What is Samhain? The ancient Celtic festival linked to Halloween

Samhain is pronounced as 'sow-in' or 'sow-win.' It is an ancient Gaelic festival observed on the night from sunset on October 31 to sunset on November 1. As an observance based on Celtic spirituality, it signifies the conclusion of the period of harvest and the beginning of the dark part of the year. People generally believe that this is when the barrier separating the living and the dead becomes thin.

Samhain: Ancient traditions and its connection to Halloween

The Celtic people observed Samhain through the lighting of fires, holding feasts, and saying prayers. The hearth fires would be extinguished before lighting the ceremonial fire. After that, families carried flames home to relight them for protection during winter. Some records also mention animal sacrifice and assemblies presided over by the Druids.

Samhain was also a period of time when the dead would be remembered and honoured. There was a ritual known as the Dumb Supper where people would eat silently and set aside a place for their departed ancestors.

Folklore about the celebration involves the púca, which is a creature that can change its shape; the Dullahan, a headless spirit; and the Sluagh, which is a band of spirits called the Faery Host. Scottish traditions also feature witches gathering for a supernatural sabbath and stories of the Cailleach, a figure associated with winter.

Another activity during Samhain was fortune telling. Eggs, apples, and hazelnuts were used to gain insight into love and marriage, and what would happen in the new year. Apple peels were flung over the shoulder to predict the first letter of the name of a future husband or wife, whereas apple bobbing was believed to be a good omen.

Samhain and Halloween are interrelated concepts. However, there are certain differences between the two holidays. Halloween has been created as a result of the mixture of old customs associated with the seasons, religious rituals like All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, and local traditions.

Costumes, scary stories, carving pumpkins, and begging at houses remind us of the customs which are practised by people in Ireland and Scotland. Scottish children usually wore costumes and carved turnips in their performance.

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