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Halloween Scottish Gaelic Phrases

Oidhche Shamhna

Halloween is called "Oidhche Shamhna" in Scottish Gaelic.

Halloween in Scottish Gaelic is Oidhche Shamhna, the eve of Samhain. Below are the names for the night, the words for guising, and the spirits and bonfires that go with it.

Useful words

Oidhche Shamhna

Halloween

Literally "the night of Samhain".

air Oidhche Shamhna

at Halloween

As in a sentence about the night.

samhnag

Halloween bonfire

From Samhain with the diminutive -ag.

gighis

guising; disguise

Going from door to door in disguise.

gìsear

guiser

The person in disguise.

taibhse

ghost

The plural is taibhsean.

buidseach

witch; wizard

Used for both.

an t-Samhain

November

The month takes the festival's name.

The history of Oidhche Shamhna

Samhain is a Gaelic festival on 1 November marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, and it is also the Scottish Gaelic name for November. Celebrations began on the evening of 31 October, since the Celtic day began at sunset. Halloween has been celebrated in Scotland and Ireland for centuries, and Scottish and Irish emigrants took its customs to North America. Guising, going from door to door in disguise, is one of them.

Common questions

What is Halloween in Scottish Gaelic?

Oidhche Shamhna, the night before Samhain, 1 November.

Halloween in the other Celtic languages

Irish

Oíche Shamhna shona duit!

Welsh

Nos Galan Gaeaf

Manx

Oie Houney

Further reading

Irish vs Scottish Gaelic: how different are they really?→The 6 Celtic Languages: how they are related, how they compare→About learning Scottish Gaelic on blas.→

Scottish Gaelic is on blas. now

Grammar, mutations, vocabulary, and reading with spaced repetition. The Scottish Gaelic course is in the blas. app now.

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Scottish Gaelic phrases for the year ahead

St Andrew's Day

30 November

Christmas

25 December

Hogmanay

31 December

Burns Night

25 January

St Brigid's Day

1 February

Valentine's Day

14 February

Easter

Easter Sunday (March or April)

Beltane (May Day)

1 May

Royal National Mòd

October (dates vary)

Scottish Gaelic phrases for everyday occasions

Happy birthday

Congratulations

Sorry for your loss

Good luck

Thank you

Welcome

Cheers

I love you

Good morning

Good night

Sources

Every phrase and fact on this page was checked against the sources below. Last checked 2026-10-20.

Credit: Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.