Every year, I hear the debate: Should we “do” Halloween at school, or should we avoid it? How does it fit in with those with faith or no faith? Would it be easier to skip it altogether? But perhaps what we’re really asking is, what are we missing when we do?
But what we are forgetting is Samhain (pronounced OW-in (rhymes with cow-in).
Across Scotland and Ireland, people marked Samhain, a Celtic festival of transition, that signalled the third and final harvest of the year. The earlier harvests were Lughnasadh / Lunastal at the start of August, celebrating the grain, and Mabon / Autumn Equinox in late September, celebrating the fruits. Samhain completed this cycle with the harvest of nuts, roots, and animals, when the land was prepared for rest. These three harvests — grain, fruit, and store — mark how people once read the rhythm of the land, each one an opportunity for gratitude.
Unlike modern Halloween, Samhain was not tied to a date in the diary; celebrations were linked to the moon cycle and the rhythm of the land. It marked the beginning of winter, when the Cailleach comes forth to rule the lands once more.
It was a time of reflection, gratitude, and a story of light kindled against darkness, with fires and lanterns symbolising both protection and renewal. Just as Diwali, Hanukkah, and St Lucia’s Day mark light in the darkness across the world, Samhain is our own local festival of light, rooted in the landscape and traditions of these islands.
Families gathered to share food, remember loved ones, and prepare for the cold, dark months ahead — not with fear, but with respect for the natural turning of the year.
In schools, Samhain gives us a rich, inclusive way to explore seasonal change – without the pumpkins, ghouls and glare. It’s a tradition of belonging, transition, and light in the dark.
From The Cailleach’s Herbarium
To understand its deeper meaning, it’s worth turning to one of my favourite resources on folklore. Writer and folklorist Scott at the Cailleach’s Herbarium beautifully describes Samhain as “the end of summer,” a time of consecration, purification, and renewal. Fires were lit not just for celebration but for cleansing and protection as “this world and the other become equal; boundaries are removed and things from both can move freely between.”
Scott also reminds us that the Cailleach herself is reborn at Samhain, washing her plaid in the whirlpool of Corryvreckan until it turns white — a poetic symbol for the first snows and the coming of winter.
These are the kinds of stories that allow us to talk with pupils about change, renewal, and balance in ways that feel magical but inclusive. They bring folklore alive as ecology and metaphor, not superstition.
Samhain in the Curriculum
Samhain offers a wonderful way to link folklore, science, art, wellbeing, and values — all through the lens of seasonal change.
Science:
- Investigate seasonal changes, light and shadow, or decomposition.
- Observe how fallen leaves feed the soil and connect to cycles of life.
Literacy & Storytelling:
- Explore myths of the Cailleach, the Holly King, or The Last Sheaf.
- Encourage reflective or descriptive writing: “What have I harvested this term?” or “What will I let go of as the year turns?”
Expressive Arts:
- Create spiral or fire mandalas, shadow art, or lanterns.
- Explore contrast — light/dark, warm/cool colours, sound/silence.
Health & Wellbeing:
- Use the season to talk about rest, gratitude, and change.
- Invite a moment of stillness outdoors: “Close your eyes. Feel the cool air. What will you carry forward into the darker months?”
Social Studies:
- Compare Samhain with Diwali, Hanukkah, or St Lucia’s Day, exploring shared human themes of light, hope, and community.
- Learn about how Scottish farmers and families lived seasonally, using history to deepen local understanding.
Classroom & Outdoor Ideas
- Light & Shadow Investigation – Measure shadows across the day, then link to myths of returning light.
- Nature Tray or Class Altar – Gather autumn finds, add gratitude leaves or “letting go” notes.
- Story Circle – Read or retell local folklore by torchlight.
- Harvest Mandalas – Use seeds, leaves, and natural materials to create class art.
- Circle Walk – Step outdoors, thank the land, and whisper a quiet intention for the winter ahead.
When we reframe this season as Samhain rather than “Halloween,” we return to the land, to story, and to shared human experience.
It becomes a festival of light, memory, and transition — one that honours both the harvest behind us and the rest to come.
“Even as darkness falls, there is beauty in the turning.
In every ending, the seed of a new beginning waits.”
