Oidhche Shamhna Shona / Oíche Samhain

Samhain marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter:

"Oidhche Shamhna, or Samhain's Eve, was believed to be a gap in time. Ancient Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. This break in reality not only provided a link between the worlds, but also dissolved the structure of society for the night."

Halloween continues to be a liminal space and time - especially for children. For one special night we change the rules: we tell them to pretend to be someone they are not, to wander the streets at night, to knock on doors of people they don't know, to take candy from strangers, and even to play tricks.

Enjoy!

Cuimhnich air na daoine o'n d'thàinig thu.