Hallowe'en/Samhain

well we set up a dumb supper before we go trick o treating,

 for now i just go to an open ritual after they are asleep.  We don't dwell on the thining of the veil, not until they are old enough to not completely freak at the thought that there might be ghosts around..........

I think because my dd is so young I'll be waiting until she's older to really get into the meaning of everything.

Well, we do the usual thing of trick-or-treating or going to a local church's harvest festival. But we try to find an Irish group celebration, too. I like to just wish people a Happy New Year! lol! We tell stories while carving jack'o'lanterns and eat good Irish food! Very fun night. I let the kids be whatever they want for the most part, unless their schools have rules about it, then they wear one to school and whatever they want for the night celebrations. Next year, were plannin a party for the kids..haven't done one since my older two were young.

I would love to have a party and do it the old fashioned way with hot spiced cider and apple bobbing and all :) just subtle stuff.

The Irish influence is awesome- I wish we could find Irish activities here! That's something my DH would really get into too! Actually our neighbors across the street are from Ireland... I should ask them :)

Thanks for everyone's feedback. We put up our harvest wreath yesterday!! 

Cheyenne is too young I think for Bobbing for Apples but Trick or Treating I think she will be fine.  This year she will be trick or treating. As far as costumes go, Cheyenne will eithier be a Witch or Farie for Halloween.  Her father and I are both Pagans and we think that these two costumes are appropriate.  We didn't like anything else.  As far as celebrations go, Cheyenne-her father, my brother and I all go and have our own celebration at our favorite/sacred spot and do rituals for the celebration of the new year. Cheyenne usually watches but next year she will be participating in her first set of rituals(She will be 2.5 years old next Samhain)

those are cute- ideas :) it reminds me of when I was in highschool my best friend and I (we were in a coven together) put on our regular clothes, with our ceremonial stone pouches on and said we were "dressed" up as witches :)

Malachi was actually a dragon for the Renn Faire and I think he might wear it for Hallowe'en. My dh is not pagan so we don't do rituals at home, but I might be dragging him to a samhain party this year if we get a sitter! 

We usually have a circle with friends the day before Samhain and let the kids trick or treat on Halloween.  Last year for activities we went all out, painting shirts, pumpkin races, decorating wish boxes and more that I just can't remember, lol.  This year we will have to see, I'm sure it definitely won't be as over done as last year.

we still dress up, both my son (age six) and myself (age more-than-six). i've never put any stipulations into what can and cannot be costume though (outside of the bounds of what is accepted at the venue/event where the costume is to be worn)...

Kid A has groown up knowing that there is a difference between "Halloween" and Samhain/Shadowfest/Day of the Dead/Ancestor Night/Winternights/etc. he knows that "Halloween" is about candy and costumes and parades and the things he sees in stores and on television. Samhain is about honoring our ancestry, about the start of a new year. he doesn't fully understand it (hey, he is six, after all) but he knows that there are reasons for the costumes and decorations and even for the sweeties. each year he learns a little more about the history of our family in general as well as about the holiday that he's celebrating.

I'll be taking my daughter out trick or treating with her cousin just our street. She's doesn't need too much candy. The school at the end of our street does a haunted hay ride which we'll go on. My daughter is two but nothing scares her except Elmo toys for some reason. But her favorite thing is to be scared out of her wits so I think she'll enjoy it. We'll go back to my house where I pass out candy which is what I've done every year for the past 10 years I lived here. I am now in my town for being a witch, thanks to my brother. So I dress up with the whole pointed hate and black dress. Its funny that some of the kids (middle school kids) get nervous to come up to the door. Most of the kids on my street know me well and they like to tease their friends by calling my house the witch house to scare them. But they tell them after that I'm nothing to be scared of which is good. Then my coven does a ritual at my house and eat, we have plenty f food on the sabbats.

Morrigan's going to be a Disney princess not sure which one yet. She was Tinkerbell last year and a bat the first year. What ever she wants to be, it doesn't matter. Halloween is about having fun. Every sabbat is about having fun and celebrating the changes.

Quoting MorriganzMommy:

 Halloween is about having fun. Every sabbat is about having fun and celebrating the changes.

that is so true- I love it!

And I am so jealous about being the neighborhood witch- that is awesome!!! And dressing up to play along just ices the cake.... cool cool- I would so do that if I didn't live in washington - it's too political and career-centric here and people are scared of anything out of the box.