https://wikimd.com/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=SamhainSamhain - Revision history2026-04-24T20:09:04ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.44.2https://wikimd.com/index.php?title=Samhain&diff=5615339&oldid=prevPrab: CSV import2024-04-16T20:32:08Z<p>CSV import</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>[[File:Coligny-closeup.jpg|Coligny-closeup|thumb]] [[File:Heroes_of_the_dawn_(1914)_(14750481494).jpg|Heroes of the dawn (1914) (14750481494)|thumb|left]] [[File:Owenagcat.jpg|Owenagcat|thumb|left]] [[File:Snap-Apple_Night_globalphilosophy.PNG|Snap-Apple Night globalphilosophy|thumb]] [[File:Mari_Lwyd_(wiki).jpg|Mari Lwyd (wiki)|thumb]] '''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]], [[Beltane]], and [[Lughnasadh]]. Historically, it was widely observed throughout [[Ireland]], [[Scotland]], and the [[Isle of Man]]. Samhain is believed to have Celtic pagan origins and there is evidence it has been an important date since ancient times.<br />
<br />
==Origins and History==<br />
Samhain is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature from the 10th century and is believed to have pre-Christian roots. According to Irish mythology, Samhain was a time when the doorways to the [[Otherworld]] opened, allowing the spirits and the dead to come into our world; conversely, it allowed humans to reach into the Otherworld. People would take measures to appease these spirits to ensure themselves and their livestock survived the winter.<br />
<br />
==Customs and Practices==<br />
Various rituals were associated with the festival, including bonfires, guising/mumming, divination, and feasting. The bonfires played a major role in the festivities. People and their livestock would walk between two bonfires as a cleansing ritual, and the bones of slaughtered livestock were tossed into its flames. The [[masks]] and costumes (guising) were part of the festival from at least the 16th century and were believed to protect wearers from evil spirits.<br />
<br />
==Samhain and Halloween==<br />
Over time, Samhain and [[All Hallows' Eve]] (Halloween) have influenced each other and merged in the popular imagination. Many Halloween traditions come from Samhain, including the carving of [[pumpkins]] (originally turnips) to make jack-o'-lanterns and trick-or-treating, which evolved from the practice of going door-to-door, singing songs for the dead in exchange for cakes.<br />
<br />
==Modern Celebrations==<br />
Today, Samhain is celebrated worldwide by [[Pagans]] and [[Wiccans]] as a religious holiday. Celebrations typically involve rituals and festivities that honor the cycle of death and rebirth, the ancestors, and the thinning of the veil between the physical world and the spiritual realm. It is a time for reflection on the past and planning for the future.<br />
<br />
==See Also==<br />
* [[Celtic polytheism]]<br />
* [[Wheel of the Year]]<br />
* [[Sabbat]]<br />
* [[Halloween]]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Gaelic festivals]]<br />
[[Category:Autumn holidays]]<br />
[[Category:October observances]]<br />
[[Category:November observances]]<br />
{{culture-stub}}</div>Prab