#crossquarterday

The Celtic festival of Lughnasadh (LOO-nuh-suh), also referred to by its later Christianized counterpart Lammas (from “Loaf Mass”), is a powerful turning point in both the spiritual and agricultural year. Celebrated on August 1st, Lughnasadh is one of the four major cross-quarter festivals in the Celtic wheel of the year. It falls between the Summer Solstice (Litha) and the Autumn Equinox…

Samhuinn or Samhain are both words to describe the fire festival that predated what we now call Halloween. While I will say that it most likely started in Ireland, it is worth noting that Scotland and Ireland have a long history of trading folklore and customs(which is no surprise seeing how close the two countries are), and Samhuin is no exception.

"Of the whole series of annual festivals, Hallowe’en forms the most important occasion in the Highlands of Scotland." “The Popular Superstitions and Festive Amusements of the Highlanders of Scotland” by William Grant Stewart (1858)

During Samhuinn and the other three major historic festivals, the veil betewen the Otherworld and our own is said to be at its thinnest, but it is even more so on Samhuinn.

This not only made it so more dead and fairies roamed, but also made saining (cleansing) rituals stronger. For Samhuin, the main focus was on fire.

"All fires were extinguished in the home and on the farm. Then the Hallow fires were kindled, very similar to those of Beltane, but more important, as heralding the advent of a new year. From the consecrated pile, portions of fire were carried to the houses to renew the flames upon the domestic hearth." “Primitive Beliefs in the North-East of Scotland” by Joseph McKenzie McPherson (1929)

This would all start by putting out all the fires in the homes, and carrying torches about the fields and villages in a sunwise direction, to encourage good luck and good crops. When the torches were brought home, they would be collected into a bonfire.

The fires (according to Witchcraft & Second Sight in The Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and the Book of Halloween) were called Samhnagan, and there was one for each house. The houses would compete to see who could have the biggest fire, and whole districts would twinkle with bonfires.

"The motive behind the Samhain fires was the same as in. spired the Beltane festival. It was man’s response to, and attack upon, the powers of darkness. At this season, the day was shortening, the sun’s strength was diminishing, malevolent powers of every kind seemed to be abroad." “Primitive Beliefs in the North-East of Scotland” by Joseph McKenzie McPherson (1929)

This festival lasted as so in Scotland for a long time, even as they stopped elsewhere.

"The November Eve fires which in Ireland either died out or were replaced by candles were continued in Scotland. In Buchan, where was the altar-source of the Samhain fire, bonfires were lighted on hilltops in the eighteenth century; and in Moray the idea of fires of thanksgiving for harvest was kept to as late as 1866." “The Book of Hallowe’en” by Ruth Edna Kelley, A. M. (1919)

A common theme to all the quarter days were bannocks. For Halloween, the bannock was sometimes made with fortune telling in mind.

"The bonnach Bride, or bannock of the bride, was baked for the spring festival, the bonnach Bealltain, or Beltane bannock, for the summer festival; the bannach Lunastain, or Lammas bannock, for the autumn festival; and the bannach Samhthain, or Hallowmas Bannock, for the winter festival." “The Silver Bough: Volume 1”  by F. Marian McNeill (1957-1968)