Wheel of the Year · Samhain
Samhain 2026: October 31, and again on Nov 7
The old festival starts at sunset on Saturday, October 31. The sky keeps its own date: the Sun reaches 15° Scorpio, the true halfway mark to midwinter, 7 days later.
Photo: Burst
At a glance
Samhain 2026 begins at sunset on Saturday, October 31, and runs to sunset on Sunday, November 1. Astronomical Samhain is Nov 7, 2026 · 09:52 UTC.
- Traditional
- Saturday Oct 31 to Sunday Nov 1sunset to sunset
- Astronomical
- Nov 7, 2026 · 09:52 UTCSun at 15°00′ Scorpio
- Samhain 2027
- Nov 7, 2027 · 15:38 UTCSunday, Oct 31 is the eve
- Southern hemisphere
- Apr 30 to May 1next astronomical: May 5, 2027
- Moon on the eve
- Waning Gibbous, 60% litin Cancer
See where Scorpio falls in your chartFree birth chart: find the house the Sun crosses at Samhain.
The dates
Samhain 2026 has a night and a moment
Try this today
- Set two reminders: sunset on Saturday, October 31, and Nov 7 at 09:52 UTC. The countdown below converts that to your time zone.
- Keep the first for remembering and the second for deciding what to put down before winter.
- If your week is full, pick one. A five-minute pause counts.
Every festival on the Wheel of the Year 2026New and full moons of 2026
It gets dark before dinner now. You notice it on the walk back from the car, the porch light already on, your breath showing for the first time this year. That is the season Samhain names.
The traditional date is fixed by custom. Early Irish reckoning started a day at sunset, so Samhain begins on the evening of Saturday, October 31, 2026 and runs to sunset on Sunday, November 1. This is the night most modern Pagans keep, and the one that shares a doorstep with Halloween.
The astronomical date is fixed by the sky. Samhain is a cross-quarter day, roughly halfway between the September equinox and the December solstice. Measured along the Sun's path, that halfway point is 15°00′ Scorpio, and the Sun reaches it on Saturday, Nov 7, 2026, at 09:52 UTC. That is 7 days after the 31st.
Neither is the "real" one. The old festivals were set by the farming calendar, not by anyone measuring the Sun. If you like a candle on the 31st and a quiet check-in on the 7th, that is a full Samhain.
The sky behind it
Astronomical Samhain is the moment the Sun's ecliptic longitude reaches 225°, which is 15°00′ Scorpio in the tropical zodiac. Computed from the JPL DE442 ephemeris. In 2027 the same point arrives on Nov 7, 2027 · 15:38 UTC, 7 days after October 31.
The sky behind it
Why the midpoint lands in the middle of Scorpio
Try this today
- Look up which house of your birth chart holds 15° Scorpio. Astrologers read that area of life as the one the season points at.
- Note what changed between the equinox (Sep 23, 2026) and the midpoint. 6 weeks is long enough to see a pattern.
Picture the year as a clock with four big numbers: two equinoxes and two solstices. The cross-quarter days are the ticks in between. Samhain is the one that falls as the light drains toward midwinter.
In 2026 the September equinox came on Sep 23, 2026 · 00:05 UTC. The December solstice arrives on Dec 21, 2026 · 20:50 UTC. The Sun reaches its halfway point about 45.4 days after the equinox and 44.5 days before the solstice. The two halves differ because Earth's orbit is slightly oval, so the Sun's apparent pace changes through the year.
In the tropical zodiac every cross-quarter point lands at 15°, the exact middle, of a fixed sign: Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio. Astrologers read the fixed signs as the settled, concentrated stretch of each season, the part after the change has started and before the next one begins. Scorpio's midpoint is traditionally linked with depth, endings and what lies under the surface. That is a reading, a mirror to think with. The date is the measurable part.
The sky behind it
The Sun enters Scorpio on Oct 23, 2026 · 09:37 UTC and leaves for Sagittarius on Nov 22, 2026 · 07:23 UTC. The four 2026 cross-quarter moments: Imbolc Feb 3, 2026; Beltane May 5, 2026; Lughnasadh / Lammas Aug 7, 2026; Samhain Nov 7, 2026.
Where it comes from
What early Ireland actually tells us about Samhain
Try this today
- Say it out loud: English speakers usually say SAH-win or SOW-in. It is still the Irish and Scottish Gaelic name for November, and in Irish, Halloween night is Oíche Shamhna, Samhain night.
- Read one tale set at Samhain. The Second Battle of Mag Tuired begins on Samhain.
Imagine the herds coming down from summer grazing, the last of the grain under cover, the fields going quiet. Samhain was one of four seasonal festivals of early Ireland, alongside Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh. It marked the end of the harvest and the start of winter, the darker half of the year (Wikipedia). Britannica calls it one of the most important festivals of the ancient Celtic year (Britannica).
Medieval Irish tales often set their big moments at Samhain: battles, kingship, meetings with the people of the sídhe, the mounds of the Otherworld. The tales describe it as a time when the boundary with that Otherworld blurred (Wikipedia). Those tales were written down by Christian monks in the Middle Ages.
Here is the honest catch. Because the stories reached parchment centuries after the festival began, the earlier picture is uncertain. A Gaulish bronze calendar found at Coligny in France, probably made in the late 2nd century AD, names a month, SAMON, that is believed to be related to the same word (Coligny calendar). That link is plausible, not proven.
You will often read that Samhain was the "Celtic New Year." Treat that one gently. John Rhys suggested it in the late 19th century and James Frazer popularized it. The historian Ronald Hutton calls the evidence flimsy. Scholars still debate it, so we do too.
The same night, three names
Samhain, Halloween and All Saints share a doorstep
Try this today
- If you hand out candy, keep one candle in the window for someone you miss. Both fit on one porch.
- Ask an older relative what October 31 looked like when they were small. Write down the answer.
Halloween 2026 astrology: the sky on the nightVenus star point 2026
Somewhere on your street on October 31, a kid in a cape is ringing a doorbell, and a few houses down someone is lighting a candle for a parent. Same night. Different stories.
By about 800, churches in Ireland and Northumbria kept a feast of all saints on November 1, and in 835 it became a holy day across the Frankish Empire. Some sources credit Pope Gregory III with choosing the date a century earlier; others disagree (All Saints' Day). The evening before was All Hallows' Eve, and Halloween comes from the Lowland Scots form of that name (Halloween). All Souls' Day, for remembering all the dead, follows on November 2 (All Souls' Day).
How much did Halloween borrow from Samhain directly? Historians still debate it. One theory holds that Celtic harvest festivals shaped many of its customs; other academics say it began on its own as the Christian vigil of All Hallows' Day (Halloween; see also Britannica). What is clear: Irish and Scottish immigrants brought customs such as guising and pranks to North America in the 19th century.
Today Samhain is also one of the eight festivals of the modern Pagan year, which some Wiccans call sabbats. That eight-festival Wheel of the Year was popularized by British neopagans in the mid-20th century, joining the Irish festivals to the solstices and equinoxes. It is a living tradition, newer than it sounds and none the worse for it.
The sky behind it
At 8 pm EDT, 31 October 2026 (00:00 UTC, 1 November), the Sun is at 8°35′ Scorpio and the Moon is waning gibbous in Cancer, 60% lit. Across 51 Halloweens from 1990 to 2040, the Moon is less than half lit on 27 of them (measured at 00:00 UTC on November 1).
The last harvest
A quiet way to mark the thinning year
Try this today
- Cook one dish from someone else's kitchen: a grandparent's soup, a friend's recipe card.
- Write a short list titled "Not coming with me into winter." Keep it to three lines.
- Put your phone face down for the length of one candle. Notice how long that actually is.
You do not need a cloak or a cauldron. Most people who keep Samhain now do something small: a meal, a name said out loud, a list torn in half.
Start with remembrance on the traditional night. Folklore gathered in Ireland and Scotland records places set at the dinner table and by the fire to welcome the dead at Samhain (Wikipedia). A modern version is just dinner with one extra plate and a story each.
Then use the astronomical date, Nov 7, 2026, for the other half: what you are putting away for winter. Like the last of the apples going into the cellar, it is about storing what will keep and composting what will not.
This year the sky adds a mood astrologers will point to. Mercury is retrograde from Oct 24, 2026 to Nov 13, 2026, and Venus from Oct 3, 2026 to Nov 14, 2026. Both cover the whole Samhain window. Astrologers read a double retrograde as a time to revisit rather than begin, which happens to suit a festival about memory. It is a lens, not a rule.
Make it yours
Samhain night, your way
Four small customs, each one doable on a weeknight with things you probably already own. Pick one, then watch the clock tick down to the Sun at 15° Scorpio, shown in your own time zone. These are modern customs inspired by tradition, and they say so.
Pick your kind of night
A remembrance candle
Time: 10 minutes. You need: One candle, a safe dish, a window.
- Put the candle on a dish near a window, away from curtains.
- Light it after dark and say one name out loud. Yours to choose.
- Sit with it for a few minutes. Tell the flame one thing they would have laughed at this year.
- Blow it out before bed. Never leave a flame alone.
A modern custom inspired by tradition. Lights for the dead belong to many traditions, including the Christian All Souls' Day on November 2, when many families light candles for the dead.
The clock to astronomical Samhain
Nov 7, 2026 · 09:52 UTC
Until the Sun reaches 15°00′ Scorpio on Nov 7, 2026 · 09:52 UTC. The traditional night starts 7 days before that: sunset on Saturday, October 31, 2026.
More to read
Shorter reads. Each opens in place.
The season's sky
What else is in the sky around Samhain 2026
Mercury turns retrograde on Oct 24, 2026 and passes through the heart of the Sun (cazimi) on Nov 4, 2026. A new moon follows the midpoint by 2 days, at 16°53′ Scorpio, still in Scorpio. Mercury stations direct 6 days after astronomical Samhain.
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Below the equator
Samhain in the southern hemisphere
Where October is spring, many Pagans shift the wheel by six months, so Samhain runs from sunset April 30 to May 1. In 2026 April 30 fell on a Thursday. The astronomical point is the Sun at 15°00′ Taurus: May 5, 2026 · 11:48 UTC in 2026 and May 5, 2027 · 17:25 UTC in 2027.
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Plan ahead
Samhain 2027 at a glance
The traditional night begins at sunset on Sunday, October 31, 2027, and runs to Monday, November 1. The Sun reaches 15°00′ Scorpio on Nov 7, 2027 · 15:38 UTC, 7 days after the 31st.
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Samhain dates, computed
Traditional and astronomical Samhain for 2026 and 2027, then the season around it.
| Year | Traditional Samhain | Astronomical Samhain | Sun position | Days after Oct 31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunset Saturday Oct 31 to Sunday Nov 1 | Nov 7, 2026 · 09:52 UTC | 15°00′ Scorpio | 7 days |
| 2027 | Sunset Sunday Oct 31 to Monday Nov 1 | Nov 7, 2027 · 15:38 UTC | 15°00′ Scorpio | 7 days |
| When (UTC) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Oct 23, 2026 · 09:37 UTC | The Sun enters Scorpio |
| Oct 24, 2026 · 07:12 UTC | Mercury stations retrograde at 20°59′ Scorpio |
| Oct 26, 2026 · 04:11 UTC | Full moon at 2°46′ Taurus, the last before Samhain eve |
| Nov 1, 2026 · 00:00 UTC | Samhain eve: Sun at 8°35′ Scorpio, Moon waning gibbous in Cancer (60% lit) |
| Nov 4, 2026 · 14:24 UTC | Mercury cazimi at 12°11′ Scorpio |
| Nov 7, 2026 · 09:52 UTC | Astronomical Samhain: the Sun at 15°00′ Scorpio |
| Nov 9, 2026 · 07:02 UTC | New moon at 16°53′ Scorpio |
| Nov 13, 2026 · 15:53 UTC | Mercury stations direct at 5°02′ Scorpio |
| Nov 22, 2026 · 07:23 UTC | The Sun leaves Scorpio for Sagittarius |
All times are UTC. In the Americas the local date can be a day earlier; in Asia and Australia a day later.
Quick answers
When is Samhain 2026?
Traditionally, Samhain 2026 runs from sunset on Saturday, October 31, to sunset on Sunday, November 1. The astronomical version, when the Sun reaches 15°00′ Scorpio, falls on Nov 7, 2026 · 09:52 UTC. Many modern Pagans celebrate on the 31st; some prefer the astronomical date.
How long does Samhain last?
Traditionally one night and one day. Early Irish custom counted a day from sunset, so Samhain began on the evening of October 31 and ran through November 1. If you also mark astronomical Samhain, the season stretches to Nov 7, 2026 in 2026, 7 days after the 31st.
What is astronomical Samhain?
It is the moment the Sun reaches 15° Scorpio, halfway along the ecliptic between the September equinox and the December solstice. In 2026 that is Nov 7, 2026 · 09:52 UTC. It is a modern way of fixing the festival to the sky rather than the calendar.
When is Samhain in Ireland?
On the night of October 31, the same as Halloween. In 2026 that is a Saturday. Samhain is the Irish word for November, and Halloween night is Oíche Shamhna, "Samhain night."
Is Samhain the same as Halloween?
Not quite. They share the date, and Halloween's name comes from All Hallows' Eve, the night before All Saints' Day on November 1. Historians debate how much Halloween borrowed from Samhain: one theory credits Celtic harvest festivals, while other academics say it began as a Christian vigil. Irish and Scottish immigrants brought many of its customs to North America in the 19th century.
When is Samhain in Australia and the southern hemisphere?
Many Pagans in the southern hemisphere shift the wheel by six months, so Samhain runs from April 30 to May 1, sunset to sunset. The astronomical point is the Sun at 15°00′ Taurus: May 5, 2026 · 11:48 UTC in 2026 and May 5, 2027 · 17:25 UTC in 2027. In 2027, April 30 is a Friday and May 1 a Saturday.
Is Samhain the Celtic new year?
It is debated. John Rhys suggested the idea in the late 19th century and James Frazer popularized it. Some reference works still use the phrase, but the historian Ronald Hutton calls the evidence for it flimsy.
Is Samhain pagan?
It has pagan roots. Samhain was a Gaelic festival kept before Christianity reached Ireland, and it is believed to have Celtic pagan origins. It is still celebrated: many modern Pagans, including Wiccans and Neo-Druids, keep it as a religious festival, and others simply keep it as a seasonal night of food, fire and remembering.
