I'm not like many of the conventional Pagans or even Wiccans out there. Because I'm not Wiccan, I won't celebrate all 8 of the Sabbats nor celebrate the "Wheel of the Year" for the simple fact that I only honor a Goddess and not a God, therefore the "Wheel of the Year" is obsolete in my practice.
I do celebrate one Sabbat...and it's perhaps the most common one for all Witches (if not familiar to them). I celebrate Samhain. Why only this one? Perhaps because I have the biggest draw to it. For as long as I can remember I have always loved Halloween. It has always been a magical time of year for me. It wasn't always about dressing up in costumes and getting candy, it just felt magical all on it's own (even when I couldn't articulate the feeling, as a child).
I remember one particular Halloween when I was a young child. It was back in the day when we could still wear our costumes and have a good ol' Halloween party at school (complete with costume parade in the Gym for the rest of the school). It was a stormy Halloween. Morning was very dark, and they day progressed as such, but the storm hadn't come in yet, so we were allowed to go out side. That day I had dressed as (surprise, surprise) a Witch. Black cloak, conical hat, the works. Going outside for recess, the winds had started to pick up, and I felt this magical feel in the air. I raised my arms in the air and asked for the winds to stir up higher and faster, as I looked up, watching the sky get darker and darker with black clouds (black enough to turn on the street lights (and this was probably at about 10:00-11:00am). I could just feel the power surging through the air as the storm got closer.
Naturally we all went in just before it started raining heavily and thundering. I will always remember that day as such a magical day. But it wasn't that day alone that began my love for Halloween. I don't think I have a particular reason that stemmed from childhood. The more I read about Halloween/Samhain and learn, the more I am intrigued and fascinated by the holiday, therefore I make it my mission to celebrate only Samhain. It's one night of the year when I can truly communicate with those I love, tell them how I miss them, wish they were around (physically), and tell them that I am sure they surround me in spirit.
Anyways, I'm rambling on about this holiday and why I love it, but I haven't even put in information about it.
Samhain (This information comes from my BoS and was provided by numerous people on a former forum. I am unsure as to where this actual information comes from)
For Wiccans, Samhain is the time of year when they say farewell to their God, as he dies (only to be reborn at Yule of the Goddess).
Samhain is a time of reflection, of looking back over the year and coming to terms with that which we have no control over: Death. Many feel that on this night, the veil between the physical and spiritual realms is at it's thinnest. It's a time to remember those who have gone before us, both those we've known, and those who were a part of our lives before we were created.
It is traditional on Samhain to leave a plate of food outside for the souls of the dead. A candle is placed in a window to guide them to the land of eternal summer. Burying apples in hard-packed earth "feeds" the passed ones on their journey.
Foods for this holiday: beets, turnips, apples, corn, nuts, gingerbread, cider, mulled wines, pumpkin, meat.
