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===Samhain and the Celtic calendar===

===Samhain and the Celtic calendar===

That Halloween originated as the day before All Saints' Day might seem straightforward explanation. But popular history points to another source: The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.<ref>For a "popular history" account, see "[https://www.irishpost.com/news/samhain-seven-facts-about-the-spooky-irish-festival-which-became-halloween-105009 Samhain: Seven facts about the spooky Irish festival which became Halloween]", ''Irish Post''.</ref>

That Halloween originated as the day before All Saints' Day might seem a straightforward explanation. But popular history points to another source: The pagan festival of Samhain, observed by the ancient Celts.<ref>For a "popular history" account, see "[https://www.irishpost.com/news/samhain-seven-facts-about-the-spooky-irish-festival-which-became-halloween-105009 Samhain: Seven facts about the spooky Irish festival which became Halloween]", ''Irish Post''.</ref>

[[File:De Ricci Coligny 1926 detail month14.jpeg|left|130px|thumb|Part of the Coligny calendar. This Celtic calendar was discovered in Coligny France in 1897]]In modern Gaelic, ''Samhain'' refers primarily to the month of November.<ref>Mark, Colin, ''The Gaelic–English Dictionary'' (2003).</ref> For the pre-Christian Celts, Samhain was the most important date of the year. Little is known of the pagan festival. Sources on Samhain conflict on many points, including what time of year the festival was.  

[[File:De Ricci Coligny 1926 detail month14.jpeg|left|130px|thumb|Part of the Coligny calendar. This Celtic calendar was discovered in Coligny France in 1897]]In modern Gaelic, ''Samhain'' refers primarily to the month of November.<ref>Mark, Colin, ''The Gaelic–English Dictionary'' (2003).</ref> For the pre-Christian Celts, Samhain was the most important date of the year. Little is known of the pagan festival. Sources on Samhain conflict on many points, including what time of year the festival was.