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Samhain
[sah-win]
noun
a festival of the ancient Celts, held around November 1 to celebrate the beginning of winter.
Samhain
/ ˈsaʊɪn, ˈsaʊeɪn, ˈsɑːwɪn /
noun
an ancient Celtic festival held on Nov 1 to mark the beginning of winter and the beginning of a new year. It is also celebrated by modern pagans
Word History and Origins
Origin of Samhain1
Word History and Origins
Origin of Samhain1
Example Sentences
On Samhain, a festival celebrated by ancient people, the lines between the Otherworld of the dead and the realm of the living were weakened.
The holiday’s origins date to the 8th century Celtic festival of Samhain, which was intended to ward off the ghosts of the dead that were said to return the night before the fall harvest on Nov. 1.
Some believe it dates back to Halloween’s Gaelic origins, the festival of Samhain and burning witches on the last Friday before All Hallows’ Eve, while others say it is linked to Kilmarnock’s industrial past.
Will Forte stars as the oddly cheery true-crime podcaster Gilbert Power in this dark dramedy, set in a small Irish town named Bodkin, where decades ago multiple young people disappeared during a Samhain festival.
For Christians, the festival marks the eve of the All Saint's Day feast but it has older, pagan roots, in the Gaelic festival Samhain.
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When To Use
Samhain (pronounced SAH-win) is an ancient Celtic harvest festival in celebration of the beginning of winter and a new year. (The Celts’ year was considered to start with the winter season on November 1.)Many of the traditions associated with Halloween are thought to have originated with Samhain, and the word Samhain is sometimes used synonymously with Halloween.However, Samhain is often considered a distinct holiday. It is sometimes celebrated as a religious observance in Pagan, Neopagan, and other traditions.Samhain is sometimes also spelled Samain or ’i.
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