Samhain bonfires were once lit on every hilltop in Britain and Ireland as soon as the sun set on October 30.
The word "balefire" comes from the word "boon", which means "extra".
To the ancient Celts, fire was a physical symbol of holiness, divinity, truth and beauty and the Samhain fires served a number of purposes: to honor the Gods and Goddesses, to light the dark night and usher in the light of the New Year, to purify the ritual space or home, and to ward off evil.
The fire was also used to guide the souls of the dead home to their ancestors.
On this night all the hearth fires were extinguished and relit from a common source, the Druidic fire that was kept buning at the center of Ireland. (The only other time it was permitted to extinguish the hearth fire was Beltane, the Sabbat marking the second half of the Celtic year. To do so otherwise was considered very bad luck).
The old ashes were strewn in the gardens to bless them and insure a fruitful harvest the following year.
In many parts of the British Isles balefires are still lit on Samhain to honor the old ways.
