Samhain - An Introduction

The veil is thinning between the realm of the living and the realm of Spirits. It will reach it's height at Samhain, the night of October 31st through the night of Nov.1st. Samhain lasts approximately 24 hours. In the days before the Gregorian calendar, it was simply marked on the day that was halfway between the fall equinox and the winter solstice.

It stems from the traditional Celtic Celebration that marks the end of the Harvest, is a religious celebration to mark the beginning of the "dark half of the year", which involved less daylight, and is a celebration of the dead and an honoring of the ancestors. Often the actual celebratory events would last from the day before Samhain to the day after, culminating in 3 days. There are many traditions and myths involving Samhain, so stay tuned for more posts!

Artwork by LadaAnwen via DeviantArt