And to continue with the fundamental connectedness of all things, the Celtic
new year (Samhaim -- pronounced "Sowin") is a "cross-quarter day," coming
half-way between the atumnal equinox and the winter solstice.  The other
cross-quarter days of the Celtic calendar were Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas
-- and roughly coincide with Groundhog Day, May Day, and Midsummer's Day.

Curiously, there also were days of astronomical celebration or observance
approximately halfway between the quarters and cross-quarter days, which
happen to coincide (usually *very* roughly) with current celebrations --
some religious, some not (Thanksgiving, Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Easter,
Memorial Day, U.S. Independence Day and Canada Day, U.S. Labor Day, U.S.
Columbus Day and Canadian Thanksgiving).  You'll note many of those are U.S.
or at least North American.

Peter Lundell

|-----Original Message-----
|From: Jones, Virginia [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
|Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 2:58 PM
|To: [log in to unmask]
|Subject: Re: OT - Halloween
|
|
|One other piece of "history" - the last day of the Celtic Year
|(Allhallows'
|Even) was considered a time when the "door" between the living
|and dead was open, and Celts could ask a "boon" of their
|departed ancestors.  Thus the themes of spooks and ghosts and
|so on that became associated with Halloween.
|
|Ginny Jones (a Welsh Celt by ancestry)

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