Many of these traditions live on to this day under the guise of Christianity or superstition. Halloween comes from Celtic pagan roots. The original holiday was called Samhain (sah-win), marking ...

Several end-of-year traditions including wassailing (carolling), mumming (folk plays), guising (trick-or-treating) and burning bonfires are also thought to have roots in Samhain. A 19th-Century ...

Originating from ancient Celtic traditions, Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and the onset of winter. For the ...

Fruits play a big role in Samhain symbolism. Apples, with their five-pointed star when cut crosswise, represent knowledge and ...

While its claim may be more modern, Derry’s emphasis on folklore and tradition keeps the spirit of Samhain alive and vibrant. Nestled away in a field full of sheep in County Roscommon is what ...

It originated from the Celtic festival of Samhain, when people believed the boundary between the living and the dead was at its thinnest Halloween has evolved into a fun and community-centered ...

Those traditions were later incorporated into Christianity ... Children would go door-to-door during Samhain, offering to pray for peoples’ dead relatives in exchange for food and money.

additional celebrations were added to the festival of Samhain. One was a day to honor the Pomona, Roman goddess of fruit and trees. It is commonly believed that this is where the tradition of ...

Most people are aware that Halloween's origins lie in the northern European Celtic and pagan festival of Samhain. Fewer people are aware of the unique and macabre Welsh traditions of our very own ...