Samhain is probably the easiest of all the Sabbats to celebrate as a group! You may even get some wanted (and unwanted!) exposure if your school newspaper asks to do interviews for an interest piece for the weeks around Halloween. Make sure that you are all armed with information and facts about the history of Halloween...you never know when the person who sits next to you in your Poli-Sci class will begin to ask you questions about the holiday.

In the United States, many groups hold Pagan Pride events in September...but at that point, you may still be working to get your group together after some of your key members graduated last May. Planning a large event on your campus may be a little difficult at that point, so consider holding a College Pagan Pride event on campus around October. My group did things like pass out lollipops with Myth/Fact flags attached to the sticks, plus they were attached to a small flyer explaining who we are, a little about Samhain, and that we weren't half as scary as some people would have you think. During my last semester, our little event happened on a Friday the 13th, which was also a Full Moon, AND it was Parent's Weekend. *grin*

You don't have to do everything for the public, though. Just be sure you're alert and present for information/misinformation about the holiday.

The sabbat is also another wonderful chance to hold a group ritual if you want to go that route. Use the generic ritual from Mabon, and use it to remember those who have passed during the past year. If you'd rather not hold a ritual, hold a Silent Supper. This activity promotes group togetherness, celebrates the season, honors the dead (especially if a member of your group lost a friend or family member over the past year), and is a very touching reminder of how the myths of the God and Goddess reflect our lives.

To hold a Silent Supper, find and/or cook foods that are appropriate to the season: Pork, squash, apples, bread...use your imagination and see what is redily available in your grocery store. Don't forget dessert and drinks! Set a table for every member of your group that will be present, plus set places for any loved ones who died since last Samhain. When the food is ready, everyone is present, start your dinner, but *stop talking*. Light a candle at the empty spaces, but be sure to put food on their plates, too. Everyone eats in silence, remembering the reason for the season, feeling the spirits around them, and enjoying the company of good friends. People have been known to feel the presence of their loved ones at Silent Suppers, and I've heard of the dinner getting very emotional when people are finally able to cry and mourn their dead.

The big question after the food on your own plates has been eaten is, "What to do with the food on the plates at the empty spaces?" My group solved this problem, by taking a plate, passing it around so everyone has a bite (or two!) until the plate is empty, then picking up the next plate and doing the same. At that particular Silent Supper, we had three members (myself and two others) who had lost a parent. After stuffing ourselves, we then had three plates to take care of! But it worked out as a way to take in the memories of each of the three people as a group, and do so in reverence. I've also heard of people setting the plates of food outside. You may want to find out your own method.

I suggest holding a Silent Supper and a ritual on two different days. Each one can be very draining to the emotions, not to mention that if Samhain falls on a school night, there's not a lot of time to accomplish it all in the same night! Just be sure to prepare ahead of time.

As usual, don't forget others out there...share your holiday with them. You can also go Trick-or-Treating as a group if your college is doing something special. I'd suggest going through your local neighborhood, but sometimes parents are a little leery of a bunch of college students in costumes and sporting pentacles around their necks knocking on their doors and begging for candy. I've been known to refuse teenagers (and older!) when they come to my door in sweats, clutching a pillow case, and not even saying, "Trick or Treat." Either that, or I've made them work for it by tossing their candy in the dark yard. Be aware of how people might react when they see college students taking advantage of what is often seen as a children's holiday (in the secular sense).

Finally, it's our New Year! Make New Year's Resolutions, write them on pieces of paper, and toss them into a (contained!) fire. This is a good time for scrying, so if your group has anyone particularly talented in that area, hold readings for your members. You may also want to consider holding a Tarot reading night near Samhain for your campus, and even co-sponsor a movie night with your campus FilmBoard. See if you can get them to show a "witchy" film (yes, I'll even suggest The Craft for this one), and spend some time before the movie dispelling some of the myths about our religion.

Most importantly, have fun! This is the time when we get the majority of our publicity...do what you can to turn it, and the holiday, into a positive experience!