Uncovering the Ancient Welsh Roots of Halloween

Contemporary Halloween celebrations often feature carved pumpkins, artificial cobwebs, and confectionery, a departure from its historical form, particularly in Wales. Known as Nos Calan Gaeaf, or Winter’s Eve in Welsh, this observance signifies the conclusion of autumn and the harvest season, traditionally marking a period when the boundary between the earthly realm and the afterlife is believed to become indistinct. This ancient festival, spanning centuries, traditionally involved igniting bonfires to repel spirits and donning costumes resembling giants and ghosts to disorient entities from the otherworld, long before the introduction of modern Halloween elements like the “Monster Mash.” Actress and singer Carys Eleri, who delved into this historical custom for a new documentary, commented that “we’ve really lost this connection with the original meanings, the true meanings, of this time of year.” Carys, who identifies Halloween as her preferred season, expressed, “I love the camp goth stuff, I love the camp horror… a bit of blood through the eyes, that’s a lot of fun.” She further posed, “But what is it? What is it to us? There’s so much more to this night than sweets and dressing up.” She added that “There’s equal amounts of pageantry to Calan Gaeaf, just with less of a sugar rush and a lot more depth.” The roots of Halloween are found in Samhain, a Celtic and pagan festival from northern Europe. This same origin applies to Nos Calan Gaeaf in Wales, which traditionally marked the conclusion of summer and the onset of winter. According to pre-Christian folklore, the initial day of winter, signifying the commencement of the year’s darker half, was when the barrier between our realm and the “otherworld,” referred to as Annwn, was considered most permeable. The evening of October 31st was characterized by indistinct divisions between life and the afterlife, a time when spirits traversed the earth, and the ghosts of the deceased were thought to appear at midnight. These ancient beliefs subsequently integrated with Christian observances, giving rise to Nos Calan Gaeaf. Carys, who was initiated as a druid in 2023, stated that despite contemporary Halloween evolving into “hyper horror,” its fundamental origins involve “being able to communicate with ancestors that you love.” She elaborated, “It’s actually a very wholesome time… I think sometimes you just need to shift that little frame so that it’s not terrifying, that it’s really beautiful and lovely.” For her documentary, which aired on Radio Wales, Carys explored comparable global traditions, ranging from Samhain in Ireland to Mexico’s Day of the Dead. She remarked, “I find that really interesting, that we did the same kind of celebrations thousands of years ago, but with a sea separating us.” She also noted, “The same kind of fairy tales and carving turnips – because we didn’t have pumpkins, that’s an American thing.” Nevertheless, while a significant aspect of the tradition involves commemorating ancestors, Carys also considers it a time to concentrate on the present. She stated, “I think it’s beautiful – it’s quite is quite dramatic and lots of pageantry that can happen – but it’s also very deeply meaningful.” She continued, “It’s a time to reflect on your own fate. That’s going to be you.” She concluded that “By reflecting on death, it reminds us to live.” The documentary, “Nos Calan Gaeaf: The Welsh Halloween,” is available for listening on BBC Sounds. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding the BBC’s external linking policy is available.