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Ancestors After Samhain

Ancestors After Samhain

Last updated on: November 5, 2026 at 3:50 pm by Rev. Emily Guenther

Ancestors After Samhain 2026-11-05T15:50:23-06:00 Rev. Emily Guenther

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Now that Samhain is officially over and some of you have already put up your Yule tree, what are we supposed to do with our ancestors? Many people create ancestor altars during the Samhain season, and I know it can feel strange to pack it all away. For myself, sometimes it felt like I was putting my ancestors away, just to trot them out again next Samhain. Even if you didn’t set up an ancestor altar, how we do we carry that ancestor veneration over? What you do between Samhain and Yule likely depends on your personal practice and your personal space.

For some of us, honoring our ancestors is difficult. Perhaps we don’t know about any of our ancestors, or we do not want to honor them. But don’t forget that we have all kinds of ancestors, not just the ones we are related to by blood. Friends, chosen family and ancestors of common bond should be honored when we talk of ancestor veneration. Our ancestors also include our ancient ancestors who we have never known or heard of.

Although Samhain is the most popular time of year to honor our ancestors, they are with us all year long. And the winter holidays often remind us of times and people passed. Why not intentionally bring your ancestors into your festivities?

Ancestor Altar

Keep Up Your Ancestor Altar

I keep an ancestor altar up all year long, but I know not every does or can. My ancestor altar sits on the bookshelf above my Sekhmet altar, which is where I do most of my workings. It is full of photos, mementos and assorted things I have accumulated over the years that remind me of my ancestors. But if you can’t keep up an ancestor altar all year long, or you prefer not to, here are some ways that you can incorporate your ancestors into your holidays.

If you created an ancestor altar for Samhain there is no reason you have to take it down immediately. If you want, you could choose to leave it up for the winter holidays. Perhaps change out any Halloween themed décor and replace it with something more Christmas-y. If you would like to keep up an ancestor altar, but need the space, you could try downsizing or simplifying the altar, so you have more room for other things. I know there are many of us Pagans who like to create elaborate and beautiful altars, but I do not think the ancestors will mind if you switch out their altar for something simpler to get through the holidays.

Ancestors After Samhain – Dumb Supper

Holiday Dumb Supper

Many people are familiar with the concept of a dumb supper, where we set places for our departed loved ones at the dinner table on Samhain and then eat in silence. Some dumb supper traditions also include setting the table backwards and eating the meal in reverse order, dessert first. The dumb supper is historically tied to Samhain but you could incorporate it, or aspects of it, into your yuletide celebrations as well.

When your family gathers for Thanksgiving or Yule meals, set an extra place at the table for your departed loved ones. You could even put photos of your ancestors at the empty place setting or a list of names. Depending on your personal traditions and family, this may not be something you want to do with a large family gathering. Most of us do not have a lot of family that understand or practice Paganism, so they may be uncomfortable with the idea. And I completely understand the desire to avoid having some of those stressful conversations about it. So setting a place at the table for the ancestors might be something to do when it is just you and your immediate family. And there is no reason inviting your ancestors to dine with you must be at dinner. If you have a family tradition of making a special breakfast around Christmas or having a special Thanksgiving lunch, I’m sure your ancestors would love to be a part of that. If nothing else, make them a cup of tea or coffee while you and your family eat and prepare for the holiday festivities.

Ancestor Stories with Family

The holidays are bittersweet for most of us. Many of us, but I understand not everyone, likely have fond memories of our childhood holidays. Now that we are adults, the holidays can feel a little less magical and a lot more stressful. As adults, we are now the ones creating the magic and doing all the work and many of the family members who used to make our holidays special are now in Spirit.

Holiday gatherings with family often involve telling stories of our ancestors, and if nothing else, it is a time of year that we think about them (and miss them). This often happens organically after all the pressing news and gossip has been discussed or someone brings up a favorite dish they miss because no one can make the cake like grandma could. But if you wanted to intentionally bring your ancestors into your holiday plans, you could organize a story telling time and invite everyone to share a story or memory of a departed loved one. You will likely end up crying but you will also end up laughing, smiling and bonding with the others.

Ancestors After Samhain

Adding Your Ancestors to the Holidays

You can also work your ancestors into your holiday décor. This is a great compromise if you don’t put up or keep out an ancestor altar, but you want a physical reminder of your ancestors. If you had a dedicated ancestor altar up for Samhain but chose not to leave it up, you could take the items off of it and place them around your home along with other seasonal, holiday decorations. And even if you did not have an ancestor altar for Samhain, you could place photos or mementos alongside your harvest themed décor or holiday garlands. If you are like me, with a permanent ancestor altar, borrowing some of the items from it to add to your seasonal décor is a great way to get the ancestors involved in the holidays.

A very common way of remembering our ancestors during the winter holidays is by making dishes that they used to make or cooking one of their favorite dishes. Many families do this and it has nothing to do with religion or spirituality. It is a great way to bring the whole family or group into the idea of honoring our ancestors.

They Are with Us All the Time

We are all in different places in our lives and spiritual practices. Even if you don’t have any photos or mementos of your beloved dead, you can still honor them with your memories. Say a little prayer to them or for them. Offer them the first sip of your drink, or bite of your food. Write their stories down so that you don’t forget them or so that you can share them with others. There are so many ways we can incorporate our ancestors into our holidays and our daily lives with small, intentional actions. Spend some time thinking on it and see what you come up with.

Whatever your personal spiritual path or relationship to your ancestors, I hope that your loved ones bring you comfort over the holiday season. May their memories and love be all the altar that you truly need.

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