Samhain (pronounced sow-in, to rhyme with cow) means summer's end, and marks the end of summer in the Celtic year. Modern day practitioners often pronounce it Som-hane. The ancient Celtic calendar consisted of just two seasons: summer (May through October) and winter (November through April). Ancient pagans celebrated this holiday as the New Year, and current Wiccans and other pagans also view this as the start of the New Year. It symbolizes the end of the harvests and the onset of winter. It is the most popular of the four fire festivals and is celebrated for three days, from October 31 to November 2.

It was, and still is, the largest of the fire festivals. Huge feasts were prepared and enormous fires were lit. Livestock had to be thinned at this time so the feed would last during the winter months. Therefore, many would be slaughtered, resulting in plenty of fresh meat. Meat not consumed at the festivals would then be stored. As with all the fire festivals, the huge bonfires were sacred and thought of as eyes through which the goddess could observe and feel at one with her people. During this holiday too, the people would walk between two fires, as well as drive their livestock between them, believing this would bring fertility, fortune and purification to help endure another winter season.

The ancient Celt society was very organized, and everyone knew their place. However, during Samhain, in order to ease the stress and allow the strict order to be mentally and emotionally more comfortable, the normal structure was put aside temporarily and craziness and disorder reigned. It was viewed as a time of no-time. People did wild and outrageous things, such as men dressing as women and women dressing as men (perhaps a prequel to modern day Hallowe'en costumes), moving someone's horses to different fields, and children knocking on neighbors' doors for food and treats (like trick-or-treating on Hallowe'en) and other pranks and practical jokes.

There was also, however, a serious side of Samhain for many cultures. It was believed that during these three days of flickering light, the curtain or borders between human and spirit, between this world and the other world, were thought to be especially thin. So that enabled one to more easily communicate with the spirits of their departed loved ones, pay their respects and receive guidance and inspiration. Some believe that these spirits even return during Samhain to celebrate along with them. The idea of ghosts at Hallowe'en most likely derived from this belief.

You can see how the Christian holidays of Hallowe'en (October 31), All Hallows (November 1) and All Saints Day (November 2) evolved from the pagan traditions of Samhain. Their purpose is basically the same, which is to revere one's departed loved ones and acknowledge them as living spirits guarding the wisdom of mankind.

Some of the symbols associated with Samhain are apples and nuts. The ancient Romans celebrated the ripening of the fruits and the Celtics related the apple to the underworld, fertility and divination. The familiar Hallowe'en game of Bobbing for Apples originated with the Samhain festival.