Most Pagans have days each year that are very important to them. Among these are eight festival days, which mark the solar year. These days honor the changing of the seasons. The following is a small explanation of each, and their approximate dates.
Samhain (sowen) Oct. 31
Many know this day generically as Halloween. This day was a celebration traditionally of the end of summer. It was said that the dead walked on this day, and was a day to revere and remember those who had passed. Samhain is the end of the traditional year, and marks the beginning of winter. It is said that on Samhain, the God dies, and the Crone Goddess mourns him for six weeks until he is reborn on Yule.
Yule - The Winter Solstice Dec. 21
Yule is the darkest night of the year, and marks the beginning of the new year traditionally. It is said that after this night, the God that had died at Samhain is reborn of the Mother Goddess, and being the day he is most powerful he will bring fertility into the land. This is also a time for getting rid of weaknesses.
Imbolg - Feb. 2
This was a celebration to lure back the Sun God to bring heat to our lands and speed up the coming of Spring. It is also known as Brigid's Day to honor the Great Mother Goddess Brigid. She waits on this day as the bride of the youthful Sun God, who is soon to return to her. This was a day to honor the Goddess who turns back the wheel of the year to Spring. This is the fire festival, the mid-point of the dark half of the year.
Ostara - Eostre - The Spring Equinox - March 23
Ostara is the name of the Virgin Goddess of Spring in ancient Germany. Eostre is the name of the Teutonic Goddess of Spring. This is a day for feasting and ritual. Many equinox myths tell of the deities struggle in the underworld, and their return from the Land of the Dead back to the Earth. This is the time of planting, and a celebration of the renewal of life. Eggs, a symbol of fertility, are frequently painted with different colors and symbols in representation of the things to come in life, as part of the renewal celebration.
Beltaine - May 1
Beltaine is the fertility sabbat. It celebrates live above all. This is the final planting time. This is the time when the Goddess and the God mate to spread fertility all over the earth. On this day, many Pagans celebrate the marriage of Goddess and God, and the sexual union of the God with the Goddess, who will later be reborn as her son. Beltaine is a very sexual sabbat, as well as being joyous and carefree. It is a time for feasting, rejoicing, frivolity, and celebration. It is the time to look forward and is a yearly reenactment of the primal joy all creatures and plants of the earth feel. It is a time to celebrate the final ending of the long winter.
Midsummer - The Summer Solstice - June 22
Also known as Litha or Vestalia, Midsummer marks the longest day of the year. It is the time when the sun is strongest, although we know that many more long hot days of summer are ahead. This is the point we enter the waning year, and each day gets shorter and shorter. This is the time to nurture new plantings, both in ground or person. Here we celebrate the coming fatherhood of the Sun God, who mated with the Goddess at Beltaine. This is the best time for protection spells and amulets to be done. This is the time of Fire, because the Sun God is at the pinnacle of his life. This is also a prime time to gather wild herbs, as they are mature enough to do so. This is also a good time to make wands or staves.
Lughnasadh - August 1
Lughnasadh is the first of the three harvest Sabbats. It is also known as Lammas and is a time to give thanks to the God and Goddess for all that they have brought to us thus far. The Goddess is still pregnant with the future harvests, and is honored and revered as the new mother. This is the time of year for rededication, or rekindling of sacred fires. This is the time to be thankful for all that you have.
Mabon - The Autumn Equinox - September 23
