The origins of Samhain can be found in old Celtic customs, especially those of the Celtic people who lived in what is now Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. It signaled the start of winter and the conclusion of the harvest season. The Celts thought that this night blurred the line between the worlds of the living and the dead, letting fairies and spirits into the world of the living. Many of the traditions connected to Samhain originated from this belief.
Samhain was a religious and spiritual occasion in addition to being a harvest celebration. It was a time when Celtic priests and druids connected with the afterlife, performed rituals, and offered sacrifices to their gods. Huge bonfires were lit to ward off evil spirits and to honor the deities.
With the belief that this was the time when the curtain between the worlds of the living and the dead was the thinnest, the festival marked the change from the light to the dark half of the year. As the days grew shorter and the nights grew longer, people lit bonfires to provide light and warmth.
Costumes and masks are worn in observance of Samhain, one of the oldest customs. It was thought that by engaging in this practice, people could either placate or disguise themselves from vengeful spirits. Participants frequently wore costumes inspired by mythological animals or characters.
Fortune-telling and divination were common during Samhain. Individuals would participate in a variety of rituals in order to obtain predictions about the future, particularly with regard to things like wealth, marriage, and health. These rituals were thought to have greater power during this period of intense spirituality.
Over time, in many places, All Hallows’ Eve and Samhain customs merged. The Celtic custom of carving faces into vegetables is assumed to be the source of the custom of turning turnips (and later pumpkins) into lanterns, or jack-o’-lanterns. The tradition of going door-to-door asking for candy, known as “trick-or-treating,” has its origins in earlier traditions of providing food to pacify spirits.
As Always, get spooky with it and Keep On Brewin.