The Celtic Festival Samhain

Samhain has deep roots that go back to the time when ancient Celtic communities were thriving in Ireland, Scotland, and other parts of Europe.

With the passing of thousands of years, it is hard to say exactly where the festival came from. However, its influence on the culture of these areas is still clear.

The Celts lived in the Iron Age in the area that is now Ireland and Great Britain and had a lifestyle that was close to nature and especially respectful of trees. It is not surprising that the agricultural Celtic calendar was the center of their lives.

They divided the year into two parts. The light and the dark, or summer and winter. Samhain, which may mean “summer’s end” in Irish Gaelic, marked this important change and announced the start of winter.

The festival was not just a way to say goodbye to a good summer, but also to welcome the inevitable arrival of winter.

Additionally, it was also a Celtic spiritual tradition. The Celts thought that during Samhain, the veil between the physical world and the spiritual world was at its thinnest, letting the spirits of the dead return to their homes.