scary movies

10.) Lemongrass incense