A Samhain ritual is a ceremony on the night of October 31 to honor the dead, close out the year that's ending, and set your intentions for the one ahead. Below you'll find a full ritual to connect with your ancestors and map out your next year, a 10-minute candle ritual if you're short on time or new to this, and six simple Samhain rituals you can do at home.
What Is a Samhain Ritual?
A Samhain ritual is any ceremony held for Samhain, the Gaelic festival that marks the end of the harvest and the start of winter. Because many practitioners keep Samhain as the Witches' New Year, most Samhain rituals do three things: they honor the ancestors and the people we've lost, they let go of what the old year left behind, and they look ahead to the year that's starting.
Samhain was also the night the veil between the living and the dead was believed to be at its thinnest, which is why so many Samhain rituals include divination, spirit communication, or a place set for the dead. Our guide to what Samhain is covers the festival's history and traditions.
When to Do a Samhain Ritual
The traditional time for a Samhain ritual is after sunset on October 31, since the Gaelic day began at sundown. In 2026, Samhain runs from sunset on Saturday, October 31, to sunset on Sunday, November 1, so either night works.
Some practitioners prefer the astronomical midpoint between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice, which falls around November 7. In the Southern Hemisphere, many pagans hold their Samhain ritual on April 30 or May 1.
A Simple Samhain Candle Ritual for Beginners
This simple Samhain ritual takes about 10 minutes and needs only a candle and a photo or object that belonged to someone you've lost. It works well alone, at a kitchen table, or as the opening of a longer evening.
You'll need: a white or black candle in a sturdy holder, matches, a photo or keepsake of someone who has died, and a small offering such as a piece of bread, an apple, or a little of a drink they loved.
- After dark, turn off the lights and set the photo, the offering, and the candle together on a table or windowsill.
- Take three slow breaths and think of the person you're remembering.
- Light the candle and say their name out loud.
- Say these words, or your own:
Candle bright on Samhain night,
Guide my loved ones to your light.
- Sit with the candle for a few minutes. Tell them about your year, or simply remember a time you shared.
- When you're finished, thank them and snuff the candle. Leave the offering out overnight, then return it to the earth or compost it in the morning.
Samhain Ancestor Ritual for the Year Ahead
This full Samhain ritual connects you with your ancestors and your higher self to look back on the year that's ending and make a plan for the one ahead. It takes about an hour, and it uses scrying, meditation, divination, and a little plant magic to close the old year and plant the new one.
What You'll Need
- A scrying mirror or crystal ball
- A black candle and a white candle, each in a fireproof holder
- A withered plant that's ready for its winter trim, and a spring-flowering bulb such as a tulip, daffodil, or crocus, with a pot and some soil
- Photos of family members and loved ones who have died
- Pumpkins, pomegranates, bones, fossils, or antique family items for your altar
- A divination tool of your choice, such as tarot cards, runes, or a pendulum
- Sage, rosemary, or incense for cleansing, and palo santo for closing
- A journal and pen
Step 1: Cleanse Your Space
Light the sage, rosemary, or incense and pass the smoke over yourself, your ritual tools, and the room. As you do, set the intention that only energies, spirits, and ancestors who come in peace may enter your space.
Step 2: Cast Your Circle
Use your favorite method to cast a circle around yourself and your space as a protective boundary. If you're new to this, our simple circle casting ritual walks you through it.
Step 3: Call on Your Ancestors and Guides
Call on the ancestors, deities, and guides you feel close to and invite them into your circle. Samhain is a personal sabbat, so use your own words here and call whoever feels right to you.
Step 4: Say the Samhain Welcome
Stand in the center of your circle and say:
On Samhain night I stand within,
Where old year ends and new begins.
Ancestors, guides, and spirits kind,
Come lend your wisdom to my mind.
Help me find the goal I'll grow,
And show me where my path should go.
Samhain, Samhain, the veil grows thin,
Now let this sacred rite begin.
Step 5: Scry and Meditate
Sit comfortably in your circle, knowing your ancestors are with you. Light the black candle to stand for the past self you're ready to leave behind.
Soften your gaze and look into your scrying mirror or crystal ball. Picture your ancestors reflected back at you on every side, then bring your attention back to your own reflection. Notice any heavy or unwanted energy you see or feel around yourself, and let the black candle take it. Ask yourself what has served you well this year, and what you need over the next year.
When images start to come, close your eyes and continue in meditation. Go to a place where you feel at peace, real or imagined, and ask to meet your higher self and any ancestors who have a message for you. Ask them what you need to do this year to grow into your potential, what your true new year's goal is, and for a symbol of your growth. When you're ready, return to your body. Our scrying guide explains how to gaze and how to close a session safely.
Step 6: Divine Your Growth Plan
Pick up your divination tool and ask your higher self and your ancestors to guide it as you plan the year ahead. Write down every answer. Ask:
- What should I start doing tomorrow to begin my growth plan?
- What should I have done in one month?
- What steps should I take in the first three months?
- Where should I be in six months?
- How do I stay on track with my plan for the new year?
- What pitfalls should I watch out for?
- How can I make sure I stay on my path?
Use the answers to sketch out your plan for the new year in your journal.
Step 7: Release the Old Year
Hold the withered plant between your palms and say:
Like this plant between my palms,
I've worked all year through storm and calm.
Withered now, its season done,
It grew its best beneath the sun.
What is dead is not truly gone;
It rests and waits, then carries on.
I close the year that's passing through
And make the space for something new.
Trim the dead parts away from the plant.
Step 8: Plant the New Year
Light the white candle and look into the mirror once more, seeing yourself stronger than before. Hold the bulb in your hands and say:
You and I are much alike:
We go within to grow our light.
Through winter's dark we'll shape our plan,
And when the sun warms up the land,
We'll rise again, empowered and whole,
And bloom toward our chosen goal.
Plant the bulb in its pot, pointed end up, about three times as deep as the bulb is tall, and give it a generous drink of water. Keep it somewhere cool, or plant it outside, so it can bloom in spring.
Step 9: Close the Ritual
Light the palo santo to clear the space for the new year. Thank your higher self, your deities, and your ancestors, then close your circle the way you opened it. Release the energy of the spell into the bulb, or send it up to the universe, and snuff both candles.
More Samhain Rituals
These six simple Samhain rituals each take less than an hour, and you can do one on its own or combine a few into an evening.
- Hold a dumb supper. Share a meal in complete silence with an empty place set for the dead. Our dumb supper guide walks you through it from the first candle to the last bell.
- Build an ancestor altar. Set out photos, heirlooms, and a candle for the people you've lost, and leave it up through November 1. Our Samhain altar guide has ideas and photos.
- Leave an offering. Set out bread, apples, or a plate from dinner for your ancestors and the spirits of the land. A bowl of Samhain pumpkin soup makes a warm offering too. Here are 13 traditional Samhain offerings.
- Write and burn what you're releasing. Write down a habit, worry, or regret you're ready to leave in the old year, then burn the paper in a fireproof dish or cauldron and scatter the cooled ashes outside.
- Protect your home for the winter. Sweep your threshold outward with a besom, then lay a thin line of black salt across the doorway.
- Carve a turnip lantern. Carve a face into a turnip, the way people did in Ireland and Scotland, and set it in the window to keep unwelcome spirits away. Our turnip jack-o'-lantern guide shows you how.
For words to say during any of these, see our Samhain greetings and blessings.
Samhain Ritual Safety
Keep candles in sturdy, fireproof holders, away from curtains, dried leaves, and pets, and never leave a lit candle or burning herbs unattended. Burn paper only in a fireproof dish, and open a window when you burn incense, sage, or palo santo.
Daffodil and tulip bulbs are poisonous to cats and dogs, so plant them where pets can't dig them up. If scrying or spirit work ever leaves you feeling uneasy, stop, turn on the lights, and ground yourself by eating something and touching the earth.
Samhain can bring up grief, especially in a year when you've lost someone. Magic walks alongside care, never in place of it, so if you're struggling, reach out to someone you trust or someone trained to help.
Samhain Ritual FAQ
What do you do on Samhain night?
On Samhain night, many people honor their ancestors with a candle, an altar, or a silent supper, leave offerings for the dead, practice divination, and set intentions for the new year. Others carve lanterns, light bonfires, or simply share a meal with family.
What is a simple Samhain ritual?
A simple Samhain ritual is to light a candle after dark beside a photo of someone you've lost, say their name out loud, and spend a few minutes remembering them. Leave a small offering, such as bread or an apple, out overnight.
Can I do a Samhain ritual alone?
Yes, you can do a Samhain ritual alone, and many practitioners do. Every ritual on this page works for one person.
Do I have to cast a circle for a Samhain ritual?
You don't have to cast a circle for a Samhain ritual, but many practitioners like to, especially for spirit work and divination, because it creates a protected space. A short, simple ritual like the candle ritual doesn't need one.
What color candles are used for Samhain?
Black candles are used at Samhain for protection and for releasing the old year, and white candles are used for new beginnings and for guiding the spirits of the dead. Orange and purple candles are also popular. Our candle color guide explains each color.
Can I do a Samhain ritual if I'm not Wiccan?
Yes. People from many paths, including eclectic witches, Celtic pagans, and people simply honoring their family's heritage, mark Samhain with ritual. Honoring your ancestors and closing out the year fit almost any practice.
