Crossing the Veil: Halloween and Samhain

Halloween, or the ancient Samhain, is considered the time of year when the veil between our world and the spirit world is at its thinnest.

As darkness falls and families light their pumpkin Jack-o'-lanterns, they are, perhaps unknowingly, repeating the ancient traditions of honoring the dead and marking the beginning of the ‘dark half’ of the year.

Hallowe’en, a shortened form of "All Hallows' Evening" is an echo of Celtic harvest festivals of pre-Christian Europe. Observed now in several countries around the world, it is the evening before ‘All Hallows Day’, when saints (hallows) and martyrs are remembered by people of many Christian denominations.

This ritual, however, coincides with (and some scholars suggest co-opted) the ancient observance of Samhain.

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Samhain (pronounced sah-van or sow-in) is the traditional Gaelic festival marking the change of seasons and the approach of winter. There are many important events that begin or happen around the time of Samhain in Irish myth .

For example, people would bring their cattle back from the summer pastures and slaughter livestock in preparation for the upcoming winter. They would also light ritual bonfires for protection and cleansing as they wished to mimic the sun and hold back the darkness.

It was also a time when people believed that spirits or fairies (the Aos Sí ) were more likely to pass into our world.

Dead and departed relatives played a central role in the tradition, as the connection between the living and dead was believed to be stronger at Samhain, and there was a chance to communicate.

Souls of the deceased were thought to return to their homes. Feasts were held and places were set at tables as a way to welcome them home. Food and drink was offered to the unpredictable spirits and fairies to ensure continued health and good fortune.

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The idea that souls return home on a certain day of the year is repeated across many cultures around the world. Día de Muertos , or the Day of the Dead, is a similar holiday held around the same time of year in Mexico celebrating and honoring family members who have died.

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In the 12th century, obligatory holy days across Europe involved town criers dressed all in black, ringing mournful bells and calling on Christians to remember the poor souls of the dead. Special ‘soul cakes’ would be baked and shared. This custom of “souling” was present in England, Germany, Belgium, Austria, and Italy, and this is thought to be the precursor of trick-or-treating.

Eventually, mumming and guising (going door-to-door in disguise and performing in exchange for food) was taken up as another variation on these ancient customs. Pranks were thought to be a way of confounding evil spirits. Pranks at Samhain date as far back as 1736 in Scotland and Ireland, and this led to Samhain being dubbed “ Mischief Night ”.

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Many of the modern practices for Halloween date to 19th century England and North America. Fortune telling and divination have traditionally played a part in celebrations.

Games were played with the intention to divine one’s future. Nuts and fruit featured in eating and drinking games, and soul cakes were prepared.

Around Halloween, pumpkins are hollowed out, and spooky faces are carved into them, creating Jack-o'-lanterns. Candles are then lit inside the pumpkins, creating eerie lanterns, and serving as signals that a household observes Halloween.

Pumpkins are frequently used today as they’re easier to carve and a symbol of harvest, but the original lanterns in Ireland and Scotland were carved from turnips.

These turnip lanterns were used to frighten off evil spirits by guisers, and were a motif of the Irish Christian folk tale of Jack, a wandering soul who was denied entry into both heaven and hell.

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The Ancient Myths of Samhain

What is Day of the Dead?

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration of life and death.

While the holiday originated in Mexico, it is celebrated all over Latin America with colorful calaveras (skulls) and calacas (skeletons).