It's Almost Halloween


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Hello everyone,

The title of my post is a nod to the Panic! at the Disco song by the same name:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iTFnNU3AYg

Halloween is just few days away, and I just wanted to wish everyone a happy one!

For me, being a dyn hysbys (wizard), it is the Welsh Pagan holiday of Nos Galan Gaeaf, one of the three Ysbryd Nosau or Spirit Nights. After the Trick-or-Treaters are done, I will be lighting a candle to my patron deity, Lludd Llaw Ereint, and having a simple ceremony in observance of the night. The doors of the Otherworld will be flung wide open, and I like to get Halloween themed milkshakes and ride around late at night taking in the spooky atmosphere. After I come back, I will be listening to Siouxsie and the Banshees along with my other favorite Goth bands or watching old horror movies until daybreak.

What are your plans?

In any case, I hope everyone is safe and enjoys themselves :)

Edited by Gwynn ap Gruffudd
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So far, my plan for Halloween is to hang out at my friends' place. My best friend's stepchildren are supposed to visit for the weekend, and we have plans on watching movies or doing some other kid-friendly activity with them. After they're in bed, we plan to have a few drinks and watch slasher films, and at some point the event will probably shape into our usual symposium of good conversation and humorous antics.

Other than perhaps pouring a few libations while drinking or making an offering before partaking of meals (ritual actions I would perform anyway), I really don't observe the day in any religiously significant way, as neither Halloween nor Samhain are Hellenic holidays.

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I would normally carve our pumpkin tonight and the wife would bake the pie, but this year everything is on hold. Just too many emotional things going on, family to heal, many issues to resolve and so forth. Hopefully by next year we'll start the tradition of passing things down to the grandkids.

Blessings Be,

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After passing out candy to the kiddies, later that night I hope to feed on one of my (willing) victims, mwah-ha-ha! :vamp: In the wee hours of the morning, it will be black and white vampire movies and a big bowl of Count Chocula :)

P.S. Atwater Vitki, I hope the night brings you and yours peace and healing for this year so that you may have fun and excitement next year.

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So, watching the only news channel I get without satellite today, they report that halloween began with the original settlers of america...uuuggghhhh, I hate redneck news.

I'm sure our Druid ancestors might disagree ;)

If they meant the early British colonists, they were Protestants and didn't acknowledge the Catholic All Hallows Day in any case.

Well, at least it sounds like they didn't mention that "Sam Hain Lord-of-the-Dead" guy who has become a popular bogeyman for use in anti-Halloween propaganda :holloween:

Edited by Gwynn ap Gruffudd
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While most of us are convinced that "Leif Landed First"!...unfortunately modern academia still gives the honor to Christopher.

Interestingly enough the Viking did have an equivalent to "All Hallows Eve", "Samhain" but more as a "Make things right" day...the Althing or lawful court was generally held annually after harvest while everyone was together in the first place. I've seen ancient texts where the Althing was used for everything from praise and filing complaints to divorce and property disputes and/or just about anything else that required the clan to settle the issue to the satisfaction of all concerned.

One of the large books I saw in Gambla Uppsala, Sweden, had the trivial matter of naming a baby at the core of the issue, it was resolved by the chieftain naming the infant after the baby's father. Depending on the century and location in Scandinavia the Althing was headed by the "Law Giver", like a judge appointed by the chieftain or king of a clan/village or the "king" himself.

So after 1500-2000 years of added rituals, events and meaning, its no wonder the "Holiday season" starts off with evil pumpkins and ends with a very large jolly man in pajamas that has an affection for forest critters. Except, of course, for the many of those believers who choose the birth of a savior route and the actual events surrounding the origins of their faith. I always heard December was about Christ's birth, yet growing up all the attention was on socializing and looking good for the prominent socialites...more of a Social Clause then anything Holy. But I know there are a few whom take the season and reason seriously.

Blessings of Peace,

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