Samhain (pronounced Sow-win) is a Celtic Pagan celebration, to welcome the last of the harvest and to embrace the dark half of the year. It is celebrated halfway between the autumn and winter equinox. Being in the fields all day bringing in the last of the harvest, the home hearth fires would be left to burn out. Samhain celebrations would start at night fall with a community fire, bringing villagers and farmers together to celebrate. They would all take a flame from the fire to re-ignited their home fires and bringing the energy of community and honouring their ancestors home with them. It is still believed today, that the veil between the two worlds are thin at this time of year and I can well believe where that originated from. If the harvest was poor and families had to survive the colder, darker months on what they could forage, pickle and dry, the hard, winter months were when folk would most likely perish and by celebrating Samhain it was honouring their ancestors to protect them from famine and poor health. Anyone not joining in the festivities would leaving themselves vulnerable to the forces of other worlds.
Halloween or Samhain?
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