Samhain                                                                  Moon of the First Snow

Holiseason. Begins on October 31st with Samhain and runs through January 6th, the Feast of Epiphany. This is a time when temperate latitude, northern hemisphere locations go through the darkest months of the year, punctuated with snow and cold. In times before refrigeration, electric lights, central heating, grocery stores this was a time when family and livestock could die. That’s why it begins on a holiday when the veil between the worlds thins.

Over the course of this time comes Thanksgiving, food and family at the center, many holidays of light, brave gestures against the seeming victory of darkness, the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia, New Years and the feast of the epiphany: Hanukkah, Posada, Advent, Deepavali, Christmas, the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia, New Years, Kwanza, the feast of the Three Kings. Special music, distinctive decorations, gift giving, meals with family and friends, times for reflection on the meaning of life and the nature of reality are the norm during Holiseason.

It is, for me, a joyful time. I love the moments of connection, the songs and stories raised in the air, the colorful installations on homes and businesses, the food, but most of all I like the quiet time, time to consider the light and dark in my own life. I love the way humanity, all over the globe, has taken special care for each other in times that were once literally dangerous, risky. I will surf holiseason again this year, riding the pulsing waves of human delight.