A how-to on celebrating this ancient Celtic ritual in your 180sq ft dorm space.

Samhain (pronounced sow-in) is a Celtic pagan festival celebrated over 2,000 years ago from October 31 to November 1st. This spiritual tradition is about honoring one’s ancestors and also marks the end of the harvest (Samhain means “summer’s end” in Old Irish!). It is believed that during this period, the veil between our world and that of the spirits is thinner, facilitating contact and communication between the two (History)

As college students with a long weekend coming up, adding elements of Samhain into your Halloweekend plans could be a fun way to honor the transition from spooky season to the holiday season. Ferris is definitely already in the season with their Halloween decor, but some might find it hard to get in the fall mood with midterms on the mind. Therefore, I offer you some ideas on how to celebrate Samhain in a 180-square-foot dorm space! 

Unfortunately, due to dorm regulations, we can’t light candles or burn sage. One option could be to get fake candles or avoid the big light to set the mood for your Samhain practices. 

A popular ritual includes creating an altar to honor your ancestors. I’m not so sure how your roommate might feel about this one, but even doing some research on your ancestors, writing a page about them in your journal, or finding old photos and memories to honor them could work as a modern adaptation to this ancient festival. 

Instead of incense, dried herbs such as rosemary, sage, and thyme are easy to find and can also work for protection and cleansing. (The Herbalist Apothecary)  

Furthermore, Samhain also values awareness, introspection, and reflection. Taking some time out of the day to write, whether that’s on a random piece of paper or in a dedicated journal, is important for mental health and reflection. You can literally write about whatever you want – from a to-do list, something funny that happened that day, or some future goals you want to set for yourself. All I recommend is try to stay positive! 

Paper crafts! Personally I love crafting, whether that’s making dried orange garlands or paper chains, just taking the time to sit with your thoughts and create something with your own hands just for the fun of it, away from the pressure of schoolwork, is so calming. 

Even simpler, eat an apple! An apple a day keeps the evil spirits away and totally counts as fall celebration, or however the saying goes… Eating autumnal fruits and veggies celebrates the ‘end of harvest’ aspect of Samhain. These also include squash, pumpkins, and root veggies like carrots, rutabagas, and beets. As a bonus, eating seasonally (and locally if you can) is good for the environment! So go forth and take your apple, pretend you went apple picking in Sleepy Hollow with the rest of NYC. Look no further than your local dining hall for some of these fine crop yields. 

I also encourage anyone willing to try out some of these rituals to go to the library and do some research on Samhain and Celtic traditions as a fun reading project this fall season. It is important to remember the history behind these traditions and activities, and just as important to have fun while doing it! 

Image via Bwarchives