Happy Samhain

Happy Samhain 🧙🎃👻💀

The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain is the original Halloween. The origins of most of the famous Western Halloween traditions are found here.

On Samhain, people began preparing for winter, bringing their herds back from their summer pastures and slaughtering livestock. As summer dissolved into winter, it was believed that the border between the world of the living and the world of the dead dissolved as well.

So, for one night, the souls of the dead, spirits, and fairy folk could easily cross into the physical world. To disguise themselves from evil spirits, people would dress in costumes. Then, they’d go from house to house reciting poetry in exchange for food.

The souls of dead ancestors were honored with feasts, and bonfires were lit to keep the darkness at bay. Jack-o’-lanterns were carved out of turnips to frighten evil spirits away.

Some of these traditions, like costumes, jack-o’-lanterns and trick-or-treating, carried over into modern-day Halloween and are celebrated around the world. However, other Samhain traditions, like divination games and eating traditional foods, never attained the same global popularity.!

We had a traditional Samhain lunch involving mashed potato,cabbage and leeks with Modbury lamb liver in thick gravy 🙃 what are you eating and how are you celebrating this special end of the year festivity?

Enjoy ,stay safe and dry ☔️

Pumpkin design by Kat Ackland eldest daughter 🎃🧡🙏🏻

Always Lensomy xxx