Samhain is one of the four cross-quarter days of the astronomical calendar. In the Northern Hemisphere, it falls midway between the Autumn Equinox and December Solstice. While many cultures celebrate Samhain on the same day as Halloween, these are in fact two different holidays. For the ancient Celts, the cross-quarter days signaled the beginning, not the middle, of a season. Samhain marked the start of the dark half of the year, and Beltane marked the beginning of the light half of the year. The Catholic Church designated October 31 as All Hallows’ Eve, November 1 as All Saints Day, with November 2 following as All Souls Day. Scandinavian Norse pagans might celebrate Alfablót, a sacrifice to the elves, to celebrate the end of autumn. In some families, Halloween is still celebrated as an evening of costumes, candy, and fun, while Samhain is reserved for the spiritual celebration of venerating the dead.
Most of us are relatively familiar with the spiritual traditions of Samhain. We light candles or make altars for our loved ones who have passed on. We celebrate the return of their souls as the veil grows thin between the worlds for a few hours each year. We bury apples as offerings for them as they pass through our world. We pull out our divining tools in the hope for a few words of conversation after a long year apart. We make a plate for them at our table, sitting in silence as we eat and think about their life with us