As everyone carves their pumpkins and gets their outfits ready for Halloween, spare a few minutes to wonder of the origins...The Samhuinn Festival serves the seasonally opposite role to Beltane. It was the Celtic New Year, although its practice far precedes the Celtic culture. It marked the end of summer and the time to bring herds in from summer pastures to lowland fields and enclosures for protection. With the signs of approaching winter, it is understandable that the festival should have a strong association with death. The trees are bare and the land barren of the earlier vegetation - nature itself seems to be dying.Thus it was believed that this was the night of the dead - a time for the spirits of the departed from the previous year to pay one last visit to their relatives before departing for the other-world forever. Also taking advantage of this closeness between the land of the living and the dead were the mischievous and malevolent spirits of the underworld, and measures had to be taken to protect against their pranks. Thus evolved the tradition of modern Hallowe'en to wear masks - originally to disguise oneself against the unwanted attentions of spirits and faeries.Another Samhuinn tradition was a market fair held in the nearest trading centre. This was a chance to settle business, to trade livestock and produce of the autumn and to revel with friends for one last time before the winter conditions made travel too difficult. Amongst the entertainments were the Goloshan Plays. The main theme of these ancient narratives was the battle between light and dark, summer and winter. The two characters fight to the death, winter overcoming summer as inevitably as the seasons, but the medicine-man steps in to revive the summer figure, thus ensuring the return of spring and light.As Irish and Scottish settlers arrived in America, they brought much of their folklore and many of their traditions with them. Over time these spread into the wider community, and like many old ways, were eventually commercialised in the American way, and many of the origins forgotten.The name Halloween itself means 'eve of all hallows day' which is now known as All Saints Day. But as with most Christian festivals, the date was hijacked from paganism in order to make conversion an easier process. The original All Hallows Day was May 13th (itself a more minor pagan festival!!!) but was moved to usurp the former major pagan celebration (bloody Christians)But Samhain/Samhuinn festivals still take place every year. Probably the most well known now is the Edinburgh one run by the Beltane Fire Society. Starting with the magnificent backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, the procession then winds its way down the Royal Mile.Each year, at Beltane and Samhuinn, they reenact the ancient battles between the gods of summer and the gods of winter and the beginning of a New Year.Here are some pics from last years festival and a couple of vids...Happy Samhuinn!!!!    

Very nice festival, thx for educate me

thank you for setting me straight...i thought the Hershey company invented it for sales purposes...lol

great...kha.

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Now I find that you're useful, Iain !!!!!!

Mate, you've got loads of time in hands !! gimme some

excellent journal Iain

Ive heard all about these processions in Edinburgh, never actually seen one before.

Glad to see someone else knows what it's all about. Good journal.

Very interesting to learn about the origin of Halloween. Thanks for sharing.

Great one big brother cheer:)

woooooow thanks for sharing ^^