Samhain (pronounced sow-when) is an ancient Celtic festival, beginning at dusk on October 31,  that marks one of eight solar festivals in the Wiccan calendar or “Wheel of the Year”. The celebration has been adopted by the Christian church as All Saints Day, and by secular society as Halloween.

Samhain was one of the most important of the Celtic solar festivals. It marked the end of summer ( the word is literally translated as “summer’s end”), and the beginning of the new year. The ancient Celts believed that the “veil between worlds” was thinnest at this time, and that loved ones who had previously passed over could be reunited for the day with those still living.

Samhain today is celebrated by Wiccan and other neo-Pagans in much the same way. It is a time to look forward to the coming winter rest, to celebrate the end of the harvest, and to remember and commune with those loved ones who have passed over.