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s of Northern Africa； as among the Christian peoples of Europe； the midsummer festival is quite independent of the religion which the people publicly profess； and is a relic of a far older paganism。
6。 The Hallowe'en Fires
FROM THE FOREGOING survey we may infer that among the heathen forefathers of the European peoples the most popular and widespread fire…festival of the year was the great celebration of Midsummer Eve or Midsummer Day。 The coincidence of the festival with the summer solstice can hardly be accidental。 Rather we must suppose that our pagan ancestors purposely timed the ceremony of fire on earth to coincide with the arrival of the sun at the highest point of his course in the sky。 If that was so； it follows that the old founders of the midsummer rites had observed the solstices or turning…points of the sun's apparent path in the sky； and that they accordingly regulated their festal calendar to some extent by astronomical considerations。
But while this may be regarded as fairly certain for what we may call the aborigines throughout a large part of the continent； it appears not to have been true of the Celtic peoples who inhabited the Land's End of Europe； the islands and promontories that stretch out into the Atlantic Ocean on the North…West。 The principal fire…festivals of the Celts； which have survived； though in a restricted area and with diminished pomp； to modern times and even to our own day； were seemingly timed without any reference to the position of the sun in the heaven。 They were two in number； and fell at an interval of six months； one being celebrated on the eve of May Day and the other on Allhallow Even or Hallowe'en； as it is now commonly called； that is； on the thirty…first of October； the day preceding All Saints' or Allhallows' Day。 These dates coincide with none of the four great hinges on which the solar year revolves； to wit； the solstices and the equinoxes。 Nor do they agree with the principal seasons of the agricultural year； the sowing in spring and the reaping in autumn。 For when May Day comes； the seed has long been committed to the earth； and when November opens； the harvest has long been reaped and garnered； the fields lie bare； the fruit…trees are stripped； and even the yellow leaves are fast fluttering to the ground。 Yet the first of May and the first of November mark turning…points of the year in Europe； the one ushers in the genial heat and the rich vegetation of summer； the other heralds； if it does not share； the cold and barrenness of winter。 Now these particular points of the year； as has been well pointed out by a learned and ingenious writer； while they are of comparatively little moment to the European husbandman； do deeply concern the European herdsman； for it is on the approach of summer that he drives his cattle out into the open to crop the fresh grass； and it is on the approach of winter that he leads them back to the safety and shelter of the stall。 Accordingly it seems not improbable that the Celtic bisection of the year into two halves at the beginning of May and the beginning of November dates from a time when the Celts were mainly a pastoral people； dependent for their subsistence on their herds； and when accordingly the great epochs of the year for them were the days on which the cattle went forth from the homestead in early summer and returned to it again in early winter。 Even in Central Europe； remote from the region now occupied by the Celts； a similar bisection of the year may be clearly traced in the great popularity； on the one hand； of May Day and its Eve （Walpurgis Night）； and； on the other hand； of the Feast of All Souls at the beginning of November； which under a thin Christian cloak conceals an ancient pagan festival of the dead。 Hence we may conjecture that everywhere throughout Europe the celestial division of the year according to the solstices was preceded by what we may call a terrestrial division of the year according to the beginning of summer and the beginning of winter。
Be that as it may； the two great Celtic festivals of May Day and the first of November or； to be more accurate； the Eves of these two days； closely resemble each other in the manner of their celebration and in the superstitions associated with them； and alike； by the antique character impressed upon both； betray a remote and purely pagan origin。 The festival of May Day or Beltane； as the Celts called it； which ushered in summer； has already been described； it remains to give some account of the corresponding festival of Hallowe'en； which announced the arrival of winter。
Of the two feasts Hallowe'en was perhaps of old the more important； since the Celts would seem to have dated the beginning of the year from it rather than from Beltane。 In the Isle of Man； one of the fortresses in which the Celtic language and lore longest held out against the siege of the Saxon invaders； the first of November； Old Style； has been regarded as New Year's day down to recent times。 Thus Manx mummers used to go round on Hallowe'en （Old Style）； singing； in the Manx language； a sort of Hogmanay song which began To…night is New Year's Night； Hogunnaa！ In ancient Ireland； a new fire used to be kindled every year on Hallowe'en or the Eve of Samhain； and from this sacred flame all the fires in Ireland were rekindled。 Such a custom points strongly to Samhain or All Saints' Day （the first of November） as New Year's Day； since the annual kindling of a new fire takes place most naturally at the beginning of the year； in order that the blessed influence of the fresh fire may last throughout the whole period of twelve months。 Another confirmation of the view that the Celts dated their year from the first of November is furnished by the manifold modes of divination which were commonly resorted to by Celtic peoples on Hallowe'en for the purpose of ascertaining their destiny； especially their fortune in the coming year； for when could these devices for prying into the future be more reasonably put in practice than at the beginning of the year？ As a season of omens and auguries Hallowe'en seems to have far surpassed Beltane in the imagination of the Celts； from which we may with some probability infer that they reckoned their year from Hallowe'en rather than Beltane。 Another circumstance of great moment which points to the same conclusion is the association of the dead with Hallowe'en。 Not only among the Celts but throughout Europe； Hallowe'en； the night which marks the transition from autumn to winter； seems to have been of old the time of year when the souls of the departed were supposed to revisit their old homes in order to warm themselves by the fire and to comfort themselves with the good cheer provided for them in the kitchen or the parlour by their affectionate kinsfolk。 It was； perhaps； a natural thought that the approach of winter should drive the poor shivering hungry ghosts from the bare fields and the leafless woodlands to the shelter of the cottage with its familiar fireside。 Did not the lowing kine then troop back from the summer pastures in the forests and on the hills to be fed and cared for in the stalls； while the bleak winds whistled among the swaying boughs and the snow…drifts deepene