Samhain

What is Samhain?

Samhain (pronounced sow-in) begins at sunset on October 31 and runs into November 1. In early Ireland it was one of four great seasonal festivals, alongside Imbolc, Bealtaine and Lughnasadh, and it closed the farming year: herds came down from summer pasture, the last crops were in, and people gathered for feasting and assemblies.

It was also a time when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld was thought to grow thin. The old stories place many of their strangest events at Samhain, and it became a night for remembering the dead. Today it is often called the Celtic new year.

Samhain in Ireland

Many Halloween customs began here. Children went guising in disguise, and lanterns were carved from turnips long before pumpkins took over in North America. Barmbrack, a fruit loaf with a ring baked inside, still promises a wedding to whoever finds it.

On the Hill of Tlachtga in County Meath, fires were lit for Samhain, and the tradition has been revived with a torchlit procession each year.

Ways to mark Samhain at home

• Light a candle for someone you miss

  Set out a photo or a small token, light a candle at dusk, and share a story about them.

• Carve a turnip lantern

  Harder to carve than a pumpkin, and far more eerie. It’s how the tradition started.

• Bake or share a barmbrack

  Slice it with friends and see who finds the ring.

• Take stock of the year

  Write down what you’re ready to let go of before winter, and what you want to carry forward.