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The Pagan Roots of Halloween
Welcome to the ancient rites of Samhain
I enjoy Halloween as a time when the evenings get colder and darker, and stories of the supernatural and all things bump-in-the-night can be told round a blazing log fire.
As part of the Christian calendar the name is a contraction of All Hallows Eve, that is, the night before All Saints/Hallows Day. Along with Souls Day on 2nd November this was a festival traditionally celebrated in May. As with many festivals, the Christian Church moved it to the end of October, beginning of November, to replace the pagan, Celtic festival of Samhain.
This is where the connection with the dead occurs. Samhain is linked to a time that marks the end of the harvest period and the beginning of the darkest half of the year. Due to the change in seasons it was a time when cattle would be brought down from their summer pastures and livestock slaughtered.
It was on this cusp when they believed that the worlds between the living and the dead were closest. Food would be placed outside on the doorsteps of houses, to placate any wandering of vengeful spirits and deter them from entering their home. Food and drink were also offered to appease the gods. And for those inclined, it made any connections with the dead, or nature spirits, more likely.
