Hallowe'en

[nikkalmati]

No: HPFGUIDX 191388



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff" <geoffbannister123 at ...> wrote:
>
> 
>> 
> Geoff:  
> Bearing in mind that nowadays Hallowe'en is frequently linked with the 
> idea of Dark magic with ghosts and evil spirits being abroad for one night.
> 
> Nikkalmati:
 Second, witchcraft in the popular mind is associated with the pre-Christian Celtic religion for which Samhan, celebrated at the same time as Halloween is now, was a great feastday. 
> 
> Geoff:
> It depends on which popular mind you are considering. If you were to ask 
> the great majority of British people what Samhain was, they would not know. 
> I didn't until fairly recently when I was following something up on Hallowe'en
> in connection with HP and came across the name. I don't think it was in canon; 
> it might have been in an HP-related article or one of my occasional browses 
> in fanfic.
> 
> It may mean something more to the Irish who seem to be more into Gaelic 
> things than their Welsh or Scottish cousins.
>
Nikkalmati

I checked with Wikipedia and it is very confusing.  Apparently it is clear the Celts did something on this date but whether it was just an assembly or a religious feast is not clear.  It also is not clear what Samhain means - either "summer" or possibly "assembly".  Everything has been overlaid with the Celtic revival and romanticism and finally New Age beliefs.  Currently most people just want to dress up and party.

Nikkalmati