Samhain is pronounced sowen, soween, saw-win, saw-vane, or sahven, but not sam-hayne.
Other names for Samhain include Samhuin, Samain, Saman, Oidhche Shamhna, Hallowe’en, Halloween, Hallows, Hallowtide, Shadow Fest, Allantide, Third Harvest, Harvest Home, Geimredh, Day of the Dead (Feile na Marbh), Feast of the Dead, Spirit Night, Candle Night, November Eve, Nutcrack Night, Ancestor Night and Apple Fest, Oíche Shamhna, All Hallow’s Eve, Hallontide, Old Hallomas, Hallowmass, Martinmas, Martinmass, Shadowfest, Nos Calan Gaeaf, and All Soul’s Day.
Samhain marks one of the two great doorways of the Celtic year, for the Celts divided the year into two seasons: the light and the dark, at Beltane on May 1st and Samhain on November 1st.