Collection: Halloween, Samhain, and Dia de los Muertos

Halloween Witchcraft Tools for Serious Witches

If you’re a witch, Halloween is a special holiday that you hold dear to your heart. The time of year when the leaves start to turn. There’s the slightest chill in the air, and the spirits come out to play. Halloween isn’t just all about costumes, candy and ghost stories. It is also a sacred holiday. 

Dia de los Muertos is a Time for Connecting to Your Ancestors

Not only is it the season for Halloween, but in Mexican culture, it’s the season of Dia de los Muertos: the days that the beloved ancestors are honored and celebrated.

The Origin of Halloween

Halloween is a celebration observed on the eve of the Western Christian feasts of All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls Day (November 2). In more archaic English, All Saints Day was called All Hallows’ Day (or All Holy Ones Day). Halloween itself comes from “All Hallows Evening” which was shortened to “Hallowe’en” and then simply “Halloween.”  

The Connection Between Halloween and Samhain

While the timing of Halloween might be based on the Christian calendar, many Halloween traditions originated from ancient Celtic harvest festivals. Particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain (pronounced “SAA-win”). Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the “darker half” of the year. 

Samhain is seen as a liminal time, when the boundary (or “the veil”) between this world and the spirit world can more easily be accessed. This meant the Aos Sí, the ‘spirits’ or ‘fairies’, could more easily come into our world. And we could traverse into theirs.  The tradition of dressing up is a way of imitating, and disguising oneself from the Aos Sí.  Some believed they could take you back with them to their world against your will.  If they saw you looking like a spirit or deceased being they would ignore you as a potential candidate for bringing back with them. That puts the “trick” in trick or treat!

Many of these Halloween, Samhain, and Dia de los Muertos products disspear at the end of the month. Grab them while you can!