Following the spread of Christianity, Samhain Eve became known as All Hallows’ Eve, falling the evening before All Saints’ Day on November 1, also known as All Hallows’ Day, which commemorated the saints in heaven. This was followed by All Souls’ Day on November 2, which commemorated all departed souls, including those believed to be in purgatory. All Hallows’ Eve increasingly became associated with the dead who were thought to roam the land during this night. “They were the original Halloween lanterns – gnarled, misshapen and wonderfully unsettling.”Ms Millar added that both Samhain and All Hallows’ Eve were ultimately social festivals at a dark time of year. “Ulster’s traditions are not relics, they are living systems of knowledge that continue to influence how we live today.

Source: The Times October 19, 2025 22:48 UTC