Samhain is an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of summer and the start of winter. Its name means “Summer’s End” in Irish, and it is celebrated from the evening of October 31 into November 1. People believed that on that night the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead grew thin, letting spirits, fairies, and other supernatural beings roam.
Halloween grew out of a blend of Samhain and Christian days for honoring the dead, such as All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Customs like costumes and carved turnip lanterns may trace back to Samhain, though historians are not certain which practices survived. Ancient observances likely included bonfires, divination, and feasting, and today Samhain is a major holiday in modern Paganism, especially Wicca.
Source: Encyclopædia Britannica, “Samhain”.
Image: Irish bonfire at Samhain, photo by EWilson (Volunteer) (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.