Samhain

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Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year. Traditionally, it is celebrated from 31 October to 1 November, as the Celtic day began and ended at sunset. This is about halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Samhain is believed to have Celtic pagan origins and there is evidence it has been an important date since ancient times.

Origins and History

Samhain is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature from the 10th century and is believed to have pre-Christian roots. According to Irish mythology, Samhain was a time when the doorways to the Otherworld opened, allowing the spirits and the dead to come into our world; conversely, it allowed humans to reach into the Otherworld. People would take measures to appease these spirits to ensure themselves and their livestock survived the winter.

Customs and Practices

Various rituals were associated with the festival, including bonfires, guising/mumming, divination, and feasting. The bonfires played a major role in the festivities. People and their livestock would walk between two bonfires as a cleansing ritual, and the bones of slaughtered livestock were tossed into its flames. The masks and costumes (guising) were part of the festival from at least the 16th century and were believed to protect wearers from evil spirits.

Samhain and Halloween

Over time, Samhain and All Hallows' Eve (Halloween) have influenced each other and merged in the popular imagination. Many Halloween traditions come from Samhain, including the carving of pumpkins (originally turnips) to make jack-o'-lanterns and trick-or-treating, which evolved from the practice of going door-to-door, singing songs for the dead in exchange for cakes.

Modern Celebrations

Today, Samhain is celebrated worldwide by Pagans and Wiccans as a religious holiday. Celebrations typically involve rituals and festivities that honor the cycle of death and rebirth, the ancestors, and the thinning of the veil between the physical world and the spiritual realm. It is a time for reflection on the past and planning for the future.

See Also

• Celtic polytheism
• Wheel of the Year
• Sabbat
• Halloween