Spirituality

Elon University holds its first Samhain event with tarot and simmer pots

Elon University's Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life hosted its first Samhain Celebration on Oct. 22, marking the Gaelic tradition that honors the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, Elon News Network reports. More than 20 students took part, making simmer pots with seasonal fruits and spices, getting tarot readings, painting small pumpkins and eating fall-themed foods.

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What the Truitt Center organized#

The event was run by the Earth-Based Spirituality branch of the Truitt Center, according to Elon News Network. Samhain, an Old Irish word meaning "summer's end," officially begins at sunset Oct. 31 and runs through Nov. 1, the outlet reports.

Elon junior Bella Kuperman, who previously organized a Pagan event called Beltane in the spring as a multifaith intern, used a similar open format for Samhain, Elon News Network reports. "I really love the fact that our events are so open to the public and that anyone can really pop by," Kuperman said, adding she thought the gathering built "a really nice community" that night.

Kuperman said the events also push back against stereotypes about Paganism, telling Elon News Network, "I was very adamant about dispelling a lot of falsehoods that people might have about the Pagan community because it's so sensationalized and commercialized, especially around Halloween."

A growing interest among students#

Aeiris Faloni, a multifaith intern, said they arrived at Elon as a first-year looking for non-traditional spirituality groups and has since seen more students wanting to explore the practice, Elon News Network reports. "It can just be hanging out with your friends in a garden and feeling your feet on the Earth, and that is OK," Faloni said.

The Elon gathering lands in a season when Halloween's roots draw wider attention. Halloween traces back more than 2,000 years and blends old Celtic customs with Christian ones, News9live reports, with the holiday falling on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026.

Ireland's own Samhain season events#

Ireland is promoting its own Samhain-season festivals this year, including the Puca Festival in Meath and Derry Halloween in Northern Ireland, which form the core of the country's Halloween celebrations, according to a MultiVu release. The release also points to Galway's Macnas Halloween Parade, which features giant mythical figures and live performance, and the Bram Stoker Festival in Dublin, built around the Dublin-born author's Gothic legacy.

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