 What's the origins of Halloween and how does it relate to Samhain? We all know what Halloween is, but some may be unsure of what Samhain is. Samhain is an ancient pagan, Gaelic festival that is most commonly associated with Ireland, although other Celtic societies celebrated this festival or had similar celebrations. It welcomes in the harvest and marks the start of the dark half of the year. It takes place on the 1st of November, but in Celtic societies, days would start at sunset, so celebrations would begin on the evening of the 31st of October and then into the following days. Samhain, in fact, is the Irish word for November and similarly in Scottish Gaelic. On Samhain, tradition states that the barriers between the other world and the human realm were lowered, allowing easier communication and interaction between spirits and humans. Ancient burial mounds were said to open and serve as portals to the other world. This meant that people would often try and communicate with their ancestors, as they believed it was possible at this time of year. Considering all this, people would often leave offerings outside their door to fairies or the sheen. We also find stories of people dressing up in ancient Celtic societies and the reason for this is quite different to today. As opposed to just having a laugh at your mates as is today, ancient Celts would dress up as animals or monsters to stop fairies or other entities kidnapping them into the other world. Amongst many ancient Celtic societies, Samhain was the most important of four fire festivals and it took place at the approximate midpoint between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice. In ancient times, after the harvest work had been completed, Celtic communities would often join local druids to light a massive community fire that was sparked using a wheel, a representation of the sun. Poems and other spiritual texts were often recited at this time and cattle were sometimes sacrificed. Fires were also lit in family homes. Some ancient sources describe Samhain as a mandatory festival in many communities lasting three days and three nights and failure to participate was sometimes punishable by death. Now for many today, Halloween is a good excuse to get steaming with your mates. In ancient times, it seems that they did have that element as well. Some sources describe how it was common for people to drink in excess for days upon days. Various creatures and monsters were associated with Samhain. One for instance is the Dullahan, headless men who carry their own heads and ride horses with flaming eyes. Death is said to follow anyone who encounters them. Other creatures include the pucker, a type of shapeshifting creature that took offerings from the harvest field. Another is the Lady Gwyn, a headless woman dressed in white and accompanied by a black pig who chased people on the night. One popular story that was traditionally told at Samhain was about the second battle of Mataurid, which portrays the final conflict between the ancient supernatural race of the Tududanan and the evil and monstrous oppressors known as the Famore, with the battle said to take place over the period of Samhain. Although there are differences between Samhain and Halloween today, arguably Samhain is one of the chief inspirations for Halloween, although there is some controversy around this subject. One of the reasons for this is that Samhain is a pagan festival, and it is often celebrated today by neo-pagans. In ancient times however, Western Christianity may have somewhat framed upon Samhain. Samhain however at its core is simply an ancient Celtic festival. Halloween is a contraction of All Hallows Evening, and it is celebrated on October 31st, on the evening of All Hallows Day or All Saints Day, a great feast on Western Christianity on November 1st which celebrates the saints of the church. All Souls Day or the Day of the Dead takes place on November 2nd. In the 9th century, the Western Church endorsed November 1st as All Saints Day, with All Saints Day seemingly celebrated at various times in the years prior to this. Some make the argument that this was an attempt by the Catholic Church to usurp Samhain, which by its nature was a pagan festival. Regardless of this, many argue that Halloween is essentially a fusion of Samhain and these Christian days, into some sort of a melting pot of a celebration that we call Halloween today. Please let me know your thoughts below. Have you ever celebrated Samhain, and what do you think are the true origins of Halloween? Like I say, let us know in the comments below. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you next time.