What is Samhain?

The Celtic Origins of Halloween and the Witch’s New Year

Oct 29, 2009

For pagans, Halloween is not just spooky fun. They celebrate Samhain, sacred time of honoring ancestor and spirit, marking a New Year as it passes into death and rebirth.

While most people celebrate Halloween, those who follow a more traditional path will mark the event as Samhain, the Celtic festival from which Halloween was derived.

What Does Samhain Mean?

Samhain, pronounced “sow-en” or “sow-in”, is a Celtic fire festival, marking the end of the summer and the beginning of winter, literally translating as “summer’s end”. This was when the Celts celebrated the New Year, seeing the world go into a dark period of death and then rebirth. Night always preceded day in Celtic lore, thus Samhain Eve was celebrated on October 31st, and the actual day of Samhain marked the New Year on November 1st.

Other cultures have similar celebrations, with Christians marking All Hallows Eve on the 31st October, followed by All Saints Day on November 1st and All Souls Day on November 2nd. Mexicans celebrate the Dias de Los Muertos, or Days of the Dead, on November 1st and 2nd.

What is the Purpose of Samhain?

While Samhain is indeed a time when spirits and ghosts are said to walk the earth, the festival is also about honoring the change of summer to winter, remembering ancestors, and giving thanks for the harvest.

Recognizing only two seasons, the Celts believed that the veil between worlds was thin at the two crossovers of the year; summer to winter (Samhain), and winter to summer (Beltane). At Samhain, this time where the Otherworld drew closer to the physical realm meant that spirits and souls of the dead could pass into reality.

Who Celebrates Samhain?

Today, Samhain is celebrated by pagans, witches, druids and other followers of the traditional path. Although many customary elements of Halloween feature in Samhain celebrations, there is more focus on the rebirth of the year, and the honoring of the dead.

Like the Celts, many witches mark Samhain as their New Year, and the Celtic people of the Isle of Man still celebrate Hogmanay at this time of year.

What are the Traditions of Samhain?

To mark the New Year, the Celts would light giant bonfires. All home fires would be put out and locals would gather on a hill to light a great fire, which warded off any evil spirits, mischievous faeries or demons. When the dark hour between the two seasons had passed, a sacred fire would then be lit, and the feasting and merriment would begin. Cattle would often be sacrificed, partly as an offering but also if a hard winter lay ahead, as there would not be enough food to feed them.

Seen as a symbol of purification, folk would light a torch from this fire to take home and rekindle their own fires. Up until recently, Samhain fires were still lit in areas such as Wales and the Scottish Highlands, where people would jump through the fire, and rush away once the flames had burnt down, to flee the goddess of death, or “black sow”.

Many traditions live on into modern Halloween, the most iconic of which is the enduring symbol of the pumpkin, carved with a frightening face and lit with a candle to make a Jack O’Lantern. These would have been put out to frighten away the spirits in much the same way as the bonfires, which are themselves said to be the true origins of Bonfire Night on November 5th.

Samhain Rituals

Samhain rituals include meditation, divination, honoring the ancestors and the dressing of an altar, usually designed to honor the dead.

Altars are typically decorated with autumn colors, pumpkins, skulls, items of harvest, photographs and other ephemera of deceased family and loved ones, autumn leaves, gourds, pine cones, and candles in black, orange, white, silver or gold.

Those celebrating Samhain will find it a time of both reflection, looking back and honoring those who have passed before them, and of hope and renewal, looking forward to the coming year, the future of the planet, and their own plans for change.

What Foods are Eaten at Samhain?

Aside from the pumpkin, other foods include apples (sacred to the goddess), root vegetables such as beetroot, turnips and squash (in plentiful supply for winter), hazelnuts, juniper, corn, gingerbread, rowan, cider, sloes, hops, and pork.

Traditional dishes might include hearty soups, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, root vegetables, goulash, baked apples and toffee.

Honoring Past and Future at Samhain

Samhain is a wonderful festival for welcoming in winter, offering a time for reflection, a time to think about those loved ones who have passed over, and a time to take stock and consider the future, with plans for both the coming year and the long term.