Trick or Treat!: Welcoming Our Ancestors for Halloween
August 9 , 2003

Halloween conjures up any number of images and associations, including spooks, hobgoblins, jack o’ lanterns, bobbing for apples (for anyone over 35!), and especially children knocking at the door, shouting “trick or treat!” You open the door and there they are, dressed up in costumes, some scary, some amusing, yet all bringing a smile to your face as they hold out their bags for the expected treat. Once they get their goodies, off they go into the night until the next batch of children shows up.

“Trick or treat!” and other traditions associated with Halloween are firmly rooted in one of the most important Celtic holidays, called Samhain (pronounced SOW-en), which took place on the eve of November 1. Samhain literally mean’s “summer’s end,” and for the Celts, this marked not only the end of summer, but also the end of the year and the beginning of the new year. Unlike our culture, which considers time as a linear progression from past to future, the Celtic view of time was cyclical and circular. They conceptualized the year as a wheel or circle. From this perspective, endings of one season are naturally tied to the beginning of the next in the endless cycle of life. So Samhain not only marked the end of summer but also the beginning of winter (the Celts divided the year into two seasons, summer and winter) and the descent into darkness.

In alignment with this cycle of the seasons, Samhain marked a symbolic death, yet at the same time honored the seeds of a new beginning, that no matter the darkness, life would go on. It was a very sacred evening and day.

The medieval Christian church co-opted this holy day by designating November 1 as All Saint’s Day, when the saints were honored, and November 2 as All Soul’s Day, when the soul’s of our departed loved one’s were honored. For these holy days, you can see how they are rooted in the ancient festivals of Samhain. Further, the evening prior to All Saints Day was also known as Hallowmas or All Hallow’s Eve—the Middle English word “hallow” meaning “holy”—thus, Halloween literally means “Holy Evening,” and is now a secular celebration that reaches across all religions and spiritual practices.

In my book, Sacred Ceremony, I describe what happens on this sacred evening:

. . . the barriers between this world and the Otherworld are removed, and the dead are able to rise from their own graves. In our culture, death is dealt with poorly, as something to be denied and to be feared, so instead of honoring our ancestors and deceased loved ones on this holiday, it has taken on an entirely different kind of spin. Trick or treat had an entirely different meaning. Originally, you would leave food for the ancestors and the fairies. If you didn’t then they’d play tricks on you, perhaps for the entire year.

However, these ancestors, who were portrayed as ghouls, ghosts, and goblins, actually visited us to help us. They weren’t scary at all. The treats left for them were to welcome them, to let them enjoy memories of their time while on Earth. Psychic powers are . . . the strongest at Samhain. The communication between the living and the world of the dead is at an all time high, with messages being exchanged both ways.

So the children at your door on All Hallow’s Eve are unknowingly acting out an aspect of the ancient festival of Samhain, and you’re playing your part by offering them treats so the “ghosts, hobgoblins, and fairies” will be kind to you for the coming year and not play tricks on you.

To take this a step further in re-enacting this ancient festival, something else you can do with your family is create an “ancestral altar,” which aligns even more so with the original premise for this seasonal celebration—to honor our ancestors and deceased loved ones. Create this just before the evening of October 31, and maintain it for the next three evenings.

To make an ancestral altar, set aside a small table designated especially for this, and cover it with a decorative cloth. Place any photos or relics of your loved ones on it, then add a special candle, some flowers, and a small glass of water. You may even want to spread rose petals across it. Before each evening that the altar is in place, set out an offering for the ancestors, small morsels of their favorite foods, and perhaps some for any other visiting spirits or even for the fairies. It’s not that they’ll eat the food, but they enjoy the sight and smell of it, and are pleased that you’ve honored them in this way. Light the candle and say a prayer of gratitude, and in your prayer welcome your ancestors for this special event.

Another option is to set a place at the dinner table that evening for those recently departed loved ones. Or if you’re so inclined, make a daytime visit to the gravesites of your deceased loved ones, and leave an offering there. Yet another possibility is to visit a favorite place of theirs nearby, and if appropriate, leave an offering there. Any of these are ways to give thanks to your ancestors, and to honor their life and their relationship with you. These kinds of activities may bring up emotions, and if so, welcome them! Tears are a way of releasing unfinished grief or sorrow, or perhaps simply an _expression of your love and appreciation for the legacy of those who have passed on.

On this Halloween you can revitalize it with new meaning, drawn from these ancient practices, and truly honor the sacred foundations for this secular holiday. Through creating these different kinds of enactments and rituals, you’ll gain a greater appreciation for how they symbolize the life-death-rebirth cycle, and ultimately reassure you that the darkness need not be so scary.