The Center for Unhindered LivingSamhain Family Traditions                                The first tradition associated with Samhain is the end of the harvest.  So we will pick
                                vegetables fruits and grains from our garden and make a meal of those early on Samhain
                                eve.  Before dinner is prepared, however, we shall carve the faces in our pumpkins and
                                line the front steps of our home with them.  Before our meal, we will thank the God and
                                Goddess:
                                "Apples, pumpkins, nuts and grains
                                Potatoes, squash and more the same
                                A hearty loaf of fresh-baked bread
                                And other tasty fare is fed.
                                In the name of all that's good
                                Thank God and Goddess for this food
                                With hungry folk we'll share the rest
                                Of nature's own delicious best."

                                Of course, we bake an extra loaf of bread or pumpkin pie to take to a neighbor just to say
                                we love you, in the name of the Goddess.
                                Before the meal, we would have asked each family member to bring to the table the picture
                                of a departed loved one.  As we eat, we talk about our fondest memories of that loved one.
                                After the meal, we clear the table, light candles, and invite the spirits of those departed loved
                                ones to join us, and to communicate to us in any way they choose.
                                Afterward, we all don our costumes for the evening, stand in the middle of our living room,
                                cast a circle about us, and repeat this blessing:
                                "Circle of unending light
                                Keep us safe from harm this night
                                Goddess, keep us in your care
                                Protect us from all evil fare."

                                We then go our for our evening's Trick or Treating, and on the way drop the basket of food off
                                to the neighbor that has been chosen.  After coming home, we sit around and play games
                                and eat our candy!

                                This is just a very simple Samhain celebration, and many other things can be done.  I'll add
                                more later, such as recipes and games, so check back.