In the Celtic Isles, many of the old ways persist, remnants
of traditions from centuries ago are still loyally preserved or else they’ve
been distilled into common traditions whose roots lie hidden under the moss and
leaf litter of time. Peek behind the gauzy curtains of Halloween and we can
trace these old ways, see the persistence of age old traditions and uncover the
roots of our most common Halloween ways.
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Ancient Celtic Wheel of the Year - The Four Festival Days: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, & Lunasa
and the 4 Cross Quarter Days arranged by the suns positions: Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox,
Summer Solstice, & Autumn Equinox
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The ancient Celtic calendar was a wheel which turned little
by little through the seasons until it rolled right back around to Halloween or
Samhain as it was called. Samhain in Irish is pronounced SOW-EN and it means
summer’s end. It marks the end of the Celtic Year and so also the New Year. It
is a threshold, when crossed one passes from the summery light half, to the
wintry dark half. And entering the cold dark half has a lot to do with why
Samhain, Halloween, is associated with dark things. The sun grows cold and the
trees shed their final golden leaves, plant wither to grey then they are gone,
animals prepare for long winter sleep. Food and warmth are scarce. The harvest
has been stored, the wood gathered, and folks, too, prepare for the season of
Earth’s sleep. Because Samhain, summer’s end, is traditionally a festival day,
there are many folk traditions and rituals that accompany it. We'll explore those next...
