Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween.  I love the bright orange of the pumpkins, I love the idea of trick or treating (not that we get many round my way), I love the idea of costumes, I love the pumpkin carvings.  The fallen leaves are crunchy on the ground and there's a real sense of fun in the air.  I wish the UK treated it more like the USA does.

It’s also the night of the dead.  Both literally and metaphorically.  Literally, the spirits walk the earth and figuratively it’s a time for us to remember those we’ve lost and perhaps light a candle for their memories.  I’m lucky, I have had very few deaths in my life.  I found this prayer online today and found it quite beautiful:

Hallows blessing for the ancestors

To those whose feet are stilled,

And those who laugh with us no more.

To you we say, our love was with you here

And goes with you now to that place

Where you rest and take delight.

May your feet  walk along the coffin paths

To that place where all is fresh and green

Where lovers, friends and ancestors wait

With open arms to greet you.

Go in peace, and with our blessings

Or remain awhile this eve, with us

The living, and life and hearth, and love

Be rested amongst your own, this eve

This one night, this Samhain.

With countless turns of the wheel

We miss you, be near us this eve,

We pray ever for you

And we will met again, once more

When the wheel turns for us.

Pray be there to greet us, in that place

We will walk the coffin paths together

And bide awhile with kin and hearth

Until that time be near us.

Our kinsmen

Our guardians

Our ancestors

Our beloved dead.

Halloween is the death of the year.  The next 2 months are dark and dreary and miserable, and won't start improving till the Winter Equinox when the days start getting longer.  Roll on Imbolc I say.

Here are my decorations:

As you can see, I didn’t manage to carve the pumpkin yesterday, instead I shall do that on Sunday as I am visiting an art exhibition this evening.

Finally, I want to share this new Mike Maihack Batgirl/Supergirl Halloween themed strip.  Please do go visit the rest of his site.

There are some more interesting Halloween themed comic pieces on this Forbidden Planet post.

Whether you call today All Hallows Eve, Samhain or Halloween, enjoy it and revel in it!  Have a wonderful day, and if you've done any pumpkin carving, drop me a link to pictures in the comments :)