The origin of Halloween lies in the principal festival of Celtic Ireland. Known as Samhain, the Irish word for November, it was held on the first day of that month and celebrations began on the night before.
This habit of getting the party started early is common to all the Celtic festivals and was not because the Celts were too impatient to wait for morning! Their sense of time - whether calculating the year or the day - began with the darkness and progressed into the light.
For them, the beginning of the year began with Winter on Samhain and continued into the brighter seasons of Spring, Summer and Autumn. Similarly, each day began with nightfall and progressed into the morning and afternoon light. So the 1st of November 'began' on its Eve, 31st of October, and it was the equivalent of our New Year's Day.
Samhain became Halloween
Being 'in transition' from one year to another was believed to temporarily weaken the usually stable barrier between the Otherworld and the Mortal World. As a result, the dead could walk among the living, shape shifters and other (usually malevolent) spirits could cross the boundary, and supernatural powers were at their strongest. All in all, normal life was thrown into chaos.
In order to wrestle some control over events, or at least to offer some protection from the unnatural forces at large, communal bonfires were lit to ward off evil, and people carved menacing faces into turnips and left them outside windows and doors to frighten spirits away from homes. It was a noisy night, too, because loud bangs were thought to confuse the spirits and prevent them taking over live bodies.
In time, Samhain was diluted into a Christian celebration when 1st November became All Saints' Day. An alternative name was All Hallows' Day (from the word 'halo'), making the previous evening of 31st October, All Hallows Eve. The origin of Halloween, as a word, is clear.
The Spring festival of Imbolc
While Samhain marked the beginning of Winter, Imbolc marked the start of Spring on 1st February. This was the day when the weather was believed to start to improve, making ploughing possible, and when ewes were expected to produce the season's first milk. Both milk and butter were thought to be especially susceptible to supernatural influences so a small amount was always poured on the roots of the nearest hawthorn or blackthorn bush (where the 'little people' were known to live).
Even in very early Celtic Ireland, Imbolc was associated with Brigit, the fire goddess daughter of Dagda, who was linked with fertility, crops and sheep. On the eve of the festival, people made charms out of rushes and hung them by doorways to protect their homes and their livestock. When Christianity renamed Imbolc St Brigid's Day, these charms became known as Brigid Crosses.
Triumph over the dark: Beltaine
Beltaine was the next major festival of the year. Held on 1st May, it celebrated the beginning of Summer and triumph over the dark powers. Once again, supernatural forces were strong on the evening before, especially witches and fairies . (It is important to bear in mind that the Irish variety of fairy is not necessarily benevolent or even good-tempered.) Wells, fields and houses were guarded and special fire rituals were enacted to protect against evil spells.
These involved driving cattle between two fires in the hope of protecting them against evil spells and illness while being herded to their spring pastures the next day. People passing between the two fires were usually hopeful of good luck, warding off ill fortune, or of improving fertility.
Harvest Festival: Lughnasa
The last festival of the agricultural year was Lughnasa, named after the god and mythological warrior Lugh, and usually celebrated on 1st August. However, Lughnasa marked the beginning of the annual harvest so it was movable, according to when the wheat and barley ripened and when the hedgerows and orchards started to produce their bounty of berries, nuts and apples.
As with the other Celtic festivals, Lughnasa was celebrated with bonfires, but it was a much more social affair with markets, fairs and community get-togethers held in most villages. Perhaps its most significant distinction was that the Celts could enjoy themselves without anxiety about supernatural gatecrashers at Lughnasa, possibly because evil spirits could find fewer shadows in which to lurk in the long twilights of high summer evenings.
Claire Santry is a journalist who writes about Irish genealogy and heritage. Discover more about the origin of Halloween or read her free in depth guide to tracing your ancestors from Ireland.
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