Traditions of Samhain-Beltane, which takes place between October 31st and November 1st in the northern hemisphere, differ within the numerous cultures, religions groups, and family legacies. But several key elements are present in many celebrations, above and beyond the calendar date for the festivities. Whether you are celebrating Samhain-Beltane or simply want to learn more about the history and legends surrounding these holidays, I hope the following information may prove to be entertaining or inspiring for creating your own Samhain-Beltane traditions.
What is Samhain-Beltane?
Samhain-Beltane is actually two celebrations taking place on opposite sides of the same coin; in the northern hemisphere, Samhain takes place on October 31st, whereas in the southern hemisphere, Beltane is celebrated on October 31st or November 1st. Similarly, instead of the annual Beltane celebration on May 1st or 2nd in the northern hemisphere, people in the southern hemisphere celebrate Samhain on April 30th or May 1st. Each of the two festivals celebrates the turn of the year, and the world gaining in darkness or light depending on the hemisphere. Both are generally considered harvest festivals, and a time for the celebration of life, family and heritage.
Samhain-Beltane are both part of a wheel of Sabbats in the Wiccan calendar, an Earth-based Neopagan religion which increases in popularity which each passing year. Many modern Celtic Reconstructionism Pagans also celebrate Samhain-Beltane, as do many non-denominational Neopagan people. Since both Samhain and Beltane have Gaelic roots, many families with strong Gaelic or Celtic traditions also choose to celebrate Samhain-Beltane in their own traditional way, which is often strong in family heritage and customs specific to the ancestors that particular family has.
Traditions of Samhain
As with most religious holidays, the origins of Samhain are disputed and debated among the various groups of celebrants, historians and curious researchers. Samhain falls on the same date as Halloween here in America, and many people believe that much of the traditions around Halloween were borrowed from the traditions and beliefs of the Celtic and Gaelic people celebrating Samhain. Samhain is viewed as the end of the harvest, when the world slips into the “dark half” of the year, and it is a time for cleansing, reflection and remembering deceased loved ones and ancestor spirits.
The Celts believed that the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is at its thinnest every year on the night of Samhain. This makes the evening an ideal time to pay tribute to lost family members, and many families will display photos, cooked a favorite meal of a deceased loved one, or burn a candle in the western window of their home to invite the spirit in. In my home, I put out special pictures of loved ones in a memorial, light candles and decorate an altar in the west to acknowledge and welcome the spirits of friends and family who have moved one.
The Gaelic custom of dressing up as evil spirits in costumes and masks to go unnoticed by the restless spirits on the night have Samhain is typically regarded as the origin of the “Halloween costume,” and lanterns made from hallowed turnips evolved into the Jack-O-Lanterns we see today. Associations with witches, ghosts and goblins developed many generations after Samhain was being celebrated in medieval Ireland, and although Halloween is often regarded as a creepy, spooky and chilling evening, families who celebrate Samhain often focus on the warmth of memories, the appreciation of loved ones, and preparation for the coming “dark half” of the year during winter. I like to reflect upon the harvest, both literal and figurative, and blend Samhain and Halloween traditions for an evening full of fun, celebration and mischief.
Traditions of Beltane
When I first converted to Paganism back in the late ’90s, Beltane was the first of the annual Sabbats that I celebrated with friends and family. Historically, Beltane is a Gaelic festival celebrated the coming of the planting season and harvest, hopes of fertility and the turn of the cycle of the seasons. In many cultures, Beltane is yet another time when the veil between this world and the next is very thin, and many traditions involve the remembrance of lost family members.
The May Pole, a tradition with is no longer exclusive to Pagan paths, is a popular sight at a Beltane celebration. The pole is often believed to be a phallic symbol, celebrating the fertility of the earth, the God for his lady Goddess, or perhaps even the Norse Pagan symbol for the world tree. The meaning and symbolism of the May Pole itself differs depending on the group, but often groups of revelers will hold ribbon attached to the top of the staff as they dance in circles around the pole. For me, this symbolizes the raising of energy, optimism for the coming summer and harvest, and a celebration of life and mirth with friends and family.
The Beltane bonfires are another popular tradition associated with his holiday, though the origins and meaning of bonfires differ from folklore to folklore. According to Gaelic legends, villagers would drive livestock between two bonfires to bring luck, whereas in Scotland the bonfires were topped with juniper boughs as a means of purification for all who passed through the smoke. Today, many Wiccan celebrate Beltane as the ritual marriage of the Lord and Lady (or God and Goddess), and both May Poles and bonfires are common at celebrations of Beltane.
In my own home, I try to celebrate Beltane with boughs of flowers, candles and images of spring. I plant seeds, and attend Beltane festivals within the local Pagan community as much as I can; Samhain-Beltane has always been the two Neopagan Sabbats I have held the most dearly.
Sources:
Peg Aloi, “You Call It Hallowe’en… We Call it Samhain,” WitchVox
Phyllis Currot, “Book of Shadows”
Scott Cunningham, “Living Wicca”