Halloween night and the start of Samhain

Happy Halloween. Tonight's holiday grew out of Samhain (say it "SOW-in"), an old Celtic festival kept when the harvest was in, the summer was over and the dark half of the year was beginning. Traditionally Samhain starts at sundown on October 31 and runs into November 1, because those old days began at nightfall.

How Samhain was kept

In Ireland, people lit bonfires, played games and told stories. One custom is still alive today: barmbrack, a fruit loaf baked with small charms hidden inside, such as a coin, a ring or a button. Whatever turned up in your slice was said to hint at your year ahead. It is a game, and a tasty one.

The sky tonight

This Halloween the Moon is a waning gibbous, about 63 percent lit, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac. It is not a full moon, so the stars will show well if the night is clear.

Something to try on October 31

• Light a candle at sundown and say the names of people you miss.
• Bake or buy something a grandparent used to make, and share a slice.
• Step outside after dark and look up.
• Draw one tarot card and ask a gentle question about the season ahead.

Everything here is for fun, folklore and reflection, never a prediction. Witchonomics is free to start, with the real sky, a card for every day and a familiar chosen from your birth sky. Happy Halloween from all of us.

Source for the traditions above: History UK on Halloween traditions around the world.

For entertainment and reflection only. Nothing here is a prediction or advice.