GIAMMON - the seventh month

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First Quarter November 6, 2008 At zenith at sunset

Full Moon November 13, 2008 Eastern horizon

Last Quarter November 20, 2008 At nadir at sunset

New Moon November 28, 2008 Western horizon

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noday

SAMHRADH - SAMON - SUMMER						GEIMHREADH - GIAMMON - WINTER
SAM	DUM	RIUR	ANAG	OGR	CUT	GIAM	SEMI	EQU	ELEM	AED	CANT

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The seventh month of the Celtic year is the first month of the Celtic winter, marked today by the feast of Samhain, at the very middle of the Celtic year. Giammon has the unambiguous meaning 'Winter' with the name appearing as Irish Geimhreadh and Welsh Gaeaf, and their older forms, Gaimred and Gaem. Giammon is the counterpoint month to Samon, 'Summer', and the two months define the two-fold structure of the Celtic calendar, still reflected in the Beltaine and Samhain fires today. Samhain, held at the start of winter, comprised important assemblies (samani) in Ireland. The fire retains its seasonal name in Wales, where it is known as Calan Gaeaf. In the Expedition of Dathi, recording a pre-Patrick Samhain gathering in Ireland around AD420, the Druids at Eas Ruaidh performed prophesy for Dathi to determine what would be his fate by the end of the following year's summer campaigns - they spend the night on the Druids' Hill and consulted the stars, waking him the following morning announcing his future success. Anciently, the bright red star Antares rose at dawn at this time. This sort of prophesy has been retained across the ages, and Shamhna is still a time to converse with the 'fairy-folk'. Well into the Christian era, the Roman Feast of All Saints was moved from May 13 (it had replaced the former Roman Fernalia) to November 1: in the papacy of Pope Gregory IV (AD 827-844) the new date for All Saints was extended beyond Rome to all of Christendom and thus in Ireland and Britain there has been a strong association of the Roman and Celtic feasts for the dead for some 1200 years. By the Middle Ages, the Celtic land of the dead had been transformed from a place of happiness and perpetual summer into a Christianised Hellish underworld: In the tenth century Culhwch ac Olwen, it is said of Gwyn ap Nudd ( Nuada) that it was he 'in whom God set the spirit of the demons of Annwn, lest this world be destroyed'. Samhain must not be confused with the Celtic month of Samon: the name Samon is the equivalent of the Irish word for May, cét-Samhin which opens the start of the Celtic year at the start of Summer.

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The Celtic Calendar - Introductory Sections

| Introduction | The Pleiades Cycle | The Coligny Tablet | Samhradh | Geimhreadh |
| Celtic Calendar 2008 | The Southern Seasons Celtic Calendar 2008 | Celtic Calendar Forum |

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