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Samhain. It is the time of year when we feel closest to the spirits of our ancestors. It is a time to remember those we have lost to celebrate their passing.
Arthur Pendragon[src]

Samhain is a religious celebration and a day of great importance to the Old Religion. It marks the end of harvest and the lighter half of the year and the beginning of winter and the darker half of the year.

During Samhain, it is traditional to remember those who have been lost and celebrate their passing.

History[]

The people of Camelot celebrated Samhain by holding a feast in honor of those they'd lost. The feast was held on Samhain's Eve and was preceded by a speech from the current ruler which ended in a toast.

In the days of the Old Religion, the High Priestesses would gather on the Isle of the Blessed on Samhain's Eve and offer a sacrifice to release the Dorocha and other spirits into the living world. This tradition was revived by Morgana Pendragon the year after her failed takeover of Camelot (The Darkest Hour).

Trivia[]

  • Samhain is observed on November 1st, with celebrations beginning on the evening of October 31st.
  • According to Gaius, the stroke of midnight on Samhain's Eve is when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest (The Darkest Hour).

Historicity[]

Samhain is an important event in Celtic pagan and Irish mythology that marks the beginning of winter. It was when cattle were brought down from the summer pastures and livestock were slaughtered, and is associated with feasts, bonfires, and sacrifices. It was also when ancient burial mounds were opened, which were seen as portals to the Otherworld.

Samhain was seen as a threshold festival when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld thinned, and spirits could more easily come into our world. People would appease them with offerings of food and drink to ensure that they and their livestock survived the winter.

Gallery[]

See Also[]

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