Samhain
Samhain is a Gaelic word pronounced “SAH-win”. It is an Autumnal pagan festival of Celtic origins. It is time to welcome in the harvest and usher in the dark half of the year.
Samhain was seen as a liminal time when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld could more easily be crossed.[75] This meant the aos sí, the 'spirits' or 'fairies', could more easily come into our world. Many scholars see the aos sí as remnants of pagan gods and nature spirits. At Samhain, it was believed that the aos sí needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survived the winter. Offerings of food and drink would be left outside for the aos sí, giving way today to “trick or treat”.
Samhain was seen as a liminal time when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld could more easily be crossed.[75] This meant the aos sí, the 'spirits' or 'fairies', could more easily come into our world. Many scholars see the aos sí as remnants of pagan gods and nature spirits. At Samhain, it was believed that the aos sí needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survived the winter. Offerings of food and drink would be left outside for the aos sí, giving way today to “trick or treat”.
