What is "samhain"

1888, from Irish samhain (Gaelic samhuinn), from Old Irish samain, literally "summer's end," from Old Irish sam "summer" (see summer (n.1)) + fuin "end." Nov. 1, the Celtic festival of the start of winter and of the new year.

Samhain (pronounced or , ) is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the " darker half" of the year. Traditionally, it is celebrated from the very beginning of one Celtic day to its end, or in the modern calendar, from sunset on 31 October to sunset on 1 November, this places it about halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. Similar festivals are held at the same time of year in other Celtic lands; for example the Brythonic Calan Gaeaf (in Wales), Kalan Gwav (in Cornwall), and Kalan Goañv (in Brittany).

Samhain is believed to have Celtic pagan origins and there is evidence it has been an important date since ancient times. The Mound of the Hostages, a Neolithic passage tomb at the Hill of Tara, is aligned with the Samhain sunrise. It is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and many important events in Irish mythology happen or begin on Samhain. It was the time when cattle were brought back down from the summer pastures and when livestock were slaughtered for the winter. As at Beltane, special bonfires were lit. These were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers and there were rituals involving them. Like Beltane, Samhain was seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld could more easily be crossed. This meant the Aos Sí, the 'spirits' or ' fairies', could more easily come into our world. Most scholars see the Aos Sí as remnants of the 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 were left outside for them. The souls of the dead were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. Feasts were had, at which the souls of dead kin were beckoned to attend and a place set at the table for them. Mumming and guising were part of the festival, and involved people going door-to-door in costume (or in disguise), often reciting verses in exchange for food. The costumes may have been a way of imitating, and disguising oneself from, the Aos Sí. Divination rituals and games were also a big part of the festival and often involved nuts and apples. In the late 19th century, Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer suggested that it was the "Celtic New Year", and this view has been repeated by some other scholars.

In the 9th century AD, Western Christianity shifted the date of All Saints' Day to 1 November, while 2 November later became All Souls' Day. Over time, Samhain and All Saints'/All Souls' merged to create the modern Halloween. Historians have used the name 'Samhain' to refer to Gaelic 'Halloween' customs up until the 19th century.

Since the later 20th century, Celtic neopagans and Wiccans have observed Samhain, or something based on it, as a religious holiday. Neopagans in the Southern Hemisphere often celebrate Samhain at the other end of the year (about 1 May).

Samhain is an American rock band formed by singer Glenn Danzig in 1983, immediately following his departure from Misfits. Samhain played in more of a deathrock and heavy metal-infused style of horror punk than Danzig's previous band. By 1987 Samhain's membership evolved into a new band, Danzig. After briefly reuniting in 1999, and again in 2011 and 2012, Samhain announced their fourth reunion in 2014.

Samhain is a Gaelic festival.

Samhain may also refer to:

• Samhain (the Gaelic festival) in popular culture
• Sam (Trick 'r Treat character), the Spirit of Halloween who first appeared in the film Trick 'r Treat
• Samhain (band), a horror punk band
• Samhain (Ghostbusters), a character from The Real Ghostbusters animated series
• Samhain (software), a file integrity checker
• Samhain magazine, an Irish theatrical periodical

Samhain is an integrity checker and host intrusion detection system that can be used on single hosts as well as large, UNIX-based networks. It supports central monitoring as well as powerful (and new) stealth features to run undetected in memory, using steganography.

Samhain was a theatrical periodical published irregularly, with an annual in December, in the first decade of the 20th century. The Irish poet W. B. Yeats was a regular and leading contributor of essays outlining his artistic principles. Publication began in October 1901, superseding Beltaine, an occasional theatre review and publication of the Irish Literary Theatre named for the ancient Irish festival Bealtaine. The National Irish Theatre Society published Samhain. It has been noted that the two periodicals "constitute at once a history and a running critical commentary … of the origin and growth of the dramatic activity in Ireland."

In the first issue of Samhain, Yeats explained the name change as referring to "the old name for the beginning of winter, because our plays this year are in October, and because our Theatre is coming to an end in its present shape." Samhain also published the texts of new plays for a time, but later these were printed in book form as The Abbey Theatre Series. The magazine was published in Dublin by Sealy, Bryers & Walker, and in London by T. Fisher Unwin.