On the Irish ritual calendar, Samhain, as well as Beltaine the spring festival, were the two most important of the year (MacLeod 2011).
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During Samhain, it was thought of as a liminal time. There were interactions (good and bad) between the human world and the beings of the Otherworld, including deities, spirits, fairies, and witches (depending on when the account was recorded) (MacLeod 2011).
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Food offerings for fairies were left near the doors of houses because it was believed to ensure the favor of them for the year to come (MacLeod 2011).
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At Samhain, people would make figures of what they wanted to expel in the coming year and believed if they burned them, they would be banished (Trevarthen 2010).
Fire and a cauldron were important ritualistic pieces of Samhain due to the association of Dagda who is the father deity and has a cauldron of rebirth which is referred to in the Irish myth Cath Maige Tuired, in which it restored the life to noble dead warriors of Tuatha De Danann (Trevarthen 2010).
Bonfires were another important aspect of Samhain. In some areas, the ashes from a fire that has burned low could be gathers and placed in a circle, while a stone was placed around the perimeter to represent each person present at the ritual. It was believed that any stone was moved or damaged in the morning, then that person was fey, and would die before the next Samhain (MacLeod 2011).
Hazelnuts were also an important aspect of Celtic tradition. It was believed that children born in the autumn were fortunate because they would have the opportunity to have the "milk of the nut" (hazelnuts) as their first food. The hazelnut was also used for love divination ceremonies during Samhain (MacLeod 2011).
