Samhain, an Introduction
by Keziah
Samhain (pronounced sow-in or sah-win) is one of the four major Gaelic holidays, a festival that marks the passing of summer into winter, of the light season into the dark season, and the end of the old year and beginning of the new.
Now celebrated or acknowledged by many modern pagans, wiccans, druids, and magical practitioners throughout the world, Samhain’s origins lie in Ireland. Many of the practices observed around the holiday today are rooted in ancient Gaelic customs of Ireland and Scotland, or hail from a mixture of later Gaelic traditions from England, Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany, as well as from traditions brought in with the Christianization of the holiday.
HISTORY & ORIGINS OF SAMHAIN:
Historically the festival was celebrated throughout Ireland, Scotland (where it’s called Samhuinn or Oidhche Samhuinn), and the Isle of Man (Sauin). The people of Brittany, Wales, and Cornwall acknowledged a very similar festival called Kalan Goañv (in Brittany), Calan Gaeaf (in Wales), and Kalan Gwav (in Cornwall).
Samhain’s earliest known mention is found in ancient Irish literature from the 9th century. The tale Tochmarc Emire (the Wooing of Emer) describes the festival as being 'the first of the four seasonal festivals of the year' and as a time of communal gatherings, feasts, and remembrance. This would have been the time of year when the preparations for the long stretch of winter were wrapping up. In these times, the lives of the people in these areas changed from season to season. The harvests that came throughout the year would now provide the sustenance needed to survive the dark days of winter, during which there would be little-to-no hunting and gathering.
Though today Samhain is most popularly celebrated on a fixed date (the 31st of October into the 01st of November in the northern hemisphere, and the 30th of April into the 01st of May in the southern hemisphere), this would not have been the case for the progenitors of this holiday. The festival would have fallen on (or very near) the midway point between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice. It also lasted for more than the one or two days over which it is commonly celebrated now. In most references found, Samhain was observed for a period of at least three days to even a month. Some reconstructionist practitioners and native Irish and Scottish folk practitioners therefore observe Samhain over a longer period, and some have noted that they mark Samhain from the New Moon before the 31st of October to the New Moon after.
SAMHAIN CUSTOMS & TRADITIONS:
Samhain is, hands down, the most widely celebrated of the Gaelic festivals today. It was the ancient New Year for the Gaelic people, the ending of one year and the coming of the next. This is how Samhain came to be known in modern times as the Witches’ New Year, as many modern practitioners of witchcraft all around the world make it a point to observe Samhain.
However, the Samhain that many people acknowledge today is more rooted in the Christianization of the tradition, which birthed the holiday of All Saints’ Day/All Souls’ Day, and not in the ancient Gaelic pagan festival. This has certainly birthed more than a bit of confusion and misinformation about Samhain, its history and origins, and its traditions.
So, how can Samhain be observed today in a way that takes roots in historical Gaelic practices?
Bonfires
Bonfires were lit for many ancient festivals. The fire has significance and power, the power to cleanse away any ill-fortune, to banish evil, and to protect the land and its people from malicious forces.
It’s believed that the central Samhain bonfire in Ireland was, historically, on the Hill of Tlachtga near the town of Athboy in County Meath, which is known as the Hill of Ward. Smaller towns and villages would have a central bonfire, from which the fire would be taken by torch to every house in the area, and that house’s fire would be lit with the sacred, protective fire from the ritual bonfire.
Many people still light bonfires (or light a smaller campfire or fireplace) as a way of marking Samhain.
Spirits & Ancestors
Samhain occurs during a liminal time of year, when ‘the veil’ between our world and the Otherworld, the spirit realms, is believed to be thinner than usual. This means that this is a time when it is easier for the dead and other spirits to come forth and communicate, and for spirits, including the Aos sí or sìth, to travel among us. This is a time when those who aren’t practiced in spirit work and those who don’t have the ability of second sight will be more likely to see, speak to, and interact with these forces than they otherwise would.
For this reason, Samhain is a time when one’s ancestors are honored. Many make offerings to the dead, nowadays commonly in the form of flowers, food, and alcohol. It’s also an ideal time for ancestral work. If you’ve wanted to bring ancestral work into your practice but not known exactly when to start or how to do so, Samhain is a great time for exploring that because it will be easier to make contact with those ancestors you seek and to reach out and form the bonds needed to carry on with ancestral work. (Check out my piece on ‘Ancestral Work for Beginners’ for more information.)
Dumb Suppers
Dumb Suppers are a more modern tradition associated with Samhain, but one which comes from the belief that Samhain is a time during which communications with spirits is more accessible. A Dumb Supper in this context (not to be confused with the traditional divination rite by the same name, which you can find more information about in this piece — the Dumb Supper Divination Rite) is a silent feast for the dead, in which you prepare a meal (if reaching out to particular ancestors, you prepare a meal with some of their favorite foods or traditional foods from their time and culture) and you leave an empty seat open with a place set for whatever spirit(s) you’re trying to honor or whoever else may take a fancy to drop in for a bite.
Traditionally, a door or window (or all the doors and windows) are left unlocked so the spirit can enter easily. I know some practitioners who leave their doors and windows unlocked all night. More power to ‘em, but not in my neck of the woods. Practice with caution, friends.
As the Dumb Supper is a silent feast, no one speaks. The silence serves as a gesture of respect and to signify the sanctity of the event. It’s also believed that silence makes it more inviting for the spirits to come forth and makes them feel like it will be easier for them to be noticed and heard.
In some traditions, a plate is prepared for the spirits and is left out after the supper for the whole night, either just outside of the house or on the table. No one living is allowed to eat of this food, as it’s believed by many that if one does eat that which is designated for the dead that they’ll be denied any food or even food offerings from descendants in their afterlife.
(For more information on hosting a Dumb Supper as a means of communicating with spirits or honoring ancestors, check out Dining with the Dead: the Dumb Supper.)
Feasts
As with the other major festivals of Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Imbolc, Samhain included a feast. This feast, however, was a bit riskier than those enjoyed on the other holidays because while there was joy in celebrating this communal gathering and the year that has passed and the new year to come, there was also fear of what winter would bring. No one had any way of knowing how difficult the coming season would be, so it was a risk to hold a feast when the food used could have instead been added to the supplies for winter.
Feasts, though, were a fixture of Samhain festivities and still are to this day. Many practitioners now host them on a smaller scale, celebrating with a dinner amongst friends and family instead of a grand affair involving their entire neighborhood or town. That being said, there are still areas that host communal Samhain gatherings and dinners.
Mumming & Guising
Here lie the origins of Halloween trick-or-treating, dressing up in costume, and making jack-o’-lanterns.
Guising was the act of putting on a disguise or costume, which was intended to conceal one’s identity and protect them from the sìth but also to protect them from any repercussions that may come as a result of their Samhain pranks, thievery, and trickery, which was a very popular pastime amongst the youth, much like the modern Halloween acts of pranks or 'Halloween tricks' that are still popular today (i.e. spooky pranks, scaring people in good fun, egging or toilet papering houses, etc.).
Mumming is the custom of merrily parading in guise and visiting the houses of one’s neighbors, where one would recite whatever chant or prologue was related to the holiday in their customs (much like how children say ‘trick or treat’ at every door on Halloween). Food or drinks were offered to the parade of mummers.
The origins of mumming are believed to be found in the Roman festivals for Saturnalia, during which masked parades were organized as part of the revelry, as far back as 400 b.c. Traditionally throughout Ireland and Scotland, Samhain guisers would have been dressed as spirits or as figures in nature, such as trees, animals, and plants.
Jack-o’-lanterns come from the tradition of guising as well. Those who would go guising would prepare a lamp made from a hollowed-out turnip with a hole in the front, in which a lit candle or burning coal was placed to provide light in the dark night.
Divination
Divinatory practices and divination games are also associated with Samhain. The Samhain bonfires were often featured in the divination rituals and games — some games involved running around the fire and singing and cheering, others involved throwing nuts into the flames and reading their behavior.
Preparing Soddag Valloo (‘dumb cake’) is a traditional method of Samhain divination originating on the Isle of Man. There were a few other cake-related and food-related methods of divination throughout Ireland, Scotland, and England as well, which you can find, along with other Samhain divination customs, in – ‘Traditional Samhain Divination Customs’.
Alcohol
Heavy drinking wasn’t uncommon at Samhain gatherings. Traditionally, ale was served. In many modern practices, that’s still the case. Some practitioners have taken to using apple-based liquors in keeping with the seasonal abundance of apples. In the southern US, bourbon, whiskey, and rum are popular fixtures.
It’s a common practice to present alcoholic drinks as an offering to the dead, but it was also a traditional offering to local spirits and síth when bargaining during Samhain for safety through the winter.
CELEBRATING SAMHAIN TODAY:
There are many ways one can observe Samhain today. As I’ve gone over in this piece, many of the traditions of the ancient Samhain festival have given life to practices associated with this time of year, modern Samhain practices, and Halloween.
Maybe you’d like to forego the modern Halloween and pay the ancient festival of Samhain some love, but you’re not sure where to start. If that’s the case, start with whatever you can easily incorporate into your observance.
If you live in an area where you can have a bonfire or light your fireplace, that’s a great tradition to keep. Having fire alone enables you to invoke protection, to take part in select divination practices, and to perform some ancestral or spirit work, as many practitioners of that craft use fire in their work.
Hosting a feast, holiday dinner, family meal, or dumb supper is an easy and familiar way to bring Samhain into your life.
Some people host Samhain costume parties, complete with divination games and bonfires.
Paying respects to your ancestors and speaking to them, reaching out to them, is another way to observe Samhain, and it can be done as simply or as elaborately as you like — from a simple ‘hey, how are you? Here’s a bouquet of flowers. Know that you’re remembered’ to a dumb supper, or maybe a séance. Whatever way you feel comfortable reaching out, that’s the best place to start.
In whichever way you chose to mark Samhain, it’s important that we don’t forget where the festival and its traditions originate, and that we treat the customs and those who keep these traditions living with respect. We shouldn’t erase the roots of the holiday. Quite the opposite, we should honor those who brought this festival into the world. They may not be biological ancestors to all observers of Samhain, but they are in essence spiritual ancestors, and they should be honored and acknowledged for the traditions they’ve bequeathed the world.
Happy holidays.
SOURCES & FURTHER READING:
'Carmina Gadelica, Vol. II' - Carmichael, Alexander
'Celtic Folklore: Welsh and Manx' - Rhys, John
‘Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore’ – Monaghan, Patricia
'the Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion' - Frazer, James George; Sir
Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia: Samhain
'Myth, Legend, and Romance: An Encyclopaedia of Irish Folk Tradition' - Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí; Prof.
Mumming - Encyclopedia.com
‘Old Scottish Customs: Local and General’ – Guthrie, E.J.
Samhuinn (Cailleach's Herbarium)
