A celebration of release, purification, and honouring the dead
Dusk is falling, and the veil between the worlds is growing thinner. The gates between light and darkness are opening. The night of Samhain is here, and this is the perfect time to honour the memory of those who are no longer with us.
For centuries, the time around late October and early November has been associated with remembering the dead in many cultures around the world. And this is no coincidence. Late autumn has never been just about the changing seasons. It is a turning point that reminds us that nothing in this world lasts forever. A crack in time through which we can feel the breath of other worlds.
It is believed that on these nights, supernatural beings and the souls of our ancestors enter our world and walk among the living. To avoid angering them, people prepare feasts in memory of the dead and even hold masquerades in their honour. They also leave food at their doorsteps, accepting death as an eternal part of life.
At this time of year, many Turkic peoples hold large memorial gatherings, where members of the entire clan come together for a ritual meal in honour of their ancestors who have passed into the other world. The ancient Zoroastrian festival of Mehrgan also falls around this time. It celebrates the light and justice of Mithra, who stands against the darkness that is drawing near.
People across the world, from the rugged hills of Ireland to the vast steppes of Central Asia, have always faced the same things at this time of year: darkness, cold, and the passing of the old year. They would finish preparing their winter supplies, slaughter some of their livestock, and gather the last harvest. Whatever remained in the fields and gardens after Samhain was not to be touched. These gifts belonged to the spirits.
Samhain is also a time for deep ritual cleansing. In preparation for the festival, people would consciously clear out not only their homes but also their lives. True renewal is impossible without letting the old die. Nature shows us how: a tree sheds its leaves not because it is weak, but because keeping them through winter would mean its death.
We must let go of everything that has outlived its purpose and run its course, and now is the perfect time to do so. Everything that weighs us down, everything that has grown stagnant and useless, must burn in the fires of Samhain, in the flames of inner reflection. Only then can we reclaim our strength and make room for new life.
May everything that stands in the way of joy and happiness burn in the flames of our hearts and minds! May the hearths in our homes never go out, and may the memory of our ancestors always remain bright! May we all be blessed!
Happy Samhain!
Text by Yulia Zemtsova
Cover photo by Sergio Zhukov
