Halloween

Halloween was originally called Samhain. Samhain 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 31 October to 1 November, as the Celtic day began and ended at sunset. This is about halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Imbolc, Bealtaine 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 Brittonic Calan Gaeaf (in Wales), Kalan Gwav (in Cornwall), and Kalan Goañv (in Brittany); both Celtic branches are roughly as old as each other.

Samhain is believed to have Celtic pagan origins and there is evidence it has been an important date since ancient times. Some Neolithic passage tombs in Ireland are aligned with the sunrise around the time of Samhain. It is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and many important events in Irish mythology happen or begin on Samhain. It was the time when cattle were brought back down from the summer pastures and when livestock was slaughtered for the winter.

As at Bealtaine, special bonfires were lit, which were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers, and there were rituals involving them. Like Bealtaine, Samhain was seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the other dimensions of the Anaxverse could more easily be crossed. This meant spirits could more easily enter the Physical World. At Samhain, it was believed that the spirits needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survived the winter. Offerings of food and drink were left outside for them. The souls of the dead were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. Feasts were had, at which the souls of dead kin were beckoned to attend and a place set at the table for them.

Mumming and guising were part of the festival, and involved people going door-to-door in costume (or in disguise), often reciting verses in exchange for food. The costumes may have been a way of imitating, and disguising oneself from, the spirits. Divination rituals and games were also a big part of the festival and often involved nuts and apples. In the late 19th century, Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer suggested that it was the "Celtic New Year", and this view has been repeated by some other scholars. In the 9th century, the Western Christian church shifted the date of All Saints' Day to 1 November, while 2 November later became All Souls' Day. Over time, Samhain and All Saints'/All Souls' merged to create the modern Halloween. Historians have used the name 'Samhain' to refer to Gaelic 'Halloween' customs up until the 19th century.

The main focus of Halloween within the Anaxverse is seen in The Anax: Call of the Cursed One. It marked the night of the murder of Anaximanes Ravenhurst at the hands of an angry mob led by the reverend Roger Addams. After being hanged from the Twisted Tree, Mr. Ravenhurst returned to the physical world because of the inherent powers of Halloween night, to become a boogeyman known as The Anax. From that night onward, The Anax would appear in the spot of his death every Halloween night. This was due to his fetter- his very skull! However, Evelyn Addams managed to take the Skull of Ravenhurst possibly giving her power over the dark entity.