Samhain 2026
Samhain starts at sunset on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Here is the exact astronomical moment where you live, and what the sky looks like that night.
What Samhain is
Samhain (pronounced SOW-in) is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, alongside Imbolc, Bealtaine and Lughnasa. Early Irish texts describe it as the end of the harvest and the start of the dark half of the year, a time of gatherings, feasts and bonfires, when the boundary between this world and the otherworld was thought to be thin.
Many Halloween customs, such as guising, turnip lanterns and divination games, come from Samhain traditions in Ireland and Scotland. In the 20th century modern Pagans, including Wiccans and Druids, made Samhain one of the eight sabbats of the Wheel of the Year, often as a time to remember the dead.
Why there are two dates
The festival is kept on fixed dates, October 31 to November 1. Astronomically, the cross-quarter point halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice comes about a week later, when the Sun reaches 225 degrees along its path. Some people celebrate on that day, or on the nearest new or full moon.
Related: Moon phase today · Full moon calendar 2026
Questions people ask
When is Samhain 2026?
Samhain is traditionally celebrated from sunset on Saturday, October 31, 2026 to sunset on November 1. The astronomical cross-quarter point, when the Sun is exactly halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice, is Sat, Nov 7, 9:52 AM UTC.
What is Samhain?
Samhain (pronounced SOW-in) was the Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest and the start of winter, recorded in early Irish literature. It was a time when the boundary with the otherworld was thought to be thin. Many Halloween customs grew out of it, and modern Pagans keep it as one of the eight sabbats.
How is Samhain different from Halloween?
Halloween (All Hallows' Eve) is the Christian eve of All Saints' Day on November 1, which took on many older Samhain customs in Ireland and Scotland. Today Halloween is mostly a secular holiday, while Samhain is kept as a religious or seasonal festival by many Pagans.
When is Samhain in the Southern Hemisphere?
Many Southern Hemisphere Pagans keep Samhain around April 30 to May 1, when autumn is turning to winter there. The astronomical point in 2026 is Tue, May 5, 11:49 AM UTC.
What does the Moon look like on Samhain night?
On Halloween night 2026 the Moon is a waning gibbous, about 60% lit.