 S-A-M-H-A-I-N, Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the darker half of the year. Traditionally, it is celebrated from October 31 to November 1, as the Celtic Gae began and ended at sunset. This is about halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Mdalk, Bielten and Lugnash Sad. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Similar festivals are held at the same time of year in other Celtic lands, for example The Brythonic Calangial Thin Whales Caland Wave Thin Cornwall and Caland Goan V in Brittany Both Celtic branches are roughly as old as each other. Samhain is believed to have Celtic pagan origins and there is evidence it has been an important date since ancient times. Some Neolithic passage tombs in Ireland are aligned with the sunrise around the time of Samhain. It is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and many important events in Irish mythology happen or begin on Samhain. It was the time when cattle were brought back down from the summer pastures and when livestock were slaughtered for the winter. As at Bielten, special bonfires were lit. These were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers and there were rituals involving them. Like Bielten, Samhain was seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the other world could more easily be crossed. This meant the Edo's SI, the Spirits or Ferris, could more easily come into our world. Most scholars see the Edo's SI as remnants of the pagan gods and nature spirits. That Samhain, it was believed that the Edo's SI needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survive the winter. Offering the food and drink were left outside for them. The souls of the dead were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. Feasts were heard, at which the souls of dead kin were beckoned to attend and a place set at the table for them. Mummy and guysing were part of the festival, and involved people going door to door and costume or in disguise often reciting verses in exchange for food. The costumes may have been a way of imitating and disguising oneself from the Edo's SI. Divination rituals and games were also a big part of the festival and often involved nuts and apples. In the late 19th century, Sir John Arapchis and Sir James Fraser suggested that it was the Celtic New Year and this view has been repeated by some other scholars. In the 9th century AD, the Western Christian Church shifted the date of All Saints Day from the month of May to November 1, while November 2 later became All Souls Day. Over time, Samhain and All Saints slash All Souls merged to create the modern Halloween. Historians have used the name Samhain to refer to Gaelic Halloween customs up until the 19th century. Since the later 20th century, Celtic Neilpagans and Wiccans have observed Samhain, or something based on it, as a religious holiday. Neilpagans in the Southern Hemisphere often celebrate Samhain at the other end of the year, about May 1.