What is Samhainophobia?

Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween or the fear of the festival of the dead. The term Samhainophobia originates from 'Samhuin' meaning summer's end. The Samhain festival was celebrated by the Celts for marking the transition between summer and winter. The word Samhuin has Irish-Scottish-Gaelic roots generally meaning ‘All Hallows Eve’.

As soon as people and stores start displaying Halloween items, anxious minds create a flight or fight response – it is the brain’s way of protecting the individual from further negative news or trauma. Such a feeling of anxiety is heightened each time the individual sees a decorated home or store with displays of ghosts, witches and scary masks. This is part of this phobia.