Ancestor Veneration

Every Samhain for nearly 30 years I have been busy taking my children trick-or-treating and then to our community bonfire and other Halloween activities. I always made sure to honour my ancestors and celebrate Samhain a few days before October 31st because it just wasn’t possible on the Eve *of*.

This Samhain, all my children are doing their own thing and so, for the first time in living memory I had the luxury of preparing and hosting a family dinner - for those living and dead.

The prep started weeks before, as I gathered all the ingredients for the feast I had planned; a feast starting with homemade baguettes topped with some of my homemade canned fig jam and brie. The main course was roast chicken, potatoes, carrots and was served along with sparkling pomegranate juice in honour of Hermanibus.

Incense and candles were lit to light the way of all our welcome ancestors, and offerings of the feast were humbly given, along with vodka in pomegranate juice and water.

Before the living family sat down to the meal, I sat and communed with those who attended, calling on Hermanubis the GateKeeper to bring them to me. It was a magical hour that I spent with them.