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Samhainophobia Facts & Worksheets

Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween. It isn't simply disliking Halloween but rather a clinically diagnosable phobia.

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Fear of Halloween - Samhainophobia
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Halloween for most people is a playful annual event that’s all about costumes, candy, and having fun. But for some, it’s the object of a little-known psychological condition called Samhainophobia.
Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween. It isn’t simply disliking Halloween but rather a clinically diagnosable phobia, much like arachnophobia – the fear of spiders, or coimetrophobia – the fear of cemeteries.
Come October, people and stores start decorating their premises with skeletons, evil zombies, and other realistically gory stuff. Naturally, for people suffering from Samhainophobia, it is not a happy time.

See the fact file below for more information on the Fear of Halloween: Samhainophobia or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Fear of Halloween: Samhainophobia worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ORIGIN

  • The term Samhainophobia originates from ‘Samhuin’, meaning summer’s end.
  • It originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, where people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. Celts believed that on the eve of the festival, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred.
  • The people who attended Samhain believed that the dead made their presence known during the festival and that they must be appeased or else they would cause trouble and hardship for the townspeople.
  • The word Samhuin has Irish-Scottish-Gaelic roots generally meaning ‘All Hallows Eve’. Later on, the evening was called Halloween.

CAUSES

  • Samhainophobia could be triggered by different factors. However, most phobias are caused by a real event, usually in early childhood. It is generally accepted that phobias arise from a combination of traumatic events and heredity or genetics.
  • Many phobias develop as a result of having a negative experience or panic attack related to a specific object or situation.
  • Perhaps, as a kid, you were brought to a Halloween party where someone jumped out at you unexpectedly while wearing a scary costume.
  • Environment and life experiences also to play a major role in the development of phobias. Children may learn specific phobias by observing a family member’s phobic reaction to an object or a situation. If someone in your family has a specific phobia or anxiety, you’re more likely to develop it too.
  • Halloween is also generally celebrated in the evening, when it is dark outside. A child afraid of the dark might be extremely reluctant to go outdoors, but might be coerced into going by parents or siblings.
  • It is also believed that Halloween is a time when the “spirits roam the earth freely”. A person who has a terrible fear of ghosts could also develop Samhainophobia around this time of the year.
  • If you think about it, there was probably an event that turned Halloween into something to dread for many people.

SYMPTOMS

  • Symptoms of Samhainophobia include the problems often associated with other phobias. It also varies by person depending on their level of fear.
    • Extreme anxiety, dread, and even terror and panic about anything associated with Halloween
    • Shortness of breath, accelerated heart rate, rapid breathing
    • Excessive sweating, hot or cold flashes
    • Inability to speak coherently
    • Numbing or a tingling sensation
    • Shaking or chest pain
  • 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.
  • Mere reference to Halloween could cause the person to feel terrified, refusing to go to school, avoiding trick-or-treating, and fearing the dark.
  • Many refuse to sleep alone or might be unable to express themselves, only reacting in the form of tantrums, crying, or screaming fits.

WHAT TO DO

  • There are a number of ways to get help if someone would like to be free of the phobia.
  • Self help: knowing the history and the real meaning of the traditions can desensitize you to some of the images that send you into panic.
  • A samhainophobic person may also get professional help and advice to find out about treatment options such as counseling that can help them manage their problems by changing the way they think and behave.
  • Medication is also sometimes prescribed on a short-term basis to treat the effects of symptoms such as anxiety. Antidepressants are often prescribed to help reduce anxiety.
  • Talking to friends, family members, and trained therapists can also help one to overcome the fear of Halloween once and for all.
  • One must understand and acknowledge someone’s anxiety about Halloween instead of ignoring it.
  • Parents and friends must try and find out what is causing the fear and then avoid those triggers.

Fear of Halloween: Samhainophobia Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Fear of Halloween: Samhainophobia across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Fear of Halloween: Samhainophobia worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Fear of Halloween: Samhainophobia. Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween. It isn’t simply disliking Halloween but rather a clinically diagnosable phobia, much like arachnophobia – the fear of spiders, or coimetrophobia – the fear of cemeteries. Come October, people and stores start decorating their premises with skeletons, evil zombies, and other realistically gory stuff. Naturally, for people suffering from Samhainophobia, it is not a happy time.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Fear of Halloween:Samhainophobia
  • Etymology
  • Eve of Samhain
  • Scaredy Cat
  • Triggered
  • The Cure
  • Trick or Treat
  • Facing Fear
  • Ghosted Word
  • Fill in the Gap
  • Scary Article

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Link will appear as Samhainophobia Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, October 29, 2018

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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