The holiday is a bit of a mash-up, and so are its traditions. Here’s some advice from a Druid on how to mark the coming of winter
Druid Jan Tetteroo the Grove of Anú in Killarney, Co Kerry: 'We should try to get out in nature and connect with the change in the seasons.' Photograph: Valerie O'SullivanThe dying of the light is certainly a good time to remember the dead, says druid Jan Tetteroo, of thein Killarney, Co Kerry. You can do this by creating an ancestor altar, he says.
Hosting an ancestral dinner is another way of remembering those gone. “Prepare the dishes your loved one liked. Eat in their honour and leave a place at the table for the one who is not there,” says Tetteroo.The sun is disappearing into the underworld, folklore tells us. “The delights of the day are being eaten by the wolf. The gods are now starting on a wild hunt to catch the wolf. This lasts for seven weeks until midwinter,” says Tetteroo.
Don’t let the time of year pass you by. “We see the light diminish and diminish, the days are getting shorter and shorter. We should try to get out in nature and connect with the change in the seasons,” he says. Walk in the dead leaves, get out and experience the weather.Had a bad year? Halloween is a time to let it go. Some people participate in Druidic circles at this time of year, says Tetteroo. “Everyone writes on a piece of paper the things they want to let go of.
If you are going to go the bonfire route, leave no trace, says Tetteroo. “Any place you visit for a ritual or ceremony, leave it as you found it.”The light is dying at this time of year and we can’t change that, says Tetteroo. “Don’t overthink things or get carried away with things you cannot influence. Accept the things you can’t change. The darkness requires a bit of wisdom, because you can’t change it. You have to be with it.
Use this period to wind down a bit if you can, he says. “Many are having to get up early and leave the house in the dark and return in the dark and that can be hard to embrace. But know that the light will return after the winter solstice. Then we will celebrate Christmas and the return of the light.
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