Samhain

Examples

• All

• The festival ... of samhain.

  Halloween II (1981)

• Many people celebrate Samhain by lighting candles to honor their ancestors.

• During Samhain, festivities often include traditional feasts and costumes.

• The ancient festival of Samhain marks the transition from the harvest season to winter.

Synonyms

H

harvest festival

vsSamhain

5 3.3

A community celebration that marks the end of the harvest with food and music

focuses more on winter start and honoring the dead beyond harvest

R

religious holiday

vsSamhain

4 2.2

A day when people of a faith have ceremonies and celebrate

is a multi-day festival marking seasonal change and honoring the dead

H

Hallowe'en

vsSamhain

• UK

1 3.2

An evening on October 31 when children wear costumes and ask for candy

is a festival about the harvest end and honoring the dead rather than trick-or-treating

R

religious festival

vsSamhain

1 2.0

A public event where people celebrate their faith

is a seasonal harvest and dead-honoring event within older traditions

S

sabbat

vsSamhain

1 9.9

A festival in Wiccan tradition that marks a point in the seasons

is a harvest-end festival honoring the dead beyond only Wiccan use

P

pagan festival

vsSamhain

1 6.7

A celebration from old religions before Christianity that marks seasonal events with dancing or bonfires

is the same seasonal festival but rooted in ancient harvest and dead rituals

A

Allhallows Eve

vsSamhain

1 5.5

The evening before All Saints' Day when people wear costumes and children collect sweets

is an older harvest and dead-honoring festival rather than only an evening

Surface Forms

Etymology