Dinner With the Dead 

As traditional religious affiliation declines in the United States, interest in the occult, paganism, and witchcraft has increased. In Salem, Massachusetts, the spiritual home of witchcraft in the U.S., Halloween is the highlight of the calendar year, with plenty of events and attractions to bring in practicing believers, curious outsiders, and thrill-seekers. Despite stark differences in their beliefs, many pagans and Christians alike observe the holiday and its trappings as recognition that there are more things in heaven and earth than are commonly dreamt of in secular 21st-century consumerist philosophies. Across cultures and faiths, holidays like Halloween and Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) would seem to indicate that something about late fall invites humanity to meditate on the ephemeral and liminal.

While there are historical and theological disputes over the particulars, it is commonly asserted that Halloween (a contraction of All Hallows’ Eve, or the night before the feast of All Saints’ Day) is a baptized version of the pagan festival of Samhain, adapted by the early Christians to get along with new and prospective Celtic converts. There are certain undeniable parallels between medieval Christianity’s institution of certain days in early November to remember the dead, and Samhain, a New Year celebration for pre-Christian Celts that was observed at the end of October and beginning of November, right around the halfway point between the autumn equinox and winter solstice. Samhain marked the beginning of winter and the end of the previous year, when, just like the crops and livestock being brought in from the fields for the season, it was believed the souls of the departed journeyed home to a new plane of existence. Bonfires were lit to guide them on their way, and to keep the less savory spirits at bay during this time, when the border between mortality and spirit was considered particularly porous. Food and drink were also left as offerings to placate any mischievous spirits and beings.

In English, the word “witch” dates back to early Anglo-Saxon, although the lineage of its original meaning is unclear. The concept of a witch as commonly understood at the time of the Salem witch trials, however, emerged in Europe around the 15th century, with associations of things like bad magic, nocturnal flights, and pacts with Satan. Many of these ideas emerged from existing medieval religious superstitions about women who flew with the goddess Diana, as well as allegations of devil worship against Cathars and Waldensians, heretical Christian sects whose practices included nighttime meetings. Today, witches can pick and choose, using spells and rituals from various pagan and pre-Christian traditions to bring about desired outcomes, which can include communicating with the spirits of the dead. Hence, the contemporary popularity of Halloween and adoption of Samhain rituals among many modern-day practitioners of witchcraft.

In 21st-century Salem, the Festival of the Dead occurs throughout the month of October and takes place in and around the city. The relationship between Samhain and Halloween is fluid in the Festival of the Dead, which caters as much to lay people as witches. The festival includes psychic readings, séances, and the Dumb Supper: Dinner with the Dead. Finally, the celebration culminates in the Witches’ Halloween Ball on Oct. 30, where, according to the event copy, “powerful spells are cast for the Witches’ new year.”

Helmed by Christian Day and Brian Cain, the warlocks behind Warlocks Inc., the Festival of the Dead is an exploration of “death’s mysteries.” At the totally wordless Dumb Supper, courses are served in reverse, and attendees bring mementos from loved ones who have passed on, in hopes that they will return and stay a while.

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