Samhain were also a big part of the festival and often involved nuts and apples. In the late 19th century, Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer suggested that it was the "Celtic New Year", and this view has been repeated by some other scholars. In the 9th century AD, the Western Christian church shifted the date of All Saints' Day to 1 November, while 2 November later became All Souls' Day. Over time, Samhain and All Saints'/All Souls' merged to create the modern Halloween. Historians have used the name 'Samhain' to refer to Gaelic 'Halloween' customs up until the 19th
Hill of Tara dates. Within 12 miles of the Hill of Tara is another significant site known as Hill of Ward or Tlachtga, named after a powerful druidess. The site dates from 200 AD and is reputed to be the place of the first Celtic Pagan Fire Festival that took place on the eve of Samhain, 31 October. It was a pagan ritual of burning cattle bones, referred to then as bonefires or 'tine cnámh'. Samhain was later incorporated or replaced by All Saints' Day in the Christian calendar. A theory that may predate the Hill of Tara's splendor before Milesian times is