Samhain, the traditional Celtic festival, literally means “end of summer”. The Celts divided the year into two seasons, which represent light and dark. The first day of each season had a celebration, with Beltane on May 1 and Samhain on November 1.

Samhain was an important festival, as it welcomed new beginnings and a new year for the Celts. It also symbolized a union or communion between people. People in a town lit bonfires. While the bonfire burned, the villagers extinguished all other fires. Then each family would light their home with the common flame of the bonfire, uniting the families of a village.

Samhain Eve was a time of reflection for the Celts and a time to honor the dead. This particular time of year meant the final harvest, a time of gathering and preparing for winter. Winter was often a time of famine and some would not survive for the long months to come. Samhain was a way of honoring those who had died, a celebration of the remembered spirit.

It was a common belief that the “veil” between the world of the living and the world of the dead was thinner on the eve of Samhain. In modern times, many have twisted this thought with malicious intent, although its origin is much more honorable. The dead could return that night to the places where they had lived, and food and entertainment were provided in their honor. This symbolizes a people that exists in harmony with its past, present and future.

This also led to the tradition of lighting a single candle in a window, to light the way for the ancestors to find their way home. Food offerings were also left at the door for the spirits (leading to our modern “trick or treating”).

It was the Romans who added their “Feast of the Dead” to the celebration of Samhain. Christians destabilized the holiday by introducing “All Saints Day” on November 1 and changing the name from October 31 to All Hallows’ Eve, which later became Hallowe’en. For Christians, All Saints Day celebrates the spirits in Heaven and Purgatory. It became customary to bang pots and pans together on the eve of All Saints’ Day, so that the souls in hell would know they were not forgotten.

Samhain is also a great celebration of the Wiccans, one of their eight holy Sabbats. For Wiccans, it is also a time to celebrate the past and the future to come. Many pagans celebrate the New Year at this time.

Although the holiday has changed over the years, its intention remains clear: it is a celebration of respect for the dead and a celebration of the new beginning that is to come. It is a festival that commemorates the union of a community.