I was driving home the other day and someone on the radio was talking about āSummerweenā. Itās apparently a growing celebration of Halloween in summer. Here are a few articles with more information:
Not quite sure how I feel about celebrating the spooky holiday in the sweltering heat of summer myself - I really like that chill and cozy autumn vibe, itās part of the holiday atmosphere!
Iām also no longer sure if the stores are putting out Halloween stuff super early, or if theyāre right on time for Summerween
What are your thoughts on Halloween in summer? Yay or nay?
Interesting ! I always thought of Halloween as a fall holiday! I just canāt see it as a summer holiday in the sweltering heatā¦ however, Iāve always hated Halloween that is until I found out I was a Witchā¦ this coming Halloween will be my first time celebrating Samhain as a practicing Witch. Last Halloween I was still reading books about Wicca, so I wasnāt too sure what to do on the actual holidayā¦
I love Halloween, even more now as Samhain- so I canāt really fault those who want to extend the fun.
But for me, it doesnāt work. Not just because itās been wired into my brain as a Fall event since I was a kid, but especially as Samhain - which marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the darker time of year. Itās hard to square that feeling when the Sun is still shining at 9 pm and youāre still pulling tomatoes off the vines.
Anecdotally: on my final Halloween in the South - Georgia to be specific - the temperature reached 100Ā°F. Everyoneās pumpkins were rotting on their porches, and kids were sweating under their costumes. In short - miserable! And that was on October 31st! So, Iāve had a taste of that experience and no, my humble opinion is itāsā¦icky.
It just strikes me as an attempt to commercially exploit the holiday - like Christmas in July. Halloween is linked with Samhain, which is a Fall holiday celebrating the harvest etc.
Having said that, I havenāt seen any references to Summerween in the stores where I have seen Halloween stuff, so I think itās a case of āout with one Holiday (July 4) and in with the nextā (Halloween). Like when July 4 stuff goes up right after Valentineās Day.
I love your spooky season enthusiasm - it is a great holiday!
Iām excited for you, @Selena-Paloma! Halloween is a very fun time to be a witch. Not only because it feels like everyone is celebrating, but also because there is suddenly lots of great altar decor and seasonal items appear in stores!
I hope you have a wonderful first Halloween/Samhain as a witch
Thatās a good question - I imagine that any Summerween celebrations would be more about recreating the Halloween vibe, as opposed to working with the veil? Others may view it in other ways, but as far as Iām aware, I believe veil work is best done at Samhain (Oct 1) and Beltane (May 1).
Oh no! Bad weather does put a damper on the fun. Weāve had at least one year up here in the north where it snowed on Halloween, but Iād take frozen pumpkins over rotten pumpkins, personally! Either way, it does make it tough. Perhaps pumpkins at Summerween would have to be of the plastic variety
The stores do try to get the absolute most out of Christmas - and youāre right! It really is in with one holiday, out with the other. Iām no longer surprised when I see Christmas decorations up right after Halloween. Some stores carry Christmas items year round (like the Yankee Candle store, or the Christmas Tree shops, before they went out of business). On one hand, I can see how it helps build excitement (and the stores make more money), but on the other hand, it does get to be too much - leading to burnout. Iād be very sad if people started to get tired of Halloween
I love it!! I keep Halloween decorations up all year anyhow so now I can buy new ones in the summer instead of waiting for fall!
To me Halloween is fun and skeletons and ghosts and such. The fall holiday is Samhain when the veil is lifted. So summerween is a time for celebrating my spooky things where Samhain is the celebration of the lifting of the veil.
I do also agree that it is just the stores taking advantage of extra sales and such just like Christmas in July. Whatever it takes for me to get new Halloween decorations! Lol
Probably a qualified Nay. I have friends who are over the moon about Halloween at any time and usually start putting stuff up at the end of August. It is more fun than Christmas and there are some neat goodies. However the commercialization gets weird. I donāt dress up often but I usually do something.
After? Hunh. Last year Christmas stuff appeared on shelves just after school started. I felt odd shopping around Christmas while seeking a birthday present for myself! Even Hobby Lobby had nothing Halloweeny left! That hurt!
Today, we went shopping for fly paper and I ended up buying Halloween crafts! Thatās not so bad, pre-birthday. At least I have time to paint something and let it dry before I have to hang it. New Mexico sand gets everywhere: if I have the windows closed for the a/c, I can keep crafts cleaner while they dry.
Hmmmā¦
As for actually dressing up for a Summerween?!? Iām with others. My outfits are thick and heavy. Iād get heat exhaustion too quickly.
Still, I have difficulty with dressing up on Halloween proper. I generally get turned inward, somehow. Maybe if we get the silliness and consumerism out of our system, the holiday can return to a more spiritual ritual.
My opinion on this is Iād be happy to buy home decor during summerween but I would actually celebrate October 31st. I use skulls and spiderwebs and many other halloween decorations as home decor because I love how it looks
Thatās true - it sure does give everyone lots of time to stock up!
I like this - it sounds like you get the best of both worlds (and two Halloweens with their own unique traits)!
Thatās a good point too - colder weather allows for more costuming. I like to go to Renaissance Faires, but there are so many costume pieces I have to leave at home for the summer faires. Cloaks may look cool, but they certainly arenāt cool to wear in 90+ degree weather! Summerween may have to have lighter costumes or forgo costuming until the Fall Halloween arrives.
Also you are rocking that costume - looks great!
How fun! Hope you found some wonderful crafts
It sounds like this is a popular way to get the best of both weens!
Iām in the nay camp. I understand working ahead of season if youāre making something for it, you want to allow yourself enough lead time to have it finished. I know this well, Iām already working on gifts for December as I know I need the lead time, especially on the larger or more complex pieces.
But otherwise it feels like rushing the season to me, why am I trying to make the wheel of the year turn faster? It will not, so why am I trying to do that and not enjoying the time Iām in now?
! I always thought of Halloween 
Iām not for it, just me, how does this work with the veil and all the ghosties 
Halloween is a very fun time to be a witch. Not only because it feels like everyone is celebrating, but also because there is suddenly lots of great altar decor and seasonal items appear in stores! 
Summerween may have to have lighter costumes or forgo costuming until the Fall Halloween arrives.
