Samhain has come to be known as the "Witches' New Year,". This holiday is one of the most important and revered in the Wiccan calendar. In an agrarian society, this is the time of year when farmers culled the herds, slaughtering the excess livestock and saving the best breeding stock. It is therefore occasionally also called the Blood Harvest. The grain harvest was in, and farmers were able to accurately assess how many animals they could reasonably feed through the winter. They also knew how many people they could feed. The frost had come, and winter was coming, so the meat would stay fresh longer in nature's "refrigerator". In hunting societies, the "Wild Hunt" was abroad, and the tribe was more dependent upon their hunters for food, as the plants were becoming dormant for the winter.
This holiday marks the time when the souls of all who have died throughout the year pass over to the other side, and all the souls of those who will be born in the next year come into the world. Celebrations are oriented toward mourning and letting go of those who have died, especially those who have died in the past year. There is also a general remembrance of ancestors who have come before, with the telling of the family stories, personal histories, and coven lore. This is the time of the yearwhen "the veil between the worlds is thinnest." Magick can be very strong and extremely effective.
A common practice at Samhain is the "dumb supper." This is a meal which is shared with those who have gone before. An extra plate is set and filled with food for those who are no longer with us. After the meal, this food is usually set outside for whatever creatures happen along; Wiccans try not to waste. 
This dumb supper is a meal when nobody speaks, the time instead being used to reflect upon those who have gone before. Traditionally, "Dumb" referred to those who could not speak (i.e., your ancestors), not the silent diners at the meal. But as Wicca is an evolving religion, this silent meal has come to have a modern interpretation of this tradition. The Samhain Feast may frequently consist of the root crops, also the last fruits of the harvest, as well as many meat and game dishes. Some Wiccans eat meat only at Samhain.
Mythologically, this holiday is when the Goddess mourns her slain consort, the God, and she contemplates the coming birth of her child by him. The Goddess is also honored in her Crone aspect. This holiday also mythically celebrates the death of the God, as he lays down his life for the community, or as the God fo the Wild Hunt, symbolizing the animals hunted for food.
Well, I just wanted to give everybody a little heads up about what kinda goes on, during Halloween in a witches life. So Happy Samhain!
From a good witch 
,
Sylvie
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