Halloween: How This Day Is Celebrated in India

October 31st in the Western world celebrates All Saints’ Day, known as Halloween, with costume parties, pumpkins, and sweets. However, in India, this day has a greater spiritual significance, associated with the Ahoi Ashtami festival. This day is filled with rituals, fasting, and the story of sacrifice and motherly love.

The Sad Story of Ahoi Ashtami

Ahoi Ashtami is the day when Indian women pray for the health and well-being of their children. The legend of the origin of this holiday is associated with a woman who accidentally killed a beast’s cub in the forest. After that, her seven sons died. Deeply repenting, she turned to the goddess Ahoi for forgiveness. The goddess relented and brought the woman’s children back to life. Since then, Ahoi Ashtami has become a day when mothers express gratitude for their children and ask the goddess for blessings.

Sacred Rituals of Ahoi Ashtami

Morning Rituals

1. Ablution: Women begin the day with a cleansing ablution.
2. Image of the Goddess: An image of the goddess Ahoi with her child is drawn on the wall.
3. Preparation of the Pot: A clay pot is tied with red woolen thread and filled with water. The pot is placed to the left of the image of the goddess.
4. Offering to the Sun: A glass of water is placed in a place where sunlight falls and offered to the sun.

Evening Rituals

1. Reading the Story: At dusk, the story of Ahoi Ashtami is read in front of the image of the goddess. During the reading, the woman holds several grains of wheat in her right hand. After the completion of the ritual, the grains are wrapped in a corner of the clothing.
2. Offering to the Moon: After the stars appear in the sky, water from the pot and wheat grains are offered to the moon goddess.
3. Breaking the Fast: Women drink the water that was offered to the sun and moon. If a woman has children, they offer her this water. After that, it is allowed to eat, which should be vegetarian, without onions and garlic.

Halloween and Ahoi Ashtami: East and West

Although Halloween and Ahoi Ashtami are celebrated on the same day, their significance differs greatly. Halloween in Western culture is a holiday of fun and mysticism, associated with jack-o’-lanterns and costumes. Ahoi Ashtami, on the contrary, has spiritual and family significance. This day unites families, strengthens faith, and emphasizes the sacrificial love of a mother for her children. Both holidays are unique in their own way and reflect the richness of traditions and cultural heritage of different parts of the world.