Halloween (aka Samhain)
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
People have been celebrating Halloween for years by dressing up as ghouls, vampires and witches. Pumpkins are sold and hollowed out for use as jack o' lanterns.
But despite these traditional celebrations, not many know where the true origins of Halloween lie.
Before the rise of christianity in Brtain, October the 31st was a day of great celebration. It was the most important celebration, or 'sabbath'of the year.
In those days it was called Samhain, pronounced 'sow-een'. It was the day of the year when the barrier between the physical and the spirit world was the thinnest. Samhain also marked the end of the pagan year and the beginning of the new one.
For the druids and witches of those times it also symbolised the death of the god and the beginning of winter.
There are many different ritual connected to Samhain still exisiting from those days today. But nowadays Samhain is celebrated in all sorts of ways including traditional rituals by modern day wiccans and pagans alike.
But despite these traditional celebrations, not many know where the true origins of Halloween lie.
Before the rise of christianity in Brtain, October the 31st was a day of great celebration. It was the most important celebration, or 'sabbath'of the year.
In those days it was called Samhain, pronounced 'sow-een'. It was the day of the year when the barrier between the physical and the spirit world was the thinnest. Samhain also marked the end of the pagan year and the beginning of the new one.
For the druids and witches of those times it also symbolised the death of the god and the beginning of winter.
There are many different ritual connected to Samhain still exisiting from those days today. But nowadays Samhain is celebrated in all sorts of ways including traditional rituals by modern day wiccans and pagans alike.
