samhain.The origin of Halloween. Samhain was first observed by Celtic Pagans. Marked the Celtic New Year, the end of summer, and the end of the harvest season. October 31 became known as All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, and contained much of the traditional pagan practices For the Celts, who lived during the Iron Age in what is now Ireland, Scotland, the U.K. and other parts of Northern Europe, Samhain (meaning, in modern Irish, “summer’s end”) marked the end of summer and kicked off the Celtic New Year. But if we define it as a celebration of the pre-Christianization or kind of the Mexican Day of the Dead or the Irish Samhain, then yes, the Vikings did have that kind of celebration. The Vikings themselves had celebrations called the Blóts. But if we define it as a celebration of the pre-Christianization or kind of the Mexican Day of the Dead or the Irish then yes, the Vikings did have that kind of celebration. The Vikings themselves had the celebrations called the Blóts What is Samhain and how is it celebrated?|Is Samhain the same asHalloween?|Who is the God of Samhain?What does word Samhain mean?| A Gaelic festival on 1 November marking the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or “darker half” of the year. Celebrations begin on the evening of 31 October, since the Celtic day began and ended at sunset.This is about halfway between the autumnal equinox and winter solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals along with Imbolc, Beltaine and Lughnasa. Historically it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man (where it is spelled Sauin). A similar festival was held by the Brittonic Celtic people, called Calan Gaeaf in Wales, Kalan Gwav in Cornwall and Kalan Goañv in Brittany. Samhain is believed to have Celtic pagan origins and some Neolithic passage tombs in Ireland are aligned with the sunrise at the time of it. It is first mentioned in the earliest Irish literature, from the 9th century, and is associated with many important events in Irish mythology.Gatherings and feasts and was when the ancient burial mounds were open. The festival was not recorded in detail until the early modern era. It was when cattle were brought down from the summer pastures and when livestock were slaughtered. As at Beltaine, special bonfires were lit. These were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers and there were rituals involving them.
