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Samhain

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By Patrick Conlan





The Festival of Samhain is considered one of the most significant holidays in the Celtic calendar. It marks the end of the previous year and the beginning of a new cycle. Samhain is often referred to as the "Celtic New Year" and is celebrated on the night of October 31st - November 1st. This festival is still celebrated today in various forms, most notably as Halloween.

The origins of Samhain can be traced back to ancient Ireland, where it was believed to be a time when the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was at its thinnest. The festival was a time for honouring ancestors and seeking guidance for the year ahead. It was also a time for divination and prophecy, with various rituals being performed to predict the future.

Today, many people still celebrate Samhain as a time to honour their a


ncestors, reflect on the past year, and set intentions for the upcoming one. It is a time for connecting with loved ones who have passed on and for embracing the cycles of life and death. While the modern-day celebration of Halloween has taken on a more commercialized and secularized form, the roots of this holiday are still deeply rooted in the ancient traditions of the Celtic people

Location: Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland

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