30/10/2025
Whether you’re celebrating Beltane here in the Southern Hemisphere or Samhain in the Northern Hemisphere, Blessed Be. 🙏🏼💕
For those that are interested in learning about the traditions behind Halloween:
Halloween, also known as Samhain or All Hallows’ Eve, marks the new year for many people who work in tune with the cycles of nature, making this festival an anticipated event on the calendar.
Today kids around the world, go from house to house, yelling trick-or-treat after donning a crazy costume and preparing for a night of fun-filled havoc.
However, just like many complain that the true meaning of Christmas is forgotten, do people know the true origins behind Halloween?
Samhain, (pronounced sow-en) meaning “summer’s end” has been celebrated for millennia by Celtic and pagan people. Samhain has always been recognised as the time of year when the veil between the physical world and that of the spiritual realm is at its thinnest. Thus, this is the best time of the year to remember those that have passed, honour our ancestors and even contact people who have passed away.
The tradition of dressing up originated from the idea that as the veil between worlds was thin, ghosts and unwanted spirits could come back to our world. Dressing in scary costumes was believed to make spirits feel comfortable and unlikely to haunt or terrorise you, believing you are one of them.
Later, in the seventh century Pope Gregory III declared November 1 to be a day to honour all saints and martyrs. This holiday is now known as All Saints’ Day. Samhain was still a widely celebrated festival at the time, so All Saints’ Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before (31 October) was known as All Hallows’ Eve and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a secular, community-based event characterised by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating that many know of today.
So why is it not Halloween in Australia today? Samhain is the mid-point between the Autumn Equinox (Mabon) and Winter Solstice (Yule), which vary in date each year. This is around 31st October in the Northern Hemisphere. However we are about to reach the midpoint between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. This is the time of another celebration Beltane, honouring sacred unions, love making and creation of new life. Our Samhain, is near the end of April.