Halloween is coming! The little kid in me is always excited about that. But, during my life so far, the holiday has transformed. When I was a child in 20th century America, Halloween was about ghosts and goblins, skeletons and scarecrows, witches and werewolves, faerie princesses and gypsies. Those were the costumes children wore to go trick-or-treating. And why did we go treat-or-treating? Because it was fun and—more importantly—a way to get candy! A neighbor lady who lived down the street gave apples. My child-self wondered what was wrong with her. Someone needed to explain the rules of Halloween to her!
Then I got older and enjoyed dressing up as a gypsy, a witch, or a ghoul to answer the door and give out treats to the little goblins. But, in the U.S., while skeletons, ghosts, and witches still appear at the door, they’re often accompanied by superheroes, pop stars, and ax murderers. The last one really bothers me, but I ranted about it last year (in my "No More Gore” post) so no rant this year.
As I continue to study more deeply Celtic folklore and traditions, I more and more long for All Hallows’ Eve to return to its Celtic roots and the beautifully spiritual themes of Samhain. In previous posts, I’ve explored those themes and the folklore associated with a Celtic Halloween. This year, I want to discuss a little-talked-about Celtic holiday: Nos Galen Gaeaf. It is the Welsh version of Halloween. Some of its traditions will sound familiar to those acquainted with Samhain, but it has its own unique characteristics too. So, follow me on this journey to Wales and the celebration of Nos Galen Gaeaf (aka Spirit Night) and Calan Gaeaf, the beginning of winter and the new year.
Nos Galen Gaeaf, Calan Gaeaf, and their Samhain Roots
A quick look at Welsh vocabulary will give you an idea of what these holidays are about. Nos means “night,” noson means “evening,” and gaeaf means “winter.” Calan is the Welsh word for “New Year” and Galan translates to “New Year’s Eve.” So, Calan Gaeaf celebrates the beginning of winter and the new year. Nos Galen Gaeaf is the threshold of change.
It is the space between the end of autumn and the start of winter. It is, as well, the transition from the old year to the new. That makes it a major in-between. If you’re acquainted with Celtic folklore, you know that in-betweens are highly magical places. Nos Galen Gaeaf, (which is celebrated on October 31st) is an in-between x 2, intensifying the magic exponentially.
This lines up perfectly with the ancient fire festival of Samhain (October 31st at sunset to sunset on November 1st). It is the Celtic New Year. It also marks the end of autumn, the beginning of winter, and the start of the dark half of the year. Take a moment to reflect on all those transitions. Now we’re up to in-betweens x 3! The ancient Celts considered Samhain an intensely magical time when time actually stopped (or at least paused). It was also a time when the natural and supernatural worlds intermingled. The veil between the worlds was at its thinnest, so residents of either world could crossover to the other. Supernatural beings, especially ghosts and faeries, inundated this world on Samhain’s Eve (Oct. 31st).
It’s unsurprising, then, that Nos Galen Gaeaf (Winter’s Eve and New Year’s Eve) is also known as Spirit Night. The ancient Celts believed that, on Samhain’s Eve, the ghosts of ancestors returned home from the Otherworld for a family visit. A tableful of food and a chair by the fire were set out to welcome them.
On Nos Galen Gaef, the Welsh traditionally avoid churchyards and graveyards to avoid encountering ghosts. It’s also advisable to stay out of crossroads, which count as an in-between. In-betweens tend to be a major hangout for wandering spirits.
Simply walking around after dark on Nos Galen Gaeaf could lead to terrifying experiences. Some people would carve menacing faces on turnips. They illuminated turnips with candles and lined roads with the creepy sculptures. These turnips were similar to today’s Jack-o-lanterns but were meant to a) scare away bad spirits and b) terrify people who dared travel the road that night.
Still, travelers could encounter an even more eerie experience: corpse candles. A supernatural phenomenon, corpse candles appeared out of nowhere and could surround you as they bobbed past in mid-air, processing down dark, lonely roads. Folklore says they are a ghostly funeral, an omen of death.
Traditionally, the Welsh built bonfires on Nos Galen Gaeaf to scare away malicious spirits. Then they’d party around the fire, singing and dancing, and roasting food such as apples or potatoes. This directly hearkens back to the celebration’s roots Samhain. As a fire festival, it always included a communal bonfire. Prayers and sacrifice were offered. Then the community feasted. Because Samhain marks the end of the harvest season, produce such as root vegetables and apples made up the chief offerings.
Because Samhain was a magical time, the Druids tried to tap into that magic through divination to make predictions about the coming year. Regular people took advantage of the magic too by trying their hand at fortune-telling. Divination games also are a traditional part of Nos Galen Gaeaf and Calan Gaeaf.
A fortune-telling activity unique to Nos Galen Gaeaf is to write one’s name on a stone then throw it into the bonfire. The next morning, Welsh party-goers would check to see that their stones were still there. If one was missing, it was bad news for that person! One interpretation was that it meant misfortune for that person in the new year. A scarier version is that it predicted that the person would not live out the year.
Nos Galen Gaeaf's Unique Elements
In addition to Coelcerth [the stone in the fire activity], a Welsh Halloween has some characters unique to it.
Gwrachod: Men would put on rags to make themselves look like beggars or even dress up as witches them go from house to house on Nos Galen Gaeaf, asking for coins or food. Of course, it’s easy to see the seeds of trick-or-treat in this activity.
Y Ladi Wen: As mentioned above, ghosts are hard to avoid on Nos Galen Gaeaf, but Wales’ most famous ghost associated with Spirit Night is Y Ladi Wen (the White Lady). Some versions of folklore say she’s a good spirit, guarding graveyards from malicious ghosts but there’s another version of this story. It says that she is out to lure humans to their doom. In either case, it’s probably best to steer clear of her.
Hwch Ddu Gwta: Another supernatural being associated with the Welsh version of Halloween is a black sow known as Hwch Ddu Gwta (black Guinea sow). This ghostly pig has no tail and is considered the stuff of nightmares. Some sources, however, claim the Hwch Ddu Gwta is nothing more than a story told to get children to go home before dark. Decide for yourself!
Welsh Witches: While Ireland, Scotland, and Wales all have the invasion of supernatural beings, especially ghosts, as an important part of the Samhain’s Eve / All Hallows’ Eve lore, Wales varies slightly from its cousins. Scottish and Irish folklore warns about faeries running amuck, but Welsh folklore warns against witches. There are various ways to witch-proof your house, but a favorite tradition is to hang a glain nadredd (a stone with a hole) next to your door. The stone, known as a hag stone, should hang by a red cord. This, the lore says, will protect your home all in it from a witch entering your house. Some villages helped out by ringing church bells. This sound was said to ward off witches.
Traditions are Fading
Although television, movies, and the internet have all benefitted our lives, they’ve impacted folk traditions negatively. Customs and lore specific to individual countries and even to regions within a country are giving way to a universal yet generic celebration of Halloween. This has a good side. It can unite us in our experience of the holiday, but I encourage retaining or reviving some of the old traditions. This can be done in an updated form.
For example, here’s a suggestion for slightly altering Coelcerth. After all, do you really want a stone to predict whether you’re going to be alive next year? Since Calan Gaeaf, the day after the bonfire, is New Year’s, perhaps each person could write on the stone something he / she wants to eliminate—a problem or bad habit—from his or her life in the upcoming year. Throwing it into the fire can be a symbolic way to let it go.
Another suggestion is to emphasize the protective image of Y Ladi Wen. Present her as a guardian figure who ensures that the beloved dead rest in peace. And Hwch Ddu Gwta could become a bringer of candy to good children.
Is it wrong to suggest tinkering with folklore? Not at all. Folklore is written by the community, and it adapts and changes as the values and moral attitudes of the people change. But it’s important to hold onto the essence of the lore and its roots. Samhain’s Eve, from which Halloween and Nos Galen Gaeaf both descend, is a night that celebrates the ancestors, and a night filled with ghosts, magic, and the supernatural. It’s a night that marks the end of harvest and the start of the cold dark of winter. But it also is the start of a new year that brings with it the promise that darkness will lead to light and new life in spring. Hold onto that.
And my companion citizens of the United States: lose the serial killers armed with chainsaws. Please.
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Slán go fóill
All artwork for this post (except for the Ukranian flag and the GIF) by Christine Dorman via Bing Image Creator.
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