Samhain (say it "SOW-in") is the Wiccan sabbat celebrated on October 31, the same night as Halloween. It marks the last harvest, the start of the dark half of the year and, for many witches, the witches' New Year. It's a night to honor the dead, look ahead to the coming year and say goodbye to what's finished.
Most people know the costumes and the carved pumpkins. But there's a lot more to Samhain in Wicca than trick-or-treating, and plenty of Halloween customs grew out of it. In this guide you'll find what Samhain means, where it comes from, the folklore and spirits tied to it, and simple ways to celebrate it at home.
Quick answer: do Wiccans celebrate Halloween? Yes, in their own way. Most Wiccans celebrate Samhain on October 31 as a sacred sabbat, and many enjoy the fun side of Halloween too. In the Southern Hemisphere, many witches celebrate Samhain on April 30 or May 1 instead, when it's autumn there.
How to Celebrate Samhain in 6 Simple Steps
Short on time? Here's a simple Samhain celebration you can do in one evening. Each step is explained further down.
- Clean and cleanse your space. Tidy up, open a window and let the old year's energy out.
- Set up a Samhain altar. Add black, orange or deep purple candles, autumn leaves, apples, a small pumpkin and photos of loved ones who have passed.
- Honor your ancestors. Say their names out loud, light a candle for them and leave a small offering of food or drink.
- Share a seasonal meal. Cook something with apples, squash, root vegetables or a family recipe. Some witches set an extra place for the dead.
- Try a little divination. Draw a tarot card, read the candle flame or scry in a dark bowl of water for a message about the year ahead.
- Release the old year. Write down a habit or worry you're ready to let go of and burn it safely in a candle flame or cauldron.
What Is Samhain in Wicca?
Samhain is one of the eight sabbats on the Wheel of the Year and one of the four Greater Sabbats. It falls roughly halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. In the early Irish calendar, Samhain marked the start of winter and the dark half of the year, which is why many Wiccans treat it as the New Year.
In the Wiccan story of the year, Samhain is when the God dies and passes into the underworld, and the Goddess takes on her Crone face: wise, quiet and close to the mysteries of death and rebirth. It's a time to reap what was sown at Beltane, give thanks for the harvest and rest before the sun returns at Yule.
In the Northern Hemisphere, most witches celebrate from sunset on October 31 into November 1. Some prefer to celebrate on the nearest dark or full moon, which you can find on our moon calendar. South of the equator, Samhain usually falls on April 30 or May 1.
Samhain Correspondences
Use these to decorate your altar, choose candles or plan a spell. You'll find even more in our Samhain cheat sheet.
| Correspondence | Samhain associations |
|---|---|
| Colors | Black, orange, deep purple, burgundy, gold (see the colors of Samhain) |
| Herbs and plants | Rosemary (for remembrance), sage, mugwort, apple, pumpkin, calendula, cinnamon |
| Crystals | Obsidian, smoky quartz, onyx, hematite, carnelian |
| Foods | Apples, pumpkins, squash, root vegetables, nuts, dark breads, soul cakes, mulled cider |
| Symbols | Jack-o'-lanterns, skulls, cauldrons, besoms, acorns, fallen leaves, photos of ancestors |
| Deities | Crone goddesses like Hecate, the Morrígan and Cerridwen, and the Horned God as lord of the dead |
| Themes | Ancestors, death and rebirth, endings, divination, the new year |
The History of Samhain
The name Samhain comes from Old Irish and is still the Irish word for November. Medieval Irish texts describe it as one of the four great seasonal festivals, alongside Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh. The stories set many important events at Samhain: great gatherings at Tara, the seat of the high kings, and meetings between people and the Otherworld, which was thought to be especially close at this time.
We don't know exactly how pre-Christian people celebrated it, because the Celts left few written records of their own, and the Irish tales were written down by Christian monks centuries later. Bonfires, feasting and settling the year's business seem to have been part of it. Many modern accounts add details, like druid sacrifices, that aren't backed by good evidence, so take dramatic claims with a pinch of salt.
From Samhain to Halloween
In the 8th and 9th centuries, the Church in Rome set All Saints' Day on November 1, and All Souls' Day on November 2 followed later. The night before All Saints became All Hallows' Eve, or Halloween. Historians still debate how much the Church chose these dates because of older festivals, but over time Samhain customs and Christian ones blended together.
By the 1800s, Halloween in Ireland and Scotland meant fortune-telling games with apples and nuts, bonfires, and guising: going door to door in disguise for food. The painting above, Daniel Maclise's Snap-Apple Night (1833), shows an Irish Halloween party full of these games. Irish and Scottish immigrants later brought these customs to North America, where they grew into the Halloween we know.
Feralia, Lemuria and All Saints
The Romans had their own festivals of the dead: Feralia in February, when families honored their ancestors, and Lemuria in May, when restless spirits were sent away from the home. These weren't versions of Samhain, but they show how many cultures set aside time for the dead.
In the early 7th century, Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome, once a temple to many gods, to the Virgin Mary and all the martyrs on May 13. A later pope, Gregory III, dedicated a chapel to all the saints on November 1, and that date spread. When Wicca took shape in Britain in the 1950s, Samhain returned to its old name and became one of the most important nights of the witch's year.
Samhain Folklore: Spirits and Monsters
A lot of Halloween's spookiness has roots in Irish and Scottish folklore about this time of year. When the Otherworld comes close, all sorts of beings are said to wander.
In 19th-century Ireland and Scotland, people carved lanterns from turnips and other root vegetables, sometimes with frightening faces, to light the way or scare off wandering spirits. Irish immigrants in America found pumpkins bigger and easier to carve, and the pumpkin jack-o'-lantern was born. Disguises worked the same way: if you looked like a spirit, the spirits would leave you alone. You can read more about the fair folk in our article Faeries: Friendly or Frightening?.
The Sídhe (the Fair Folk)
In Irish lore the aos sí, or people of the mounds, live in the hills and ancient burial mounds. At Samhain the mounds were said to open, and the fair folk could walk among people. They weren't cute little fairies: they could be generous, but they could also steal people away. Leaving out food and staying respectful was the wise choice.
The Púca
The púca (say it "POO-ka") is a shapeshifter from Irish folklore. It most often appears as a dark horse with glowing eyes, but it can take the shape of a goat, a hare or a little old man. Stories tell of it taking riders on wild night journeys and leaving them dazed and far from home.
The púca is especially tied to Samhain. An old Irish saying warns you not to pick blackberries after Samhain, because the púca has spoiled them. It's mischievous more than evil, and some tales even have it helping farmers.
The Dullahan
The Dullahan is a headless rider from Irish folklore who carries his own head under his arm and rides a black horse. Where he stops, it's said someone will die, and if he calls your name, your time has come. Some writers link him to the old god Crom Dubh, but that connection is a modern idea without much evidence. You may know his American cousin: the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow.
Thinning of the Veil
Many witches believe that at Samhain the veil between the world of the living and the world of spirits is at its thinnest. The veil isn't a physical thing; it's a way of describing the boundary between what we can see and what we can't. On most days it feels firm. At Samhain it seems to soften, and spirits, messages and intuition come through more easily.
That's why Samhain is such a popular time for Samhain divination, like tarot, runes and scrying, and for honoring your ancestors. Some witches feel their loved ones close by; others simply find the season makes them reflect on life and death.
If you work with spirits at this time, go slowly and stay grounded. Cast a circle or light a protection candle first, be clear about who you want to connect with, and close the session firmly when you're done. Trust what you feel: if something feels wrong, stop.
Ways to Celebrate Samhain
Samhain has a playful side, but at heart it's a quiet, thoughtful festival. Here are some of the most loved ways Wiccans celebrate it.
1. Share a Harvest Dinner or a Dumb Supper
Samhain is the last harvest, so a cozy meal of seasonal food is one of the easiest ways to celebrate. Good choices include:
- Harvest fruits: apples, pears, cranberries, pomegranates
- Harvest vegetables: pumpkin, squash, potatoes, parsnips, turnips
- Nuts and seeds
- Dark breads like rye or pumpernickel, or soul cakes
- Warming herbs and spices: sage, rosemary, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice
For ideas, see our Samhain recipes and foods. Some witches also hold a dumb supper (or silent supper): an extra place is set for loved ones who have passed, and the meal is eaten in silence while everyone remembers them. Afterwards, the spirit plate is left outside or added to the compost as an offering.
2. Take a Samhain Nature Walk
Walk through a forest, park or even your own street and notice the season. Look at the bare branches, the fallen leaves, the animals getting ready for winter. Gather a few leaves, acorns or pine cones for your altar, and think about what in your own life is ready to fall away.
3. Set Up a Samhain Altar
Choose a quiet spot, clean it and cleanse it with smoke, sound or salt water. Cover it with a cloth in Samhain colors: black, deep purple or burgundy for the dark days ahead, or orange and gold for a warmer feel. Our guide to candle color meanings can help you choose your candles.
Add symbols of the harvest, like a small pumpkin, squash, apples, nuts and acorns. A small sickle or scythe, if you have one, is a symbol of the harvest and of endings. A goblet of mulled wine or cider and a sprig of rosemary for remembrance also fit beautifully.
Smoky quartz, obsidian or hematite help with grounding, meditation and protection. You can also add a figure or image for a Crone goddess or the Horned God. For lots more ideas, see our Samhain altar ideas.
4. Build an Ancestor Altar
An ancestor altar is a special space for the people who came before you. Use a cloth or blanket that belonged to a relative, framed photos of loved ones, a map of where your family comes from, or keepsakes like jewelry, letters or a favorite recipe card.
Offerings can be simple: a candle, a glass of water, a cup of coffee or tea, flowers, or a little of a dish your family loved. Remember that "ancestors" can mean chosen family, mentors and friends too, not only blood relatives. Our guide to honoring your ancestors at Samhain has a full ritual.
5. Connect With the Dead
Samhain is a traditional time to reach out to those who have passed. The gentlest way is simply to talk to them: sit by your ancestor altar, light a candle and tell them what's happening in your life. You might feel a warmth, notice a scent or get a dream in the nights that follow.
Some witches hold a séance with a small group of people they trust. Sit in a circle holding hands, choose one person to lead, and ask questions respectfully. Agree beforehand that nobody will mock or provoke a spirit, and that anyone can ask to stop. If you'd like to learn more about working safely with spirits, our Spirits and Familiars course covers it step by step.
Spirit Boards and Divination Tools
A spirit board (often called a Ouija board) is one tool some witches use at Samhain. If you use one, use it with at least one other person, set clear intentions first, and always end by moving the planchette to "Goodbye." Many beginners find a pendulum or tarot cards a calmer place to start.
When you're finished, thank any spirits, say clearly that the session is over, and cleanse the room with smoke, sound or salt. It's normal to notice vivid dreams afterwards. If you ever feel uneasy, ground yourself by eating something, washing your hands and stepping outside for some fresh air.
6. Bonfire and Candle Magick
Fire has been part of Samhain for a very long time. A simple release spell works with a bonfire, a fire pit, a fireplace or a heat-safe cauldron:
- Light your fire safely, outdoors or in a proper fireplace or cauldron.
- On a slip of paper, write a habit, fear or worry you want to leave behind with the old year.
- Fold the paper and hold it to your heart. Picture the year ahead without that weight.
- Drop the paper into the flames and say: "With the old year, I let this go. So mote it be."
No space for a fire? Light two candles instead, one black and one orange (white works too). Let the black candle stand for the year that's ending and the orange for the year to come. Sit with them, think about the choices that brought you here and the ones you want to make next, and set an intention for your new year.
Fire safety: never leave a candle or fire unattended, keep flames away from dried leaves, altar cloths, hair and pets, and have water or a fire blanket nearby. Check local fire rules before lighting anything outdoors.
Final Thoughts
Samhain is a night of endings and beginnings: a time to remember the dead, celebrate the harvest and step into a new year. You don't need an elaborate ritual. A candle, a photo and a few quiet words are enough. If you'd like to celebrate every sabbat with guided rituals, recipes and lore, our Wiccan Holidays course walks you around the whole Wheel of the Year.
Blessed Samhain! How will you be celebrating this year?
Check out our other articles:
Samhain Altar Ideas
Samhain Recipes and Foods
Honoring Your Ancestors at Samhain
Samhain Divination
See All Articles
Love this article? Share the magick with your friends and loved ones!
Samhain FAQs
Do Wiccans celebrate Halloween?
Most Wiccans celebrate Samhain on October 31, which falls on the same night as Halloween. For Wiccans it is a sacred sabbat to honor the dead and mark the new year, but many also enjoy costumes, pumpkins and trick-or-treating.
Is Samhain the same as Halloween?
Not quite. Samhain is an old Gaelic festival marking the start of winter, and Halloween (All Hallows' Eve) is the night before the Christian All Saints' Day. Over the centuries the two blended, so many Halloween customs, like disguises and lanterns, have roots in Samhain folklore.
How do you pronounce Samhain?
Samhain is usually pronounced "SOW-in" (rhyming with "cow-in"). The spelling is Irish, where "mh" makes a "w" or "v" sound. It is still the Irish word for November.
Why is Samhain called the witches' New Year?
In the early Irish calendar, Samhain marked the start of winter and the dark half of the year. Many Wiccans see the year as beginning in darkness, like a seed in the soil, so they treat Samhain as the start of a new turn of the Wheel of the Year.
When is Samhain in the Southern Hemisphere?
Many witches south of the equator celebrate Samhain on April 30 or May 1, when it is autumn there. Others keep October 31 to stay in step with the wider community. Choose the date that matches the season where you live.
What does it mean that the veil is thin at Samhain?
Many witches believe the boundary between the living and the spirit world is at its weakest around Samhain. That makes it a traditional time for honoring ancestors, divination and connecting with loved ones who have passed.
What do you do on Samhain?
Popular ways to celebrate include setting up an ancestor altar, holding a dumb supper, cooking a harvest meal, doing divination, taking a nature walk and doing a release spell with fire or candles. Even lighting one candle for a loved one is a meaningful Samhain ritual.
