Samhain

Many of us are familiar with the modern-day celebration of Halloween. What we may not be as familiar with is the pagan celebration that serves as the origin for many of Halloween's myths and rituals, and that celebration is Samhain.

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A map highlighting the territories in which some of the major Celtic peoples lived in ancient times.

What is Samhain?

Samhain, pronounced "SAH-win" or "SOW-inn", was a pagan festival celebrated by ancient Celts, who historically resided in what are today known as Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. Samhain marked the transition from summer's end to winter's beginning–from the light half of the year to the dark–and also served as a time of remembrance and reflection (Smith). Festivities spanned three days, but generally took place on or around October 31st, the halfway point between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. Samhain is only one of the celebrations Celts established to mark the passing of the seasons. For example, Imbolc marked the passing from winter to spring; Beltane, from spring to summer; and Lughnasadh, from summer to fall. It is hard to determine exactly how long Samhain has been celebrated, but it likely preceeded the Celts arrival in Ireland over 2,500 years ago.

Samhain signaled the beginning of the winter season, and winter is the time of the year most closely associated with dying–trees lose their leaves, plants cease to grow. So, it is fitting that the remembrance and contemplation of death were some of the main elements of Samhain. Ancestors and the recently deceased were remembered, and celebrants were encouraged to meditate on their own mortality. Death symbolizes endings, and not just the end of a human life, so Samhain invited reflection on the passing of relationships, jobs, and other significant life events (BBC). Despite the heavy focus on death, Samhain was not an entirely morbid festival. Communities held massive communal feasts and bonfires, and invited the spirits of the dead to join in on the celebration. Additionally, in Celtic culture, death was accepted as a necessary part of the cycle of life, not a topic that was ignored or avoided.

Why celebrate Samhain?

As Jenny Butler explains in her writing on Neo-Pagan celebrations of Samhain, "Samhain was seen as a feast of the dead and is thought to have marked the start of winter" (Butler). This explanation helps break down the reasoning behind the celebration of Samhain into two main categories. On one hand, Samhain served a symbolic, spiritual function as a time to remember the deceased and contemplate the supernatural; on the other hand, Samhain served a more material function in that it was a time to communally prepare for the harsh winter ahead. Examining both of these lines of thought can grant a greater insight into the cultural values and beliefs of the ancient Celts.

Spiritual Function

Samhain's festivities and rituals clearly communicate the importance beliefs about religion, the supernatural, and the afterlife held in ancient Celtic culture. To the pagan Celts, Samhain was the time of year when the veil between the world of the living and the spirit world was at its thinnest, so the celebration held great spiritual value. For example, perhaps one of the central elements of Samhain was the lighting of the bonfire. At the beginning of Samhain, all fires in the community were to be extinguished, and afterwards, Celtic priests, called druids, would then light a new massive bonfire (Smith). Members of the community would then light a torch at the bonfire, and bring that flame back home to light their hearths. The fire was believed to protect against any malicious spirits that may have slipped through the veil, and the smoke and ashes from the bonfire were seen as purifying agents. This practice demonstrates the strong belief in the supernatural and the importance of spirituality held by the Celts.

Another unique aspect of Samhain involved wearing costumes or masks, often made from animal skin, and there were a number of reasons for this particular practice. One reason costumes were worn was so people could disguise themselves so that spirits with harmful intent would not recognize them as human, and would thus leave them alone. A second reason costumes were worn was as a way of paying respect to the deceased. One would go around wearing a costume dedicated to a deceased loved one, and would perform short songs or poems. As a form of payment, people would reward the performance with gifts such as food or alcohol. This gift-giving was symbolic of giving offerings to the dead. The practice of wearing costumes during Samhain again demonstrates the strong belief in the supernatural and belief in life after death that were core components of ancient Celtic's pagan culture.

Material Function

In addition to serving very spiritual purposes, Samhain also had important social and communal purposes that helped the Celts continue to survive in material ways. For example, in addition to the previously mentioned bonfire, feasts were a common occurrence during Samhain. Members of the community would come together and share large quantities of food and alcohol, demonstrating how important the ideas of community and kinship were in ancient Celtic culture, and ensuring that everyone had a enough food to last through the upcoming winter months. Additionally, because Samhain signaled the end of the harvest seasons, Celts took this time to harvest their crops and either slaughter or lodge their animals for the winter. People would also take stock of their herd and other agricultural supplies. These practices, though perhaps very mundane in relation to other Samhain festivities, also played an important role in ensuring that the community would be well-stocked and prepared for the upcoming winter, again emphasizing the cultural importance of communal relations and playing a part in the ancient Celts' continued survival.

Learn More:

For an overview of the many unique Celtic rituals, beliefs, and myths associated with Samhain, read Samhain.
For a more comprehensive overview of Celtic history, read Who Were Celts.
For a brief overview of how Pagan and Catholic tradition combined to form the basis of the modern-day celebration of Halloween, watch Halloween History.
For information on similar topics, read the wiki entries on Wicca or Dia de Los Muertos.

Works Cited:

BBC. 2011. “Samhain.” BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2020 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/paganism/holydays/samhain.shtml).
Butler, Jenny. 2009. “Neo-Pagan Celebrations of Samhain.” Pp. 67 - 82 in Trick or Treat? Halloween in a Globalizing World. Edited by Malcom Foley, Hugh O’Donnell. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
McIntosh, Matthew A. 2020. “The History, Culture, and Religion of the Celts.” Brewminate. Retrieved 6 November 2020 (https://brewminate.com/the-history-culture-and-religion-of-the-celts/).
Smith, Hillary. 2020. “Samhain.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 5 November 2020 (https://www.ancient.eu/Samhain/).

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