Samhain means many things to many people, but one common idea is to take this time to look back and see where you've been this past year. Part of that reflection usually includes time to think of your ancestors and relatives who have passed on to the Summerlands.
Take some time to honour your ancestors and heritage this year with an ancestor altar. You can use your regular altar space, if you have one, or create a new spot for the Samhain season.
An Ancestor Altar with Photos
A basic ancestor altar will just be a collection of photographs, displaying your various relatives, ideally going back a few generations to illustrate and show respect for your history. Besides photos, you could also decorate your altar with any other items that belonged to your relatives or even just things that remind you of them. Jewellery, clothing, or other heirloom items could all be used. What matters most is that these items mean something to you and represent your past.
Other Cultural Items
If you don't have enough personal items or photos, you can also represent your heritage with more generic cultural items that have meaning for you. If you know of various countries that your family tree comes from, adding a small flag for each is a nice touch.
Traditional Family Food is Another Choice
You could even prepare a dish of food, either from a traditional family recipe or just choose a dish that represents your past nationality. Save this idea for Samhain eve itself, as you don't want food sitting out for too long.
Be Careful with Candles
Though candles are a lovely way to illuminate such an altar, please be very careful with an open flame around old photos or other items. These things are irreplaceable and should not be put at risk just so you can have a pretty altar. Its advisable to use a small lamp with a low wattage bulb to light up your altar space.
How long you leave your altar up, is your choice. Some people leave up their ancestor display until Yule, or you could create your altar now to be taken down on Samhain eve, while you spend the evening reminiscing about your family.
If you'd like to do something other than create an altar, try these other ideas to honour your ancestors for Samhain.
