Commentary : Wishing you a blessed Samhain Published Oct. 27, 2014 By Senior Airman Stephanie Morris Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Oct. 31 marks the day known as Halloween, All Hollows' Eve or for me-Samhain. This holiday represents different things for different people, but for me and my family it is Thanksgiving, Halloween and a little bit of Dia de los Muertos all rolled into one. I am a pagan, and my religion has a unique view on the many traditions and events surrounding Halloween night than most families do. We still pass out candy, wear costumes and carve Jack-o'-lanterns, but the motivation behind these traditions has a significant meaning for us. Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the "darker half" of the year. It is our belief that Halloween night is the one time of the year when the veil or "wall" between our world and that of the spirit realm is thinnest. Unlike Halloween, which lasts only one night, my family observes Samhain from sunset on Oct. 31 to sunset on Nov. 1. Along with Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh, it makes up the four Gaelic seasonal festivals observed by my faith. Samhain is a night for my family to remember loved ones who have left this life and also to guard ourselves against malevolent spirits. Though I pass out treats to trick-or-treaters who come to my door, I also make offerings to leave at my altar for my departed loved ones. Much like the sugar skulls of Dia de los Muertos, these small offerings represent the prayers and love I am sending on that night. My family and I also burn incense and pray at midnight when we believe spiritual energy is at its highest. The tradition of dressing in festive or frightening costumes stems from a belief that these outfits will confuse and ward away bad omens or spirits. My mother explained to me when I was very young that evil forces know what people look like, so wearing a costume can help a person to fade into the crowd and go unnoticed by them. One of the final traditions my family practices to protect our home and those inside it is the carving of Jack-o'-lanterns. I remember as a child, I was taught the first Jack-o'-lanterns were actually turnips carved by the people of Ireland, the country from which my ancestors originated. The name Jack-o'-lantern came from the lights that glowed over the peat moss bogs in Ireland and Scotland, at night known as Will-o'-the-wisps. These lights were thought to lead travelers to their untimely demise in the bogs, so the Jack-o'-lanterns were lit to combat this occurrence. It is also very important to never extinguish a Jack-o'-lantern's flame before midnight when the barrier between worlds becomes strong again. Nowadays, my family lights them as one more barrier between us and dark forces from beyond our plane of existence. Though Samhain can be a spiritually charged day, it is also one my family always looks forward to and that we remember fondly every year. This year, if you are selecting a costume, passing out treats or carving a festive face onto a pumpkin, I hope you are able to give a little extra thought to the origin of these traditions.