Foods for Samhain

Planning your Samhain FeastCome the end of October in the Northern Hemisphere, the Wheel of the Year cheap Canada Goose is turning and summer is giving way to winter. It is the time for harvest celebrations and honouring those who have died in the previous year. For many Pagans, it uk canada goose is a time to celebrate Samhain. Some people may celebrate the now more secular holiday of Halloween. Others will be celebrating the Catholic All Soul’s Day on November 1st.

Whether you call it Samhain or Halloween, if you’re planning a celebration, you’ll need canadian goose jacket to decide what foods to serve. These seasonal treats will be just the thing for adults and children on Halloween canada goose black friday sale night.

The History of Samhainand how do you pronounce that anywayAt Lammas and Mabon we witnessed canada goose coats the canada goose black friday sale death of the Sun canada goose factory sale God through the harvesting of the fields. At Samhain the Crone Goddess, as ruler of the Underworld, returns to the Earth when the veil thins to escort Her God Son back to the Underworld. There He will reside until He is once more Canada Goose Outlet born from the Mother Goddess at Yule.

This circle of birth, death, canada goose clearance sale and rebirth which is linked to the seasons can be seen in many cultures, ancient and modern, around the world. Samhain in the Celtic calendar marked the end of the harvest season, the end of the old year, and the beginning of the new year.

Samhain is a Gaelic word meaning summer’s end. It is pronounced sow in in Ireland, sow een in Wales, and sav en in Scotland.

Samhain Traditionsand similar celebrationsIn the Celtic calendar, Samhain marked the beginning of Winter and the end of Summer. https://www.officialcanadagoosesoutlet.ca This was also the end of the third major harvest of the year. Animals had been brought back down from the pasture, to be housed once more in the barns and fenced in pens. Households had gathered in crops and preserved as much as they could for the coming winter months. Hay filled canada goose uk outlet the lofts to feed the animals.

The days were getting shorter, night was drawing in closer each night. The veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead was thinning. Early families would carve faces into turnips (no pumpkins in the British Isles back then) which uk canada goose outlet they would carry from place to place. Candles would be placed in windows. And people would dress up in ghoulish costumes. Not to scare away the spirits of the canada goose clearance dead, but to welcome and guide them. On Samhain canada goose store night, the veil between the world’s was at its thinnest and those who had died could return to see Canada Goose Parka family and loved ones. When they returned once more to the land canada goose of the dead, the spirits of those who had died in the previous year would travel with them.

The traditions of Samhain are very similar to those practised in Latin American countries today at Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Over time, the focus changed, the spirits of the dead became things to be feared rather than welcomed. The focus of the costumes became something to scare away demons and hide from them instead of welcoming home departed family members.

Samhain traditions continue in mutated form today in the childhood festival of Halloween. Original traditions, which started in the British Isles, were carried over to America where they transformed over time into the customs buy canada goose jacket cheap we know today. Dressing up in scary costumes, carving Halloween pumpkins, trick or treating.

In recent years, these customs have begun migrating once more into the British Isles and now canada goose uk black friday you can see young British children buy canada goose jacket dressing up and trick or treating as their American cousins have been doing for generations.

InstructionsTo roast 2kg /2 1/4 pound chestnuts:1. Preheat the oven canada goose coats on sale to 200C/400F/Gas 62. Using a small, sharp knife cut a cross into the skin of each nut. 3. Put in a roasting tin and bake in the oven until the skin opens and the nut inside is tender. But the chestnut is likely to burst open quite explosively. Save the mess in the oven and the risk of injuring yourself and make sure the skin has been cut on each nut.

InstructionsThinly slice a variety of root vegetables.

Czech Harvest Festival

Czech Harvest Festival

Ingredients1 oz butter1 leek trimmed and sliced into 1/2 rings1 onion finely chopped1 courgette (zucchini) chopped8 oz swede or turnip diced1 large carrot diced1 medium potato diced1.5 pints vegetable stock3 Tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)1 pint milk3 oz sweetcornthawed if frozenchopped fresh parsley to garnish

InstructionsMelt the butter in a large saucepan and saut the leek, Canada Goose online onion, and courgette over a medium heat until softened (about 3 4 minutes). Add the swede or turnip, carrot and potato. Add the remaining milk to the saucepan with the sweetcorn, then stir in the blended cornflour. Heat gently, stirring constantly until the soup thickens and just begins to boil.

Ingredients1 small pumpkin about 18 ounces1 Tbsp peanut oil1 onion peeled and chopped1 small potato peeled and chopped5 cooking apples1/5 pints vegetable stock1.5 oz single cream (light cream)sage leaves to garnish

InstructionsUsing a sharp knife top and tail the pumpkin, stand it on a flat surface and run a sharp knife down it to peel. Roughly chop. Add the pumpkin, potato, and the 4 chopped apples and stir. Return to the pan and Canada Goose Coats On Sale stir canada goose uk shop in most of the cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Just drop the leaves into hot oil for 1 2 minutes, then drain.

Ingredientsjuice and zest of 1/2 lemon plus wedges for serving2 salmon fillets (350 gm) skinned600 gm cold cooked mashed potato 1 tablespoon fresh herbs (some good suggestions would be dill chervil or parsley)5 tablespoons sesame seeds5 tablespoons linseeds3 tablespoons olive oil

InstructionsDrizzle the lemon juice over the salmon fillets. Cook in the oven until tender and flakes easily. Mix well together. Season Canada Goose sale to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and pop into the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.

InstructionsPlace the dozen eggs in a large pot of salted boiling water. Rinse under cold water to remove any residual shell. Use a sharp knife to cheap canada goose uk cut each egg in half length wise. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Place a heaped teaspoon of the yolk filling into each egg half. If desired, add a sprinkling of paprika over each egg. Arrange on the plate and serve.

Ingredients250 g dark chocolate chopped200 g unsalted butter cut into cubes250 g beetroot cooked3 eggsa drop of vanilla extract200 g caster sugar50 g cocoa powder50 g rice flour (ground rice)1 teaspoon baking powder100 g Canada Goose Online ground almonds

InstructionsPut the chocolate and butter in a large bowl and place it over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl. Pour in the mixture and place in an oven preheated to 180C/Gas Mark 4. Bake for 30 35 minutes, until just firm to the touch. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out slightly sticky. Leave to cool in the tin and then cut into squares.

Ingredients160 gm plain flour2 Tbsp cocoa powder4 oz butter refrigerated2 oz caster sugar (granulated sugar)2 Tbsp milkYou Canada Goose Jackets will also need: 2.5 inch round cutter2 baking trays lined with parchment paperwhite writing icinga cocktail stick.