Welcome to BrainStuff, a production of I Heart Radio.

Hey Brain Stuff, Lauren Boglebaum here.

Say it with us.

sown.

That's the correct pronunciation of the word spelled S-A-I-N.

It's the name of an ancient pagan festival that helped lay the groundwork for modern Halloween.

Not that one displaced the other.

Saw one's still around and is still celebrated today.

Around the world, contemporary pagans from wickens to druids gather each year to observe the traditions and rituals associated with it.

Fests are shared, but Solon isn't just another costume party with an emphasis on the creep factor.

Four observers and many pagan communities, it's a deeply spiritual time of reflection and remembrance.

Historical records don't give us a very clear picture of what the first Sawa celebrations

might have entailed.

The festival is Celtic in origin, and its name comes from the Old Irish language. During Ireland's early medieval period, which lasted from

about 400 to 1100, Sowen marked the onset of winter.

Transition has always been a central theme of this festival.

One medieval Irish tale says that Sowin is when the summer goes to its rest.

Nowadays, Sowin is usually observed from October 31st through November 1st.

That puts it about halfway between the atonal equinox and winter solstice in the northern hemisphere.

Pagans living below the equator often wait until April and May to hold their

sowwin rituals. By the time this holiday rolled around the summer harvests were

over and done with, yet the harshest part of the winter season was still a few weeks away.

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