Samhain the festival of Wisdom Sunset 31 October to Sunset 2nd November

Before the advent of clocks and calendars, people were more in tune with nature’s timing; without electrical lighting they woke when the sun rose and slept when it went down, and they followed the cycles of the seasons as opposed to being a slave to the 24/7 hectic lifestyle most of us follow today.

Following the cycles of nature; eight seasonal festivals have traditionally been celebrated throughout Europe, predating Christianity. These festivals are often referred to as sabbats, a word which originates from the Greek work ‘sabatu’ meaning to rest or pause. The English word ‘sabbath’ and the Hebrew ‘shabat’ both also originate from ‘sabatu’ Four of the festivals (the solstices and equinoxes) celebrate the power of the sun and the moon at the time. The other four festivals, are Celtic in origin, and are linked more with the annual cycle of planting and harvesting of crops. Traditionally the festivals also reflect the lifecycle of the gods and goddesses throughout the year.

Samhain (pronounced sow-in) is Gaelic for ‘the summers end’ and is known as the Celtic New Year; it marks the start of the winter, and the beginning of shorter days and longer evenings. It is a time for introspection, reflecting on the past year, looking forward to the future, and possible spiritual growth.

While Samhain has been celebrated for centuries and has its origin in Pagan Celtic traditions, later on it was adopted by Christianity. The modern day Halloween comes from the Christian festival called All Hallows eve. This and the following two days; All Saints and All Souls day (1st and 2nd of November) were for remembering and honouring loved ones who had passed away. This custom still continues today, in Countries such as France Spain and Mexico. In France All Saints day is a public holiday, and it is traditional for people to dress up in finest clothes and visit family graves and decorate them with flowers.

Samhain traditionally celebrated on October 31st is the night when the veil between the spirit world and our world is at its thinnest, and the souls of our ancestors can return to our world. It is a time to celebrate wisdom old and new, when the past and future join together for one night, and the dead could return to warm themselves by the fires of the living. In earlier times families would decorate altars to honour their ancestors, with mementos of those who had passed away and harvest foods such as; pumpkins, apples, and breads. They would also open their windows and place garlic on the window sills to allow the good family dead to enter. It was also believed at this time that some of the living (especially poets) were able to enter the otherworld through doorways at ancient burial mounds or ‘sidhe’ such as; at the Hill of Tara in Ireland.

Also known as the Feast of the dead; death is a central theme of this festival. This does not mean however that it is a morbid event, as the ancient Celts believed death is not a thing to be feared. They valued old age for the wisdom it brings, and saw death as an accepted part of the cycle of life. As with the other Celtic festivals, Samhain was a time for communities to get together and celebrate, which they did by lighting sacred bonfires, sacrificing animals, and bringing harvest food to share in a communal dinner. They would also dress up in animal heads and skins.

Many of the Samhain traditions still continue today such as: the hollowing out of a pumpkin and putting a lighted candle inside. This was traditionally known as a Jack o Lantern: a name which derived from a legendary character called Jack, who upon escaping hell was forced to walk in limbo carrying a hot coal for all eternity. While the veil between the worlds were so thin, the other world could also release fairies and mischievous spirits, and the Jack o Lantern was thought to keep evil spirits away and protect people from harm. Placing the lighted pumpkin on a window sill, facing the road, for 3 days until dusk on the 3rd of November was also believed to welcome home family ancestors. Another theory is that pumpkin lanterns originate from the ancient Celts placing the skulls of their ancestors outside their doors at Samhain.

The practice of trick or treat has also evolved from a time where children used to visit houses, to ask for soul breads to decorate their family altars (bread foods were thought to a favourite of the spirits). Nowadays children visit houses collecting sweets for themselves to eat, which are certainly not intended to honour the dead. Another belief is that at Samhain, fairies would take advantage of the thin veil, and dress up as beggars, visiting houses asking for handouts. If they received food people would be rewarded, but if they slammed the doors in the fairies faces they would find out how mischievous fairies could be.

In the agricultural wheel of the year Samhain marks the final harvest, when animals were slaughtered, food was stored away for the long months ahead, and activity moved from outdoors to indoors by the warmth of the fire. Fire played an important part in the rituals that took place at Samhain. Cattle would be brought down from the hills and passed between two fires to purify and cleanse them, as well as to protect them from any evil spirits that may be lurking while the veil between the worlds was so thin. It was believed to be bad luck to take all of the harvest, as something should always be left to keep the connection between the land and its produce throughout the long winter. Protection from evil was very important to the ancient Celts, especially at Samhain and Beltane (the two turning points of the year) when it was thought that the spirit world was very close at hand, and these were days of much evil activity.

Samhain was believed to be the night when the God of the old year dies and returns to the underworld. It is reported that the goddess enters to be reunited with the god (for three days only), returning on the third day of the festival to prepare for his rebirth at the Winter Solstice.

Throughout the wheel of the year the Celtic triple goddess goes through 3 stages (virgin, mother and crone). The Goddess is now in the crone aspect. She is not to be feared as she is the same goddess who gave us life in the summer. She has moved through being a maiden/virgin ready for a sexual union with the god at Beltane (May 1st), and the earth mother, recognised by the making of corn dollies at Lughnassadh (August 1st). She is the now the older woman wise but stern, and has much knowledge she can share with us. She comes in the form of Cerridwen, Hecate, Arianrhod and Persephone among others and is often symbolised by the wise old owl who is not blinded by darkness and travels by night.

Many of the traditions of Samhain have been incorporated into Halloween today such as; placing pumpkin lanterns in windows, and dressing up and getting together with friends and family to celebrate. However it could be argued that the origins of Samhain have become a little lost. As we dress up as witches, vampires, and scary monsters it could be said our celebrations today illustrate our fascination with the macabre, evil and death. Samhain is however a celebration of the cycle of life. It celebrates the renewal and rebirth not only of the earth, but also of the gods and goddesses and of ourselves. Samhain reminds us death is not to be feared, and that it is from death that life emerges. As the veil between the spirit world and ours is its thinnest, Samhain is an opportunity to honour, remember and reconnect with loved ones who have passed away. It is celebration of ancient wisdom, a time to reflect on the past, and look forward into the future.