This time of year is potent for cultural rites all around the world. We asked our directors to discuss Samhain and Diwali, and researched Día de los Muertos, all ancient celebrations honouring the transition of seasons, ancestors and the cycles of life and death.
Each festival unites communities in reflection, gratitude and hope for renewal. Read on to find out more.
Welcome in the winter with Celtic New Year
Before the Christianisation of the British Isles, the turning seasons and the days of solstice and equinox were marked by rituals and celebrations. The Celtic word for this time of year is Samhain, pronounced (Sa’wain), and marks the Celtic New Year, the end of summer, and the end of the harvest season. It also signalled the beginning of winter, which they associated with death. On this day, the Celts believed the veil between the living and the dead was fragile. This allowed spirits of the dead to visit the living.
Lots of people still celebrate Samhain, by gathering together, lighting candles and fires, remembering their loved ones, thanking their ancestors and celebrating the glorious colours of autumn. They make mandalas and decorate altars, sing folk songs, and prepare themselves for the shortening of the days ahead and descent into winter. These rites take place at sites like Stanton Drew stone circle where Druids keep the old ways alive.
The word Halloween comes from Hallow (holy) and een (eve) and indicates the Christianisation of Celtic/Pagan traditions. As the church often demonised women’s wisdom, they called them witches as opposed to Wiccans (wise women). Wiccans usually led the celebrations, witches became associated with Halloween and Americans brought pumpkins into the mix. So, Halloween is the day before November 1st, known in Christian terms as All Souls Day, but Samhain is just on the 31st of October.
Deasy Bamford
A personal note on Diwali
All around the world for many thousands of years, humans have celebrated the changing of the seasons and placed a similar emphasis on this particular time of year.
Diwali or Deepawali is celebrated by millions of people in India and across the globe. The festival dates are based on the Hindu lunar calendar and typically fall in late October and early November. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists alike all celebrate Diwali based on their unique folklore and history dating back more than 2,000 years.
Irrespective of religion, this festival symbolises the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. The lights of Diwali also give us the strength and courage to carry on with our goodwill for the rest of the year. Diwali for me symbolises hope – it’s a beautiful, colourful festival of lights.
Homes are illuminated with diyas, and decorated with mandalas. Rangoli patterns and firecrackers fill the skies as an expression of respect to the gods for the attainment of knowledge, health, wealth, peace, and prosperity.
For me, this year Diwali has been rather challenging, as it’s my first Diwali without my father. We would normally get together as a family, eat lots of delicious food, sing and dance together, play games, and have a good time. However, it’s been a time of grief, to reflect, remember the ancestors, and give thanks. It gives me comfort to reflect on the happy memories and I live in hope towards new positive beginnings for me, my community, and for peace for our fragile planet.
Happy Diwali to you all! Be the light 🪔
Vandna Mehta
Meanwhile, in Central and South America…
‘The Aztec empire (part of modern-day Mexico) had been celebrating “Day of The Dead” long before Spanish conquistadors invaded and fused it with Catholicism to create the Día de los Muertos we know today. The spiritual holiday was originally intended to celebrate the Lady of the Dead, Mictēcacihuātl, Queen of Mictlān (the underworld).
‘The Aztecs believed it was her job to watch over the bones of past lives. Bones of past lives were used to create new life in the land of the living. As their protector, a Mictēcacihuātl looked after the bones even after they had been stolen and brought to the land of the living. Once a year she ascended to the land of the living to make sure the bones were being cared for properly. Upon her arrival, the Aztecs would hold celebrations of death with dance and food to thank her for her protection.
‘When the Spanish conquistadors invaded America, they brought Catholicism with them and forced many of the indigenous people they conquered to convert. After witnessing the Aztec celebrations of death, the Spaniards began fusing Aztec tradition with the Catholic holidays of “All Saints Day” & “All Souls Day” (pagan holidays unofficially adapted into Catholic practice during the mediaeval ages). During these festivals in Spain, families would decorate graves, bring food to gravesites, and light the way for the dead to return to their families. The blending of these two spiritual practices evolved into the more modern celebration of Día de los Muertos we recognize today.
‘In modern-day celebrations, Mictēcacihuātl has been replaced by a new “lady of death”, La Catrina- a skeleton woman wearing a European hat adorned with flowers and feathers. The image of La Catrina is attributed to José Guadalupe Posada- a cartoonist from Mexico who intended the image to mock those who tried to be more European and deny their indigenous heritage. He believed death was democratic and in the end, we all ended up as skeletons no matter what our status was in life.’
This is an excerpt from a piece called Día de los Muertos History from the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of Kansas.
Do you have any cultural traditions you’d like to share? You can leave your comments below.
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