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Next: 1 Nov 2026

Samhain and the coming down of the herds

The Gaelic first of November: the end of the grazing year, when cattle came home from the hills for the winter.

A tile drawn for this day, not a photograph.

Cattle at Samhain and the coming down of the herds

Samhain, on 1 November, began the dark half of the Gaelic year, and for farmers it was above all a cattle day. The herds were brought down from the summer pastures, counted and housed or kept near the farm, and the animals that could be fed through the winter were chosen; the rest were sold or slaughtered for salting. Rents were paid and hiring terms began and ended. Like Beltane, Samhain had its bonfires, and the evening before, now Halloween, was believed to be a night when the boundary with the other world was thin. Many of its customs passed into the Christian feast of All Saints.

The breeds

KerryThe old dairy cow of Irish farms.DexterA small, thrifty breed that wintered on little.

Also part of it, and being written: Highland cattle (Hardy enough to winter out on the hills.).

About this page

Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Samhain" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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