Samhain: Returning to Our Roots
2 Min read
By late October, the change in season is hard to miss. The light fades earlier, branches begin to bare, and the kitchen becomes an especially warm place to spend an evening.
In the Gaelic tradition, Samhain (pronounced “SOW-in”) marked the beginning of winter on November 1.³ Celebrations began the evening before, with food, games and customs connected to those who had passed.¹
These traditions give us a reason to pause as the season turns: to share a meal, remember someone we love and think about what we want to carry with us into winter.
A season shaped by the land
For farming communities, preparing for winter meant storing food and making sure the household had enough fuel and shelter. Daily life followed the season.
In Ireland, fruit and nuts were part of the Samhain celebrations, both at the table and in games such as apple bobbing. Later Halloween traditions included colcannon, made with potatoes, cabbage and onions, and báirín breac, a fruit bread used in fortune-telling.¹ ²
In our own kitchens, seasonal food can bring us closer to that rhythm. Roast squash, simmer a root vegetable soup or bake apples with cinnamon. Share the meal with someone you love.
Remembering those who came before us
In Irish folk tradition, those who had passed were believed to return to the family home on Halloween night.¹
Today, remembrance can be as simple as making a family recipe, playing a familiar song or sharing a story about a loved one.
Our roots also include the people who cared for us and helped shape our lives. The meals we make, the stories we tell and the traditions we keep can carry their influence forward.
Bringing ritual into the present
The evenings grow darker, but our schedules often stay just as full. Samhain can be a moment to slow down and make room for the season.
At Ancient + Brave, we see ritual in small, everyday acts: making a warm drink, putting the phone aside and taking time to enjoy the evening.
A cup to share
Cacao + Collagen blends raw cacao, ashwagandha, beetroot, baobab and cinnamon alongside hydrolyzed collagen peptides.
Whisk a serving into heated milk or a plant-based alternative to create a nourishing blend.
Time to wind down
True Nightcap brings subtle lemon and warming ginger to your evening cup, with magnesium, zinc and L-glycine.
Mix 2 tsp (6 g) into 8 oz of warm water, turn down the lights and settle in with a book.
This Samhain, gather over a shared dish and recall a cherished memory of someone special. As twilight arrives earlier, create space for the meaningful connections and gentle rituals that anchor you.
Sources
-
National Museum of Ireland. Traditions and customs of Halloween / Samhain.
-
National Museum of Ireland. Ghost turnips, the púca, fortune-telling and evil abductions.
-
Hutton, R. (1996). Samhain. In The stations of the sun: A history of the ritual year in Britain. Oxford University Press.
-
Rogers, N. (2002). Halloween: From pagan ritual to party night. Oxford University Press.
-
Santino, J. (1998). The hallowed eve: Dimensions of culture in a calendar festival in Northern Ireland. University Press of Kentucky.
