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, Bealtaine and Lughnasadh.
Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man.
Halloween, a contraction of “All Hallows’ Evening”, also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. It initiates the triduum of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed believers. Within Allhallowtide, the traditional focus of All Hallows’ Eve revolves around the theme of using “humor and ridicule to confront the power of death.”
According to many scholars, All Hallows’ Eve is a Christianized feast initially influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, with possible pagan roots, particularly the Gaelic Samhain. Other scholars maintain that it originated independently of Samhain and has solely Christian roots.
Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the “darker half” of the year. It is celebrated from sunset on 31 October to sunset on 1 November, or 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. Kindred festivals were held at the same time of year in other Celtic lands; for example the Brythonic Calan Gaeaf (in Wales), Kalan Gwav (in Cornwall), and Kalan Goañv (in Brittany).
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~~Samhain/Halloween~~
Helen Demetriou
~~Uploaded on Oct 12, 2010~~
Contained in this video are the origins of Samhain, better known as Halloween, with correspondences and activities that can be done to celebrate this ancient Celtic festival.
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