What is Samhain (pronounced sawh-win)?

The fall festival originating from Celtic spiritual tradition marks the midpoint between fall equinox and winter solstice. It is the time of year to finish the season’s harvests and bring the cows in from the pasture.  Samhain marked the transition between the year's lighter and darker halves and was celebrated throughout the ancient Celtic communities of Europe, including Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. Believed by the ancient Celts to be a liminal time when the veil between the human and spirit realms is lifted, Samhain is considered by many to be the precursor to contemporary Halloween celebrations.