Countdown to Halloween: Introducing Samhain

by Marisa
For most of us autumn is rife with Halloween images and traditions: Jack-o-lanterns, spider webs, haunted houses, and apple bobbing. The symbols are familiar, but many of their stories have been buried with time and commercialization. (I mean, it’s not quite Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day, but I’m thinking Hallmark and company are pretty fond of this time of year.) Beneath all the eerie seasonal fun, however, lies an equally intriguing Celtic and pagan history.

In simplest terms, pagan holidays honor the seasons, encouraging us to look within ourselves and our world at the parallel cycles of birth and death, and planting and harvest. Each ancient sabbat coincides with a more familiar holiday, such as Yule at the Winter Solstice near Christmas, Mabon aligning roughly with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Ostara at Passover / Easter, and even Imbolc at Groundhog’s Day. So what’s the big deal with October 31st?

Halloween, known to the ancient Celts as Samhain (pronounced SOW-an) from the Irish-Gaelic word for “summer’s end,” was brought to the United States by Irish, Scottish and English immigrants in the 19th century. By the ancient Celtic calendar, Samhain marks the last of three harvest festivals, as well as the end of the Celtic year. All plantings, both figurative and literal, have been reaped, so as the leaves fall and the earth slumbers, we are encouraged to look within ourselves at our own recent closures in preparation for the new year’s rebirth.

In this sense, Halloween’s emphasis on death is largely figurative, but Samhain is not without its literal hauntings. During the rickety "tween" hours of Samhain night, the ancient Celts believed the veil between the living and dead was at its finest, allowing for free communication between the earthly and spiritual planes. For some, Samhain was therefore an opportunity for communication or séance with a departed loved one - and for others it was a long evening of hauntings and supernatural pranksters.

Where do you fall on this spectrum? Count down with Daily Mantra to find out, as we explore the traditions, tricks, and treats of Samhain 2007 via seven daily installments. Happy Halloween!

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