October 31-November 1
Samhain (sah-win), otherwise known as the Wiccan New Year, is a favorite among many Wiccans, Pagans, and witchy-folk alike. The veil between the dead and the living is at its thinnest. Allowing us to connect with our ancestors and loved ones. Additionally, it is the most powerful time of the year for divination! So, get your tarot cards, pendulums, candles, mirrors-and SO ON-out!
It is a good idea to prepare your ceremony with a purification bath (or shower, if you prefer). Fill with herbs of rosemary, place incense, candles, and various items around your tub. If you choose to remain dry, you can conduct this ceremony sans bath. Just cleanse yourself with your choice of purification tool (mine is a Palo Santo stick ethically sourced and gifted to me).
As previously mentioned, today is the day to get your divination tools out. If you are still learning, practicing your divination skills is still a great way to include it into your festivities. Host a dumb supper and bake some soul cakes, dumb supper is to feast with the dead/your ancestors. Make sure you cast a circle around your feasting area before doing so! Visiting a graveyard to honor those who have passed is also a great way to celebrate Samhain.
This will be my second year actively celebrating Samhain. I am a planner at heart and enjoy finding recipes I want to make and setting out what I want to do on the day of. Below, I will add my Samhain Feast and Recipes, along with, the meanings behind them.
Samhain Feast/Dumb Supper
Roasted Chicken
My first year, I definitely got my chicken already roasted at my local deli because it made things easier for me, as I never roasted a whole chicken before. This year, I have decided to do it myself! Rosemary is associated with remembrance, thus making it a great herb to incorporate in your Samhain Feast. Recipe is curtesy of:
Ingredients
▢1 4-pound whole chicken (giblets removed)
▢2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered (as many as will fit inside the cavity)
▢1 to 2 large lemons, quartered (as many as will fit inside the cavity)
▢3 sprigs fresh rosemary
▢2 teaspoons Kosher salt
▢1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
▢1-2 cans chicken broth (only if using a pan with a roasting rack)
Herbed Butter
▢8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
▢5 cloves garlic, minced
▢2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced (See note below)
▢2 teaspoons herbs de provence
▢Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Position rack in lower third of the oven.
Make the herbed butter: in a bowl, combine the softened unsalted butter, minced garlic, minced rosemary, herbs de provence, and lemon zest. Set aside.
Pat the chicken dry. Rub the chicken all over with the herbed butter, including under the skin (carefully separate the skin from the flesh to create "pockets" for the butter). Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper, including the insides of the cavity.
Stuff the cavity with the lemon, onion, and the rosemary sprigs...as many as you can fit inside. Tie chicken legs using kitchen twine. Tuck in wings under the chicken's back, or clip the wing tips to prevent them from burning.
Place the prepared chicken in a roasting pan, breast side up. Place the remaining lemons and onions on the pan. If using a pan with a roasting rack, add about 1-2 cups of chicken broth over the pan, about 1/4 inch deep. This will prevent the drippings from burning.
Roast the chicken for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, basting with the drippings halfway through. If needed, rotate the pan if you notice certain spots browning more than others - some ovens have hot spots. The chicken is ready when the a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. Note: roast for 20 minutes per pound.
Remove from oven. Tent with foil, and let rest for 15-20 minutes. Carve the chicken and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Special equipment: baking pan or roasting pan, zester, meat thermometer, kitchen twine (optional).
Fresh rosemary vs. dried rosemary: For every 3 teaspoons (or 1 tablespoon) of fresh minced rosemary, use 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary. So it's a 3:1 ratio of fresh vs. dried rosemary.
Roasting time: at 425 degrees F, you'll need to cook the chicken for 20 minutes per pound.
If the chicken is browning too quickly, tent with foil. I had to tent the breast with foil after about 1 hour and 5 minutes.
Spinach & Garlic Mashed Potatoes
A variation on colcannon was likely eaten during Samhain celebrations due to potatoes being in season. This recipe is curtesy of
Ingredients
1 ¼ pounds red potatoes, quartered
½ cup whole buttermilk
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Directions
Step 1-Arrange potatoes in a microwave-safe dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Cut a 1/2-inch slit in plastic. Microwave at HIGH 8 minutes or until tender; transfer to a bowl. Microwave buttermilk in a microwave-safe cup 30 seconds; pour buttermilk and 2 tablespoons olive oil over potatoes. Mash until mostly smooth.
Step 2-While potatoes cook, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced fresh garlic to pan; cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Add spinach to pan; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, stirring constantly. Stir spinach mixture, salt, and pepper into potatoes. Serve potatoes immediately.
Roasted Corn
Curtesy of myself! Corn is another Samhain staple food.
Ingredients
(the amount for the people you're feeding) Corn on the cob
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Seasonings you like on your corn
Tools
Baking pan
Aluminum Foil
Instructions
Husk your corn. If you want to double up, you can snap them in half. Butter your corn and add the seasoning. Wrap it with foil, add any other flavorings your heart desires. Place in the oven on 425 for 20-25 minutes.
Soul Cakes
Soul cakes are best eaten while they're HOT. This little pastry, fruit filled treat is traditionally made for the holiday of Samhain as an offering to the dead. So, when it comes to your soul cakes, eat them, share them and be sure to spare a thought for the hungry ghosts who walk the Earth while they visit on this day. There are different recipes out there that exist, I found this super simple one in The Magical Circle School's: A Year of Ritual 2008 Vol 3,
Ingredients
Pie Crust (Refrigerated or homemade)
1 C of Dried Fruit (This year I am using dried cherries, cranberries, and raisins)
2 Tbsp of Butter
2 Tbsp of Honey
Tools
Muffin tin
Directions
Cut small circles out of the pie crust (big enough that it'll create a bowl shape for the fruit) and place at the bottom of the muffin tin. Mix the rest of the ingredients together. Scoop the mixture into the pastry shells. If you'd like to get fancy, cookie cut or trace out stars to place on top of your filling to create a pentacle. Put the cakes into the oven on 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
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