There’s nothing quite like the coziness that autumn allows for. The golden leaves falling, the crisp air, the smell of burning leaves…it all begs to be accompanied by a sweater, a book, and a hot drink. Autumn also calls for the celebration of Halloween, the modern, spooky, fun holiday that has its roots in the ancient Celtic pagan holiday Samhain.
In order to celebrate both Samhain and make the most out the coziness of autumn, today I’m sharing with you a recipe that does both—Samhain Cider.
The Drink
Considering the fact that the true Samhain celebrations of the ancient Celts were marked by drinking simple ale and mead, there’s very little in the way of authentic recipes that can be made today to recreate their celebrations. If you’d like a more authentic, old drink recipe belonging to a time gone by, I would suggest taking a look at Folklore and Lambswool for a cider-based drink that could’ve been drunk in the time of ancient Celts.
As it is, today we are making something a little less ancient. This recipe for Samhain Cider comes from Raven and Crone. It’s simple and quick and feels perfectly suited for Samhain festivities.
Samhain Lore
The history and lore of Samhain is incredibly rich. To understand and appreciate the celebrations of ancient Celts and the basis of their pagan beliefs, you must understand the cycle of their year. Celebrations were based on this cycle, their circular calendar—the Wheel of the Year. The year was split into light and dark halves, and segmented into four sections—Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh—based on the seasons determined by the solstices and equinoxes. Those quarters have midpoints that were also celebrated: Yule between Samhain and Imbolc, Ostara between Imbolc and Beltane, Litha between Beltane and Lughnasadh, and Mabon been Lughnasadh and Samhain. The midpoints between solstices and equinoxes marked the beginning of a season, the two biggest of which were Beltane, which began the light half of the year, and Samhain, which marked the dark half of the year. As you can imagine, this called for celebration.
Some have said Samhain is the pagan God of Death or God of the Dead or even the Lord of Darkness, but it isn’t so. The origin of that myth has been debunked. While there might have been a minor Celtic god with a name similar to Samhain, there was no god Samhain related to death or darkness. Samhain was simply a holiday marking the arrival of the dark season and translates to “summer’s end.”
Samhain was the most significant of the fire festivals used to mark the quarterly and cross-quarterly days. Though typically celebrated by modern pagan believers from dusk of October 31st to dusk of November 1st, the Celts followed the astrological points that marked the solstices and equinoxes, placing Samhain usually somewhere within the first week of November, often between the 5th and the 8th. This time marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of the dark half of the year. Ancient Celts would let their hearth fires burn out while they finished the last of the season’s harvesting. Then, when the work was done, the community would join together along with Druid priests for the communal bonfires that were lit using a wheel, meant to represent the sun, that caused friction and sparked flames. When the communal celebrations ended, they’d take a flame lit by the bonfire back to relight the hearth in their homes.
The magic and intrigue of Samhain truly comes from the Celts’ beliefs of what this time between seasons held in its realm of possibilities. It was a liminal time, a time when the barriers between this world and the spiritual world, the Otherworld, thinned and allowed for passage and interaction between the two. Some say the festivities of Samhain lasted three days and nights and some say it included up to six days of excessive drinking and feasting. According to early texts, Samhain might’ve been a mandatory celebration with failure to participate resulting in punishment from the gods—illness or death to come. A death sentence was also the punishment for anyone who brought a weapon to the festivities or committed a crime during the celebration.
Samhain fire festivals involved praying and sacrificing animals and crops to appease the spirits and creatures who might mean the community harm. Ancient Celts believed spirits of ancestors and otherworldly creatures passed through the veil during this time and responded accordingly. Dumb Suppers were held where dinner would only begin after ancestors were invited to join. Children would play games to entertain the dead and windows and doors were left open so the spirits could enter to get the cakes left out for them. As an integral aspect of all pagan celebrations, fires were also lit outside farms and homes to protect families from witches and fae. One of their tales and beliefs was that of the Faerie Host, a group of hunters that would come and kidnap humans. To avoid kidnapping, Celts would dress up as animals or monsters to intimidate or trick the fae and they would leave offerings outside villages and fields to appease them. Dressed in these costumes, people would go door to door and recite verses in exchange for food. Sound familiar? Our own Halloween traditions have many an origin in these old traditions of Samhain, even including jack o’lanterns. Ancient Celts used to hollow out turnips, carve strange faces, and place candles inside just as we do today with pumpkins. These turnips were said to either represent supernatural beings or to ward off evil spirits.
Druid priests believed the presence of otherworldly creatures and spirits made it easier to make predictions and so the three nights of Samhain celebrations were marked by divination rituals and games. Tricks were played aplenty during Samhain, often blamed on the fae and spirits that passed through the veil. Certain creatures were associated with Samhain, posing an especial threat to the people during this liminal time. The Sluagh—restless souls of the dead who were rejected by heaven, hell, the Otherworld, and the earth itself and were generally seen as evil and destructive—were said to come from the West to enter homes and steal souls. The Dullahan was a faerie creature that appeared as a headless horseman, riding a horse with fiery eyes while holding its own head in its hands. Again, sound familiar? Samhain was full of wonderfully eerie and fantastical beliefs, and the stories the ancient Celts told from their mythology reflected that.
The Recipe
The recipe for Samhain cider is quite simple in comparison to other recipes featured in Liquor Literacy, and it is by far my favorite. While its ingredients may not be authentic to what ancient Celts were drinking, the simplicity of it is.
2 quarts (8 cups) of apple cider
1/2 cup of powdered sugar
1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp of ground ginger
1/2 cup of apricot brandy
Directions
Mix the cider, powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger together in a large pot and let it simmer and heat up. Do not let it boil. The original recipe calls for letting it heat for 15 minutes, but I let mine warm up in a slow cooker for over an hour and a half and it was perfection. When you’re ready to serve the cider, add the apricot brandy and stir. Ladle into mugs and serve.
Pairs Well With
The Book of Celtic Myths
by Adams Media
Hear the tales of Gods, monsters, magic, and more! Warriors, poets, scholars, and visionaries–from the depths of time the ancient Celts have fascinated us. Their rich heritage lives on today. But who were they? From the Druids and fairies to King Arthur and Celtic Christianity, there is much to be learned about these natives of the British and Irish islands. Their stories are fantastic and stirring, and through them, you’ll gain a glimpse into what life was like during the Iron Age. These legends, first told through song as people gathered around the fire more than 2,000 years ago, are now here for you to explore. Experience the wonder and wisdom of these mysterious people with The Book of Celtic Myths.
The Halloween Tree
by Ray Bradbury
Join the shadowy Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud as he takes eight trick-or-treaters on an unforgettable journey to find their missing friend, Pip. Travel through space and time, from the tombs of ancient Egypt to the gargoyles of Notre-Dame Cathedral, all the way to the cemeteries of Mexico on el Día de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Is Pip still alive? And if so, can his friends save him from a ghastly fate before it’s too late?
Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race
by T.W. Rolleston
Painstakingly assembled from years of research into the surviving manuscripts, this exceptional collection of Celtic stories dating to earliest antiquity is as formidable, valid and impressive today as it was on publication in 1911. An ambitious and embracing work, Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race offers up a rare combination of historical insight and lively storytelling. Rolleston explains each and every myth in a simple but salient manner. The stories are summarized, and an explanation of their significance in terms of plot devices, tone, and the wider Celtic culture explained. Rather than be bogged down in dry or overly ponderous narratives, the author breezes through the vast body of work, providing accurate summaries which seldom feel dull or impenetrable.
In choosing books that pair well with Samhain Cider, I was clearly inspired by the history of Samhain and the ancient Celts. While I’ve read countless fantasy books with their own festivals and holidays very obviously inspired by Samhain and the Celts, I wanted to stay a little closer to the heart of Samhain with the fictional choice. The Halloween Tree has just recently been introduced to me and I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect fit for Samhain Cider.
Final Thoughts
I loved Samhain Cider. Though there was only half a cup of apricot brandy in the drink, I was concerned that it might be a bit strong after I tasted the brandy by itself (whoa, that will warm you right up). However, the balance was absolute perfection. The cider itself was different from the regular cider I usually make—far less spicy and sweeter from the powdered sugar. Combined with the warmth and sweetness of the apricot brandy, it was fantastic. The brandy added a lingering warmth to the cider and a uniquely fruity sweetness. Samhain Cider went over very well with my family. It will surely be making another appearance in our autumn (and Samhain) festivities.
Happy Samhain and Happy Halloween!
Thanks for reading,
Madison