We are now deep into Autumn here in the UK and in other countries around the world. I do enjoy autumn. I love seeing the leaves turning orange, red and brown and falling from the trees. It is a time of change, a seasonal bridge between summer and winter. It can be a time of reflection for people as they look back on the summer. I thought, instead of just looking back to the summer months, let's go back to the time of the Celts.
The Celts had a deep respect and certain beliefs regarding the importance of each season. So, let's take a look at autumn, as this was considered a time of huge change for the Celts and was the start of their year after Halloween.
In the Celtic calendar, the New Year was celebrated after the Samhain festival on October the 31st. This is what we now know as Halloween. Children and adults may dress up in costumes and generally want to have a fun time. This, however, is very different to how the Celts celebrated the occasion.
In the olden days of the Celts it was a big festival and celebration. The beginning of the day was dusk and not dawn; the Samhain festival marked the beginning of the new year. This was a time when the grazing cows were sent to the village for winter and the traditions were strictly adhered to. The Celts of the different countries and regions each had their own traditions.
The Samhain celebration was also the Celtic belief that, at dusk, the curtain that separates this world from the next became thinner and the spirits would be able to come back. Also, certain people such as priests and poets could visit that world.
So as the Celts autumn was the beginning of the new year and their new selves. Anyone now can make any time of the year a new one for themselves. They could reflect and they could look at what changes they felt were required in order to start their new year and a new beginning at a day and date they wish.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.
Keith.
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