Hosting a Samhain Party Made Easy

You can host a Samhain party whether or not you have pagan friends. In her book Sabbats, author Edain McCoy provides some great tips on how to host a Samhain party.

• Avoid creepy séances, evil hags, and other negative images. These do not promote the truth about witches and pagans.
• Divinations are a great way to get people involved, even those who don't take it seriously. Have someone skilled in tarot, runes, or palmistry give readings (but avoid the Oujia™ if possible).
• Ditch the boring costumes. Host a party with a "Come as Your Ancestors" theme; ask your guests to come dressed as an ancestor and, if it was someone they knew, ask them to adopt their demeanor.
• Another fresh idea is to have a Samhain party with a Mexican theme. Tie in the Day of the Dead festival theme, serve Mexican food, or feature a Piñata.

Have fun with your Samhain ideas. With the death of the God, the Wheel of the Year turns again. In paganism, death has never been seen as an end, but as a transition. We, like our God, will be born anew as the Wheel of the Year turns on and on.