h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As the sun sets this evening, I would like to wish the pagans of this community a happy and reflective Samhain.

I would also like to ask the community how they intend to celebrate Samhain/Halloween this year.

Blessed Be.

B.

Ah, perhaps you can help. I've been discussing elsewhere the correct pronunciation of Samhain. I thought it was close to Shaveen??

Hi TripQ,

My understanding is that the word Samhain comes from the Irish Gaelic language so the "mh" would be pronounced as "w"... "Sowen". To quote this website ( http://www.neopagan.net/Halloween-Origins.html ):

"Samhain or “Samhuinn” is pronounced “sow-” (as in female pig) “-en” (with the neutral vowel sound) — not “Sam Hain” — because “mh” in the middle of an Irish word is a “w” sound (don’t ask me why, it’s just Irish). Known in Modern Irish as Lá Samhna, in Welsh as Nos Galen-Gaeaf (that is, the “Night of the Winter Calends”), and in Manx as Laa Houney (Hollantide Day), Sauin or Souney, Samhain is often said to have been the most important of the fire festivals, because (according to most Celtic scholars) it may have marked the Celtic New Year."

Hope this helps.

B.

Samhain is pronounced Sah-wunn. It is tomorrow (1 Nov).

Tonight is Oíche Shamhna (the Eve of Samhain). The old year ends tonight at sunset but the new year doesn't start until sunrise tomorrow. We normally celebrate with dressing up, handing out nuts to all comers and hanging the skeleton in the porch (he's called Bony Maloney).

I'll be celebrating All Hallows Eve by letting my son indulge in the very sad American tradition of trick or treat, and also getting annoyed at the kids who get the dog to go mad as they bang on the door all evening asking for sweets.
Little monsters
Damned Yanks!

I thought the festival begins as sunset and ends at sunrise... I'll have to do some more reading.

Some more useful websites to look at include http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/ , http://www.witchvox.com/ and http://www.paganfed.demon.co.uk/ .

My partner and I are having some friends around for a harvest feast. Pumkin soup anyone?

B.

Echoing the "Damned Yanks!" sentiment! B.

Happy New Year

Blessed Be

daSilva

Yes, Samhain is November 1, not tonight, and I normally celebrate it by wishing I was younger...

Happy birthday to me, happy birth..

Woodpigeon

"I thought the festival begins as sunset and ends at sunrise"
It does. As mentioned (or at least this is my peripheral understanding) the old year ends at sunset, so the party starts, and ends with the dawn of the new year, kinda filling the gap when it is neither one year or the next.

Dear Woodpigeon (Columba palumba)

May I take this opportunity to wish you ahappy brithday, fromm one Scorp to another. Have a great day.

hi all

mmmmm the new year idea of Samhain is one of contention some people 'treat' it as 'new year' others say that because the year is based on a wheel there is no start or finish, as a solitary witch I tent to go with the latter

I use Samhain to refect on 'departed' freinds and family and also a time of 'letting go'

I've always treated Samhain and Yule as special sabbats over the others but thats just me....

blessed be may the goddess watch over you all

Jonathan

ps I always say 'Saween'

I'd like to get my hands on the s who egged the front of my house last night!

Not big, not clever - and certainly NOT funny.

In Scotland we don't generally take part in mindless vandalism - at least not on Hallowe'en. The children dress up in various costumes and go 'guising' round their neighbourhood. They are given sweets, apples, nuts etc in return for performing a song, telling a joke or playing a tune. Much more civilised!

to get the hose out now to clean the outside of my hoose!

Merry Meet to all!


I tend to spend Samhain (oh and I tend to pronounce it sow-uin) reflecting on my Ancestors, put pictures of them on my altar, leave out water and food, light candles and generally invite them into my home and make them welcome for the night.

Then I go and watch some films, or this year, Buffy... (OK, I admit it, I'm a Spike-aholic... )

I had some friends round for drinks, lit a few candles n did some bits n pieces and may or may not have broken my big toe!

If you're in doubt then you probably haven't but worth getting checked out

dropped a bag containing a large bottle of vodka n 4 cartons of fruit juice on it had my shoe on at the time n its still really badly bruised and swollen ...oh well

Well, you can always drink the vodka as an anaesthetic

Oh i did we made sex on the beach cocktails

Excellent!


Somebody pinched my car ariel