As the year turns, seasons pass and holidays go by. For wiccans and pagans the seasons are part of the basis of their beliefs and worships. As a wiccan, I tend to pay more attention to the passing of the seasons and when fall comes and the harvest starts, I know one of my favorite holidays is right around the corner.

What exactly is wicca about? Wicca is a branch of paganism and it adds the addition of working with the elements (earth, air, fire, water and spirit). Both paganism and wicca worship the God and the Goddess and are nature based.

Samhain is a holiday celebrated by wiccans, pagans and other celtic-based religions. For pagans and wiccans, this is the end of the Wheel of the Year (the calender marking the high holidays) and the time to celebrate the end of the harvest, the coming of winter, animals, the new year and passed ancestors.

Samhain originated with the ancient Celts over 2,000 years ago. It is what many called the “pre-Christian, Celtic festival of the dead” and marks the end of the Celtic calendar. The Celtics believed that this is the time when the ghosts of the dead are able to mingle with the living and the souls of the ones who have died in the past year travel to the Otherworld during Samhain. Many Celts used to light bonfires to help the spirits of the dead on their journey to the Otherworld.

In modern times Samhain is celebrated on October 31, the same day as Halloween. There are many myths and stories passed down from generations that Halloween came from Samhain though most have been proven false. The most popular story is about pumpkin carving and that the Celts used to carve turnips with faces to keep away evil spirits. This practice could have  evolved into the modern Halloween tradition of pumpkin carving.

As the holiday grows nearer, I start to put up my altar for my ancestors and plan out my celebrations for the new year. As a wiccan, I plan out rituals and rites that will recognize the wiccan Goddess and God, my ancestors, animals and the end of the harvest. A tradition my family and I participate in is called a dumb dinner. A dumb dinner gives thanks to the ancestors that have passed on into the next stage of reincarnation.

As the leaves change colors and the wind grows cold, the Wheel of the Year comes to an end. So this Oct. 31, have a happy Halloween and a wonderful new year.