While the Dumb Supper has come to be more commonly known today as a ritual used to honor the dead and our ancestors, its origins are said to lie in a divination rite used to foretell one’s future spouse, and in some rural regions of the United States (particularly within the Appalachian, Southern, and Ozark regions), the use of the term Dumb Supper is still mostly used when speaking of the divinatory practice. Believed to have been brought Stateside by immigrants from the British Isles, the Dumb Supper was practiced in the United States at liminal points in the year, with the hope of revealing the identity of one’s future spouse or beloved.

Divination, Holidays & Traditions, Folk & Traditional MagicKeziahOctober 27, 2023halloween, dumb supper, divination, ritual, samhain divination, halloween divination, appalachian magic, appalachian dumb supper, southern folk magic, ozark folk magic, appalachian folk magic

The Silent Supper: A Rite to Honor the Spirits of the Dead

The Dumb Supper or Silent Supper. It bears two meanings in the southern Appalachian region of the United States – as a method used by unmarried women to divine one’s future spouse, and (as its more widely known) as a dinner held to honor and commune with those who now dwell in the realm of spirits. In this post, we’re going to focus on the latter interpretation of the term.

Rites & Rituals, Spells & Rituals, Holidays & TraditionsKeziahOctober 24, 2022dumb supper, appalachian dumb supper, appalachian magic