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In some regions of Scotland and Ireland, Halloween celebrations start by kindling fire on top of hills and on plains by young people, which is known as ‘Halloween Bleeze’, as a part of the holiday ritual. In the past, a circular trench to symbolize sun surrounded these sacred bonfires. Then, youths kindle faggot’ made up of heath, broom and dressings of flax tied to the end of a pole from this bonfire and carry on the shoulders to the village to rekindle old hearths with new ceremonial fire. If the faggot gets burnt out in the way, a second one is ties to the pole, before the fire dies. Thus, several blazing faggots being carried through the villages look quite beautiful.

The natives of Hebrides used to pour ale into sea for a marine God called Shony on Celtic Samhain or Halloween, so that he sends seaweed to the shore, which is a good fertilizer. The sacred bonfires of Samhain are similar to Solar fire festivals of Solstices and Equinoxes, except that it was timed with the lunar calendar and were called ‘Samhanagan’. Each household used to compete each other to have the ‘Biggest one. Later these traditions moved on to Nwe Year Celebrations but still a traditional Scottish Halloween song called ‘Hogmanay’ mentions these rituals. Fire rituals of Halloween also include the Nutcracker ritual, predominant in the north of England.

One of the Halloween rituals related to these fire rituals indicate that when the fire dies down, its ashes are used to form a circle and one stone for each member of the household is kept inside this circle near the circumference. If any stone is displaced or seems broken by next morning, then the person to whom that stone belongs is believed to die within a year. A similar rite in north Wales includes a great bonfire called ‘Coel Coeth’ being built for each family on Halloween. Later, the members of the household throw a white stone in the ashes marked in their name. Next morning, all the stones are searched for and if any stone is missing, then the person who threw that stone, is believed to die before next Halloween.

On the auspicious day of Rakhi all the sisters and brothers get up early in the morning. They wear new clothes on this occasion and get ready for their special festival. Generally there is a ‘Shubh-Muhurt’ for performing the tying of Rakhi to the brothers. Therefore they get ready accordingly.

Sisters decorate a ‘Thali’ (A Plate) especially for the occasion of Rakhi. They keep all the necessary items like Roli (for Tilak), Akshat (rice grains for Tilak), Diya or Deepak (for performing the Arti of their brother), Sweets and the Rakhi in that beautifully decorated Thali. First of all the sisters put Tilak on the forehead of their brother and then stick some of the Akshat to the same Tilak. Then they perform the Arti of their brothers. After that they tie the Rakhi, preferably, on the right wrist of their brothers.

While performing the tying of the Rakhi on to the brothers, sisters generally chant the following ‘mantra’…
“Yena baddho Balee raajaa daanavendro mahaabalah
tena twaam anubadhnaami rakshe maa chala maa chala”
This is a ‘mantra’ mentioned in the ‘Hindu Shastras’ and it means…
“I am tying a Rakhi on you, like the one on mighty demon king Bali. Be firm, O Rakhi, do not falter.”

After tying the Rakhi the sisters sweeten the mouth of their brothers with sweets.

Then it is the brother’s turn to give some gifts to their sisters. This gift can be either in cash or in kind. Sometimes the sisters also give return gifts to their brothers.

Thus on the festive occasion of Rakhi the brothers and sisters wish happy long life, success, prosperity and health to each other. In last all of them seek the blessings of their parents and other elderly people in their family. After that they go to visit their relatives and to exchange the greetings with them.