Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest and the start of the coldest half of the year.
Samhain is one of the Cross-Quarter days. Many Pagans celebrate Samhain on October 31. Some Pagans observe Samhain a bit later, near November 7, to coincide more closely with the astronomical midpoint between Fall Equinox and Winter Solstice.
With this transition it’s also celebrated as the beginning of the spiritual new year for practitioners, which is also why it’s nicknamed “The Witches’ New Year.”
It’s thought to be a time where the veil between the spiritual & mundane world is at its thinnest so it tends to be a time associated with paranormal events.
It’s a time where we honor the dead and our ancestors
There are many other cultural celebrations that occur around this time of year that are associated with honoring our ancestors such such as Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico or Obon in Japan
If you are interested in learning more about Samhain and how to set up an altar for this holiday you can view my recent video.