Samhain Ancestor Rite for Families with Children

Kids Prayer for Samhain

Samhain is here, cold is the earth,
as we celebrate the cycle of death and rebirth.
Tonight we speak to those through the veil,
the lines between worlds are thin and frail.

Ghosts and spirits in the night,
magical beings rising in flight,owls hooting up in a moonlit tree,
I don't fear you and you don't fear me.

As the sun goes down, far to the west,
my ancestors watch over me as I rest.
They keep me safe and without fear,
on the night of Samhain, the Witches' New Year.

The Twelve Days of Samhain

This silly song is a great way to get your kids (or other adults) in the mood for the Samhain season. Sing it along to the tune of the classic Twelve Days of Christmas!

The Twelve Days of Samhain

 

On the first day of Samhain my true love gave to me
a black cat in a spooky tree.

 

On the second day of Samhain my true love gave to me
two jack o lanterns and
a black cat in a spooky tree.

 

On the third day of Samhain my true love gave to me
three crooked headstones,
two jack o'lanterns and
a black cat in a spooky tree.

 

On the fourth day of Samhain my true love gave to me
four séance spirits,
three crooked headstones,
two jack o'lanterns and
a black cat in a spooky tree.

 

On the fifth day of Samhain my true love gave to me
five pointy hats,
four séance spirits,
three crooked headstones,
two jack o'lanterns and
a black cat in a spooky tree.

 

On the sixth day of Samhain my true love gave to me
six owls a-hooting,
five pointy hats,
four séance spirits,
three crooked headstones,
two jack o'lanterns and
a black cat in a spooky tree.

 

On the seventh day of Samhain my true love gave to me
seven skulls a-grinning,
six owls a-hooting,
five pointy hats,
four séance spirits,
three crooked headstones,
two jack o'lanterns and
a black cat in a spooky tree.

 

On the eighth day of Samhain my true love gave to me
eight ghosts a-haunting,
seven skulls a-grinning,
six owls a-hooting,
five pointy hats,
four séance spirits,
three crooked headstones,
two jack o'lanterns and
a black cat in a spooky tree.

 

On the ninth day of Samhain my true love gave to me
nine dead men dancing,
eight ghosts a-haunting,
seven skulls a-grinning,
six owls a-hooting,
five pointy hats,
four séance spirits,
three crooked headstones,
two jack o'lanterns and
a black cat in a spooky tree.

 

 

On the tenth day of Samhain my true love gave to me
ten bats a-gliding,
nine dead men dancing,
eight ghosts a-haunting,
seven skulls a-grinning,
six owls a-hooting,
five pointy hats,
four séance spirits,
three crooked headstones,
two jack o'lanterns and
a black cat in a spooky tree.

 

On the eleventh day of Samhain my true love gave to me
eleven spiders crawling,
ten bats a-gliding,
nine dead men dancing,
eight ghosts a-haunting,
seven skulls a-grinning,
six owls a-hooting,
five pointy hats,
four séance spirits,
three crooked headstones,
two jack o'lanterns and
a black cat in a spooky tree.

 

On the twelfth day of Samhain my true love gave to me
twelve brooms a-flying,
eleven spiders crawling,
ten bats a-gliding,
nine dead men dancing,
eight ghosts a-haunting,
seven skulls a-grinning,
six owls a-hooting,
five pointy hats,
four séance spirits,
three crooked headstones,
two jack o'lanterns and
a black cat in a spooky tree.

 

 

5 Easy Samhain Decorations

Samhain is the last of the three harvest holidays, following Lughnasadh and Mabon, so keep the harvest theme in mind when you’re decking your halls and walls. Consider decorating your home with symbols of the season. Like all holidays – whether spiritual or secular -- decorating your house is one of those things that are a matter of personal taste. Try some of these simple and inexpensive decorating ideas for Samhain.
 

    

1. Welcome the Dark Side

It’s the time of year when the world is dying; take advantage of it and get in touch with your darker side. While it may creep out some of the neighbors, Samhain is the perfect opportunity to take some grave rubbings, hang scythes and skulls on the walls, and put out other symbols of Death.
  

    

2. Bowls and Baskets Galore

Find some inexpensive bowls, cornucopias or baskets at thrift stores. Fill them with harvest foods, such as gourds, apples, corn and miniature pumpkins. Place them on tables throughout your home. If you've got florist's wire, you can hang Indian corn and other goodies in a bundle on your wall.
 

    

3. Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!

Carve jack-o-lanterns! If you have very young children, they may have more fun painting their pumpkins than carving them. Painted pumpkins will last longer than carved ones anyway. Use acrylic paints for brighter colors. Make one for each member of your family, and place them at the front door to greet visitors. If you don't have time to decorate them, that's okay - a few well placed plain pumpkins look nice, and bring home the sense of the season.
  

                            

4. Outdoor Decor

It's the time of year when your neighbors might not even give you a second glance if you put up decorations outside. Consider making a group of ghosts for the yard or even your own cemeteries. Raid the Halloween stores for bargains and ideas!
                                                         

    

5. Honor the Ancestors

At Samhain, you can make a small shrine to honor your ancestors, or turn it into an entire ancestor altar. Set it up for the recently departed, or your entire extended family. If you know a bit of your family history, consider turning your family tree into an ancestor altar cloth. Hang photos of your deceased family members in a place of prominence - in some traditions, these photos are adorned with a black cloth as a symbol of honor.

Fav Halloween Movies 5 of 7

Now that we are winding down and getting to the end of the Fav Halloween movies I'm saving the best ones for last Movies 5 - 7 in my opinion are the best of all time Halloween movies.

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Hocus Pocus

Rating: PG           Length: 96 mins.               Year: 1993

Cast: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy

Movie Description

A spin on the infamous 17th-Century Salem Witch Trials is the focus of the 1993 Walt Disney Pictures fantasy-comedy Hocus Pocus.

Salem, Mass. 1693: Three sisters (deemed witches by townspeople) are publicly hanged after allegedly killing another girl and transforming the slain girl's brother into a talking cat. Dissolve to Salem, Mass. 1993, October 31st (Halloween) to be precise.

New high school student Max isn't adjusting well to his new school or classmates. Apparently Max is an object of ridicule because he scoffs at the legend of the three witches, which is held to be a "sacred truth" in Salem. Reluctantly, Max agrees to accompany his younger sister on her "trick-or-treat"-ing rounds, where they become involved in strange goings-on at the house where the three 17th-Century "witch" sisters lived.

Hocus Pocus has developed somewhat of a cult following over the years. The cast is solid, led by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, Omri Katz and Thora Birch. Legendary TV producer/director Garry Marshall has a cameo as the Devil.

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The Haunted Mansion

Rating: PG           Length: 88 mins.               Year: 2003

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Nathaniel Parker, Marsha Thomason

Movie Description

The Evers family needed a little quality time together, but what they didn't need was quality time with a floating head in a crystal ball. Ghosts, dark secrets, and mysterious characters transform their tranquil family outing into a ghoulish night they'll never forget.

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Thank you to http://www.disneymovieslist.com for info

-The Crafty Witch

Fav Halloween Movies 2 of 7

This is actually one of the best Disney movies I have ever seen, back in the 90's Disney got to get away with racy innuendos and some mild language. This movie as a child was so scary to me and was the absolute best to watch late at night (which at that point and time was really like 10pm) curled up with my power ranger footie pajamas and my fuzzy blanket. ANYWAYS -- its such a great movie.

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Tower of Terror

Rating: UR           Length: 89 mins.               Year: 1997

Cast: Steve Guttenberg, Kirsten Dunst, Nia Peeples

Movie Description

Written and directed by D.J. MacHale, Tower of Terror is a made-for-TV production supernatural thriller from Walt Disney Television. The 89-minute film is based on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror theme park attraction at Florida's Walt Disney World Resort, the first Disney production featuring one of its own attractions.

Steve Guttenberg portrays a former distinguished reporter who fell on hard times and now toils for a sleazy tabloid. His fortunes begin looking up after stumbling across a 1939 episode in which five people mysteriously disappear while in a luxury hotel elevator during a lightning storm. Buzzy Crocker (Guttenberg) and his niece Anna (Kirsten Dunst) become involved through a chance encounter with Abigail Gregory (Amzie Strickland), an older sister of one of the victims. Abigail claims to know the "real" story behind the incident, and her version intrigues Buzzy and Anna; so much that they attempt to recreate the decades-long mystery in hopes of solving it.

In addition to Guttenberg, Dunst and Strickland, other notable cast members include Nia Peeples, Michael McShane and Melora Hardin.

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Thank you to http://www.disneymovieslist.com for info

-The Crafty Witch