# Samhain: History, Traditions and Ways to Celebrate > Samhain falls on 31 October – 1 November. The Gaelic festival marking summer's end and the start of the dark half of the year. This guide covers where… URL: https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/guides/samhain-guide Updated: 2026-10-30 Samhain falls on 31 October – 1 November. The Gaelic festival marking summer's end and the start of the dark half of the year. This guide covers where Samhain comes from, its folklore, simple ways to celebrate at home or outdoors in the UK, and what to put on your altar. ## History and meaning The Gaelic festival marking summer's end and the start of the dark half of the year. In tradition the veil between worlds is thin, so it is a time to honour ancestors. Many Halloween customs, such as guising and turnip lanterns, grew from it in Scotland and Ireland. As with every sabbat, modern practice blends genuine old custom with 20th-century revival, and both are part of a living tradition. ## Customs in Britain and Ireland Customs around Samhain vary by region, family and path. Look for local fairs, church festivals and folk customs near you; our town guides list heritage sites and seasonal events across the UK. Many old customs were practical, marking the farming year, the movement of animals or the turn of the light, and their meanings grew around that work. ## Ways to celebrate ### At home Set a place for ancestors, light a black or orange candle, carve a turnip or pumpkin lantern, and take a quiet walk at dusk. ### Outdoors Walk somewhere that shows the season, such as a hill at sunrise, a wood or a stone circle. Leave nothing behind but footprints. ### With others Share food, tell stories or join an open celebration. Many Druid and pagan groups hold public rites. ### Journaling Write what this season means to you, what you want to release and what you hope to grow before Yule. ## Altar ideas and colours Traditional altar items include black candles, obsidian, smoky quartz, myrrh or dragon's blood incense, skulls and cauldrons. Add what you find outside: leaves, flowers, seeds or stones. Keep candles on a heat-proof plate, away from anything that could catch, and never leave them alone. ## Folklore Samhain lore tells of the Cailleach taking over from the summer, of fairy hills opening, and of travellers hurrying home before dark. In Wales, Nos Calan Gaeaf was a spirit night, when people avoided churchyards, stiles and crossroads. ## Food and drink Colcannon, barmbrack (an Irish fruit loaf that traditionally hides a ring), soul cakes, apples, nuts and mulled cider. In Ireland the night was once called Oíche Shamhna, and nuts were roasted on the fire to divine sweethearts. ## Nature at this time Hedgerows are bare of fruit, rooks gather in big roosts at dusk, and the first hard frosts arrive in many places. Clocks have just gone back, so evenings are suddenly dark. ## The sky at Samhain On 31 October 2027: In London the sun rises at about 06:51 and sets at about 16:38. In Cardiff the sun rises at about 07:03 and sets at about 16:50. In Edinburgh the sun rises at about 07:16 and sets at about 16:37. In Belfast the sun rises at about 07:22 and sets at about 16:52. The nearest new moon is on 29 October 2027. Times are calculated and approximate, in UK clock time. ## Reflection prompts ### Looking back What has this last season given you, and what are you ready to let go? ### Looking forward What would you like to have grown by Yule? ### Gratitude Name three things from the natural world you noticed this week. ## Where it sits on the Wheel Samhain comes after Mabon and before Yule. The Wheel of the Year guide covers all eight festivals. UK delivery is £3.95, free on orders over £40, and usually takes 2–5 working days. ## Samhain dates for 2026, 2027 and 2028 Solstice and equinox times are calculated with astronomy-engine for UK clock time. The cross-quarter festivals are kept on their fixed calendar dates by most people, though some prefer the astronomical midpoint, a few days later. | Year | Date | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | 2026 | 31 October – 1 November 2026 | Fixed calendar date (cross-quarter day) | | 2027 | 31 October – 1 November 2027 | Fixed calendar date (cross-quarter day) | | 2028 | 31 October – 1 November 2028 | Fixed calendar date (cross-quarter day) | ## Samhain on a budget You do not need to buy much to mark Samhain. A single candle in a window, a photo of someone you miss, a few autumn leaves and a bowl of apples make a complete altar. Many people cook a meal with seasonal food and set an extra place for those who have died, a custom known as the dumb supper, eaten in silence. ## Ideas for families Samhain and Halloween sit side by side, so children can join in easily. - Carve a turnip or swede lantern, the older British and Irish tradition before pumpkins arrived from America. - Play apple bobbing or snap apple, both recorded in Britain and Ireland for centuries. - Tell family stories about grandparents and great-grandparents and look at old photographs together. - Walk somewhere at dusk to notice how quickly the evenings are drawing in. ## After Samhain Many people keep their ancestor altar up until the start of November, then compost the natural items and put photographs away carefully. It is a natural moment to clear out, write a list of what you want to let go of, and start planning for the dark half of the year. ## Sunrise and sunset across the UK on Samhain, 31 October 2026 Calculated with astronomy-engine for each city, in UK clock time. Day length grows the further north you go in summer and shrinks in winter. | City | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | London | 06:52 | 16:35 | 9h 43m | | Cardiff | 07:04 | 16:47 | 9h 43m | | Birmingham | 07:01 | 16:39 | 9h 38m | | Manchester | 07:05 | 16:38 | 9h 32m | | Belfast | 07:24 | 16:49 | 9h 26m | | Edinburgh | 07:17 | 16:34 | 9h 17m | | Inverness | 07:26 | 16:33 | 9h 7m | ## The moon on the day - 31 October 2026: waning gibbous, 61% lit. - 31 October 2027: waxing crescent, 6% lit. ## Crystals, herbs and colours for Samhain Traditional choices for an ancestor altar, with links to each stone's page: - [Black obsidian](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/crystals/black-obsidian): protection and honest self-reflection; used for scrying mirrors - [Black tourmaline](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/crystals/black-tourmaline): protection and grounding; often placed by doors - [Smoky quartz](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/crystals/smoky-quartz): grounding and letting go - [Garnet](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/crystals/garnet): most often deep wine red; also orange, green and purple - [Onyx](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/crystals/onyx): black, or black and white banded - Herbs and scents: [myrrh](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/incense-and-herbs/myrrh), [dragon's blood](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/incense-and-herbs/dragons-blood), [rosemary](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/incense-and-herbs/rosemary) for remembrance. - Colours: black, orange, deep purple and silver. ## Seasonal pieces from the shop Real pieces in stock today, with current prices. Each product page lists size, materials and what is included. - [The Spellbook Oracle Cards- Witchcraft Deck](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/products/the-spellbook-oracle-cards-witchcraft-deck918): £3.20. - [Pyramid Shape Display Incense - Set of 5 Ancient Witch Scents & Spells](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/products/pyramid-shape-display-incense-set-of-5-ancient-witch-scents-spells941): £20.00. - [Purple Foil Tarot Card Set - Witch Tarot - with booklet](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/products/purple-foil-tarot-card-set-witch-tarot-with-booklet946): £22.88. - [Cauldron Singing Bowl - Magic Mushroom - Yellow (15cm)](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/products/cauldron-singing-bowl-magic-mushroom-yellow-15cm958): £28.00. - [Tarot Reading Cloth - Ancient Witch](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/products/tarot-reading-cloth-ancient-witch965): £4.00. - [Cauldron Singing Bowl - Magic Mushroom - Blue (15cm)](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/products/cauldron-singing-bowl-magic-mushroom-blue-15cm980): £28.00. - [Ancient Witch Spell Incense - Cleansing - Rock Crystal Pendulum](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/products/ancient-witch-spell-incense-cleansing-rock-crystal-pendulum024): £7.95. - [Ancient Witch Ritual Water - Fountain of Youth](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/products/ancient-witch-ritual-water-fountain-of-youth032): £6.40. ## Words worth knowing - **Wheel of the Year**: the modern pagan cycle of eight seasonal festivals, popularised in Britain in the 1950s and 60s. - **Sabbat**: one of those eight festivals. - **Quarter day**: a solstice or equinox, fixed by the sun. - **Cross-quarter day**: a festival roughly halfway between a solstice and an equinox: Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain. - **Esbat**: a full moon gathering or ritual, as opposed to a sabbat. - **Altar**: a surface set aside for seasonal and ritual objects. ## Questions **When is Samhain?** 31 October – 1 November. **How is Samhain celebrated?** Set a place for ancestors, light a black or orange candle, carve a turnip or pumpkin lantern, and take a quiet walk at dusk. **What colours are used for Samhain?** Common choices include black candles. **Do I need special tools for Samhain?** No. A candle, something seasonal and a quiet moment are enough. **When should I order for Samhain?** Allow about five working days before the date. UK delivery is £3.95, free on orders over £40, and usually takes 2–5 working days. **Is Samhain a pagan festival?** Samhain is one of the eight festivals of the modern pagan Wheel of the Year, marking remembering the dead and the turn into winter. Some of its customs are old folk traditions in Britain and Ireland; the name and the eight-festival cycle in its current form date from the 20th century. **How can I celebrate Samhain on my own?** Light a candle, go for a walk to notice the season, cook something seasonal and write a few lines about what Samhain means to you this year. Solitary celebration is completely normal in modern paganism. **What food is eaten at Samhain?** Traditional and seasonal choices include apples, soul cakes, barmbrack, root vegetables and pumpkin soup. **Can children join in with Samhain?** Yes. Crafts, seasonal walks, baking and decorating are all easy ways to include children. Keep candles and fires supervised. **What crystals are used for Samhain?** Popular crystals for Samhain are [obsidian](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/crystals/obsidian) and [smoky quartz](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/crystals/smoky-quartz), along with jet. They are chosen for colours and themes that match the season in modern Pagan practice. Place them on your altar or carry one through the festival. Browse our [crystals](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/collections/crystals). **What incense is used for Samhain?** Traditional scents for Samhain include [myrrh](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/incense-and-herbs/myrrh), [rosemary](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/incense-and-herbs/rosemary) and [copal](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/incense-and-herbs/copal). Burn one stick or a little resin while you light a candle or set up your altar. Keep the room ventilated and never leave incense unattended. See our [incense](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/collections/incense). These are traditions rather than rules, so use what you love. **What food is traditional for Samhain?** Seasonal food for Samhain includes apples, pumpkins, soul cakes, nuts and root vegetables. Sharing a meal made from what is in season is one of the simplest ways to mark any festival on the Wheel of the Year. Setting a small portion aside as an offering is a common custom. **Where is Samhain celebrated in the UK and Ireland?** Well-known places for Samhain include Tlachtga in Ireland and Halloween customs across Scotland and Wales. Many people also mark it quietly at home, in a garden or on a local hill. Check opening times and access rules before visiting any ancient site, and leave nothing behind. **Who is honoured at Samhain?** Samhain is traditionally linked with ancestors and the Cailleach. Modern Pagans honour these figures in different ways, from lighting a candle to telling the old stories, and many people simply celebrate the season itself. There is no single correct practice. ## Related - [Wheel of the year guide](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/guides/wheel-of-the-year-guide) - [Ritual kits](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/collections/ritual-kits) - [Candles](https://www.starseeduk.co.uk/collections/candles) --- Starseed UK describes spiritual uses as tradition and belief, never as health or medical claims. UK delivery £3.95, free over £40.