HALLOWTIDE
October 23 - November 6, 2021
In late October and early November, we host an annual, congregational-communal celebration of Hallowtide. Hallowtide comes to us from our European Christian past, and is still practiced there today. It is a time of remembrance and reflection on death and loss while celebrating life and love. It incorporates Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day, as well as, having connections to the Celtic holiday Samhain and the Mexican celebration of Day of the Dead –“Día de los Muertos”.
Together and with people from our Amado community, we will be constructing altars to decorate our veranda and share in this celebration of remembrance. We have a signup and guidelines for all altars, but as always encourage each individual to craft something unique and personal. As we discovered over the year, there will be altars remembering those who have recently died, some for those who have died many years past, and perhaps even some altars for those who have died who have held great meaning to an individual, yet who were not known personally.
While we are not seeking to appropriate the style of Día de los Muertos, we can better understand the construction of a Hallowtide altar through that celebration. Día de los Muertos is vital part of Mexican culture which comes from Aztec beliefs and Catholic traditions mixing together on both sides of the border. Traditionally, families will build altars in their homes and cemeteries during the weeks leading up to November 1st, as a way to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed to the other side. A Día de los Muertos altar, and ofrenda, is like a shrine to deceased loved ones to be personally cherished and communally shared.
Where to Begin...
Similarly, our Hallowtide altars are both a spiritual practice. Individually, we are reflecting on the ongoing presence of those who have died, and communally we will hold the grief and the joy that comes through sharing our altars.
As a spiritual practice, here are a few questions to contemplate before choosing to sign-up to create a Hallowtide altar:
1. Who would you remember and celebrate with your altar?
2. What symbols and images come from your background and heritage that will help you to remember and celebrate this person?
3. If you are drawn to symbols and images that are not from your heritage, how will you honor those cultures you are borrowing from?
Constructing Your Hallowtide Altar
Your altar must be small enough to fit into a 2 ft x 3 ft space on a table on our veranda. (Spaces will be assigned when you sign-up). We will set up tables under the windows along the Western side of our building, each table will hold two individual altars. Altars often have levels or tiers. One way to accomplish this is to place a cardboard box on top of your table and drape the whole thing with a tablecloth or sheet.
Decorate your altar with symbols and objects that were meaningful to the deceased and to your personal or familial heritage. The main idea is to decorate it in a way that honors the dead and reflects their unique character and personality. As a result, every altar will be different. Take the opportunity to be creative and truly recreate the memory of your lost loved one.
As is common to the many traditions of Hallowtide, our altars will be unattended outdoors for several days for community viewing. So, consider making copies of photographs and using sturdy materials that are well put together. Plan on some wind blowing, so add some weight to hold things down.
Here are some possible symbols to consider:
Common Symbols
Photographs - We recommend copies of important photos to keep the originals safe from the elements. Beware of wind – it may blow over so inexpensive frame helpful.
Personal and Favorite Effects - It's common to decorate an altar with the dead's former possessions and with objects that symbolize things they valued, owned or found meaningful. Symbols like a pack of cigarettes, a musical instrument, junk food that provides nourishment and refreshments for the returning souls.
Candles - A powerful symbol of light within darkness helps to recall the celebration of life in the midst of mourning. Candles are frequently placed on altars because when lit they welcome spirits back to the land of the living. We have small electric tea lights to share as we cannot have open flames on the veranda.
Sweets - Sugar skulls which are famous Day of Dead icons that symbolize death and the beyond. Halloween too uses candy as gifts to the spirits of All Hallows’ Eve, so it is the symbol of generosity. They're given as gifts to the living or as offerings to the dead
Salt - Symbol of wealth for many cultures in the ancient world and the continuance of life.
Samhain or Celtic Symbols
Harvest Colors & Foods - In the Western tradition, Hallowtide comes at the end of harvest during the fall. The colors and foods of the time are meant to tie altars to the earth and to recognize the changing seasons as examples of the cycle of life and death.
Symbols of Death - Western symbols of death include crosses, grave rubbings, the figure of death carrying a scythe or even ravens or crows.
Divination Tools - Samhain is a time when the veil between worlds is the thinnest. While it is a time for looking back, it is also the time for seeking to divine the future too.
While we are not seeking to appropriate the style of Día de los Muertos, we can better understand the construction of a Hallowtide altar through that celebration. Día de los Muertos is vital part of Mexican culture which comes from Aztec beliefs and Catholic traditions mixing together on both sides of the border. Traditionally, families will build altars in their homes and cemeteries during the weeks leading up to November 1st, as a way to celebrate and remember loved ones who have passed to the other side. A Día de los Muertos altar, and ofrenda, is like a shrine to deceased loved ones to be personally cherished and communally shared.
Where to Begin...
Similarly, our Hallowtide altars are both a spiritual practice. Individually, we are reflecting on the ongoing presence of those who have died, and communally we will hold the grief and the joy that comes through sharing our altars.
As a spiritual practice, here are a few questions to contemplate before choosing to sign-up to create a Hallowtide altar:
1. Who would you remember and celebrate with your altar?
2. What symbols and images come from your background and heritage that will help you to remember and celebrate this person?
3. If you are drawn to symbols and images that are not from your heritage, how will you honor those cultures you are borrowing from?
Constructing Your Hallowtide Altar
Your altar must be small enough to fit into a 2 ft x 3 ft space on a table on our veranda. (Spaces will be assigned when you sign-up). We will set up tables under the windows along the Western side of our building, each table will hold two individual altars. Altars often have levels or tiers. One way to accomplish this is to place a cardboard box on top of your table and drape the whole thing with a tablecloth or sheet.
Decorate your altar with symbols and objects that were meaningful to the deceased and to your personal or familial heritage. The main idea is to decorate it in a way that honors the dead and reflects their unique character and personality. As a result, every altar will be different. Take the opportunity to be creative and truly recreate the memory of your lost loved one.
As is common to the many traditions of Hallowtide, our altars will be unattended outdoors for several days for community viewing. So, consider making copies of photographs and using sturdy materials that are well put together. Plan on some wind blowing, so add some weight to hold things down.
Here are some possible symbols to consider:
Common Symbols
Photographs - We recommend copies of important photos to keep the originals safe from the elements. Beware of wind – it may blow over so inexpensive frame helpful.
Personal and Favorite Effects - It's common to decorate an altar with the dead's former possessions and with objects that symbolize things they valued, owned or found meaningful. Symbols like a pack of cigarettes, a musical instrument, junk food that provides nourishment and refreshments for the returning souls.
Candles - A powerful symbol of light within darkness helps to recall the celebration of life in the midst of mourning. Candles are frequently placed on altars because when lit they welcome spirits back to the land of the living. We have small electric tea lights to share as we cannot have open flames on the veranda.
Sweets - Sugar skulls which are famous Day of Dead icons that symbolize death and the beyond. Halloween too uses candy as gifts to the spirits of All Hallows’ Eve, so it is the symbol of generosity. They're given as gifts to the living or as offerings to the dead
Salt - Symbol of wealth for many cultures in the ancient world and the continuance of life.
Samhain or Celtic Symbols
Harvest Colors & Foods - In the Western tradition, Hallowtide comes at the end of harvest during the fall. The colors and foods of the time are meant to tie altars to the earth and to recognize the changing seasons as examples of the cycle of life and death.
Symbols of Death - Western symbols of death include crosses, grave rubbings, the figure of death carrying a scythe or even ravens or crows.
Divination Tools - Samhain is a time when the veil between worlds is the thinnest. While it is a time for looking back, it is also the time for seeking to divine the future too.