1. In the 9th century, the Roman Catholic
Church shifted the date of All Saints'
Day to 1 November, while 2 November
later became All Souls' Day.
Over time, Samhain and All Saints'/All
Souls' merged and helped to create the
modern Halloween.
2. Oweynagat ('cave of the cats'), one of the many 'gateways to the
Otherword' from whence beings and spirits were said to have
emerged on Samhain.
3. Guising: To disguise oneself to trick the faeries.
In parts of southern Ireland during the 19th century, the guisers
included a hobby horse known as the Láir Bhán (white mare).
7. Members of the Pheonix Bonfre society walk with burning
staffs during the Bonfire Night celebrations on November 5,
2012 in Lewes, Sussex in England. Bonfire Night is related to
the ancient festival of Samhain, the Celtic New Year.
Processions held across the South of England culminate in
Lewes on November 5, commemorating the memory of the
seventeen Protestant martyrs.
10. The Lantern
According to historian Ronald Hutton, in the 19th century,
Hallowe'en guisers in parts of Ireland and the Scottish
Highlands commonly used jack-o'-lanterns made from
turnips and mangelwurzels. They were "often carved with
grotesque faces to represent spirits or goblins".
In these areas, 31 October–1 November was known as
Samhain and it was seen as a time when spirits or fairies
were particularly active. Christopher Hill also writes that
"jack-o'-lanterns were carved out of turnips or squashes
and were literally used as lanterns to guide guisers on All
Hallows' Eve."
Some claim that the Jack-o'-lanterns originated with All
Saints' Day (1 November)/All Souls' Day (2 November) and
represented Christian souls in purgatory.
