"Unveiling Samhain: The Mystical Pagan New Year Festival"

Samhain, the Pagan New Year, is an ancient Celtic festival marking the transition from one year to the next, celebrated from October 31 to November 1. The festival, which honors the cycle of death and rebirth, involves various traditions such as creating altars, lighting bonfires, preparing a 'dumb supper' for ancestors, and divination, and is considered a time when the boundary between our world and the Otherworld is more permeable.

Pagan New Year (Samhain)
History Samhain, also known as the Pagan New Year, is a festival that originated from the ancient Celtic spiritual tradition. In the Celtic belief system, turning points, like the time between one day and the next, the meeting of sea and shore, or the turning of one year into the next were seen as sacred and were considered the key times for magical transformations.
Origin 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.
Significance Samhain is often seen as a time to honor the cycle of death and rebirth. This is not a physical death, but a metaphorical one. It is a time to let go of the old and to look forward to the new. This could be habits, beliefs, relationships, or anything else that is no longer serving you.
When Celebrated Samhain is traditionally celebrated from sunset on 31 October to sunset on 1 November, which is 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.
How Celebrated Samhain is celebrated in several ways. Many people create a special altar to honor their loved ones. It is also common to light a bonfire as part of the celebrations. People often prepare a 'dumb supper' to honor their ancestors. A 'dumb supper' is a meal eaten in silence while seats are left empty for the spirits. It is also a time for divination and scrying, looking to the future.
Other Factors Samhain is considered a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld can 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.





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