Samhain (pronounced or , ) is a
Gaelic festival marking the end of the
harvest season and the beginning of winter or the "
darker half" of the year. Traditionally, it is celebrated from the very beginning of
one Celtic day to its end, or in the modern calendar,
from sunset on 31 October
to sunset on 1 November, this places it about halfway between the
autumn equinox and the
winter solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with
Imbolc,
Beltane and
Lughnasadh. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the
Isle of Man. Similar festivals are held at the same time of year in other
Celtic lands; for example the
Brythonic Calan Gaeaf (in Wales),
Kalan Gwav (in
Cornwall), and Kalan Goañv (in
Brittany).