A short history or Samhain (Halloween)
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The veil between worlds grows thin, and the spirits draw near. For millennia, the ancient Celts celebrated Samhain at this time - a festival marking summer's end and the beginning of the dark half of the year. It was believed to be a liminal time when the boundaries between our world and the Otherworld blurred, allowing supernatural beings and the souls of the dead to cross over.
Bonfires blazed as the Celts donned costumes to ward off malevolent spirits. They left offerings of food and drink to appease the aos sí - fairy folk and remnants of old gods. Divination rituals sought to pierce the veil of time itself.
As Christianity spread, the Church attempted to supplant these pagan traditions. All Saints' Day was strategically placed on November 1st, transforming Samhain's eve into All Hallows' Eve - Halloween. Yet the old ways persisted.
Today's jack-o'-lanterns, costumes, and trick-or-treating echo these ancient Celtic customs - reminders that on this night, the boundary between seen and unseen worlds still grows thin, and magic lingers in the air.
