Crossing A Threshold

Hallowe'en and Samhain are often thought to be the same, but they actually differ in several ways.

Samhain, which takes place from sunset tonight to sunset tomorrow night, is a harvest festival that signifies the midpoint between the Autumnal equinox and the Winter solstice, and is believed to be a period in which the veil between the living and the dead was the thinnest--which made it easier to commune with the ancestors and others who had died, and give them offerings.

Ancient practitioners would light bonfires to burn all night to ward off evil spirits that might come in with the good ones, and set places at their tables for their departed loved ones during a meal where no speaking was allowed, to honor the spirits.

So, where does that leave Hallowe'en? Well, ancient Christians often purloined holidays from those they considered heathens, so they decided to "soften" October 31st as a prelude to All Saints Day on November 1st, calling it "All Hallow's Eve." They tried to tone down the spookiness and make it about the faithful saints, but over time, the traditions of Hallowe'en that we know today crept in, including carving jack-o-'lanterns, embracing the macabre, and dressing up to beg candy from the houses in the neighborhood.

No matter which of these you choose to celebrate, I feel that today and tomorrow are good times to remember those who came before us and shaped our lives. It's also the perfect time to 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊.

This remains such an illuminating, poignant, transformative, heartbreaking, and necessary video. The simple yet affecting graphics are paired with a message that all humans should heed.

Tempus Fugit. Memento mori.

The Lessons of Death | Sam Harris Download the Waking Up app and start your FREE TRIAL: https://dynamic.wakingup.com/?source=YouTube&campaign=perspectivesondeathSam Harris discusses the topic...