Years ago I was involved with Reclaiming and Starhawk's big Halloween/Spiral Dance ritual that was held at Fort Mason. My family and friends created the west altar. It was, I remember, a frustrating moment working with a woman who had a vision that not all of us agreed with, but in the end the product was nice.
For those of you that don't know, today marks the New Year celebration for Pagans. It is a time to honor the dead and to move on to the future. Starhawk has a lovely reading she does about the Island of Apples, but the most significant moment of the ritual is the reading of names. These are names of those that passed during the year. At a large public ritual that list is long. I love the idea that we take a moment to reflect and remember those that have passed.
I no longer celebrate the Pagan holidays in the manner that I did. Mostly because I found the rituals too clouded in the participants experiences with Catholicism or Christianity for my liking. Most people don't fall too far from the tree. I also didn't like the "made up" feeling that they had. Mostly they lost meaning for me.
I do honor those holidays in my heart though because I know that my ancestors throughout time have worshiped the sun and the moon and the celebration of Solstice or May Day seems more in keeping with natures cycles then the appropriated holidays they have become.