Celebrations

Holy Days and Celebrations

There are eight Sabbats, or holidays, in the Wiccan calendar. Four of these are Major or Greater Sabbats, also called Fire Festivals, and they are Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas. The other four occur at the two Solstices and two Equinoxes of each year, and are considered the Minor or Lesser Sabbats. The Wheel of the Year, as the whole of the calendar is sometimes called, is an agricultural calendar, marking the seasons according to observable events, such as the first planting or the first harvest. It also tells the story of the life of the God, conveying how His life stages are connected to these agricultural events.

Each new year is considered to have its beginnings at Samhain (or Halloween), as the word Samhain means “summer’s end” in Gaelic, and it is believed that the ancient Celts divided the year into only two seasons, Winter and Summer. Me theory of why the year begins with darkness and death, is a matter of honoring the Empty Nothing that is the beginning (and ending) of all things; before a mother conceives a child, her womb is empty and void of life, and returns to that state after the child is born.

The dates given below are those traditionally observed, however some choose to figure them according to astronomy, celebrating the Major Sabbats at the precise midpoints between the Solstices and Equinoxes.

Samhain (October 31) - The New Year and beginning of Winter, sometimes referred to as November Eve. The third and last of the Harvest festivals, when all the crops are in and the last animals have been slaughtered for our tables. A time of reflection and mourning. The God has died for the sake of land, and is now the Horned One, riding with spirits and Fae on the Wild Hunt. Together They round up the souls of the departed to join His horde as He escorts them to the next realm. The Goddess is often seen as a Crone at this time, mourning the loss of Her Consort. However, She is still swollen with child, anxiously awaiting Her Son's birth. It is said that the Veil between this world and the next is thin at this time, and so divination and other efforts to make otherworldly contact are going to be most successful. Appropriate symbols for this time are gourds and Jack o'lanterns, and it is customary to leave out offerings of food and drink for the Hunt and other passing spirits.

Yule (on or about Dec. 21) - The Winter Solstice. A time of rejoicing. The God is born of the Earth-Mother Goddess as the Sun Child, the Winter-Born King. Just as there will now start to be more daylight than night, the God's presence and power now begins to grow. It is customary to exchange gifts with loved ones to celebrate His birth, and decorate with candles and evergreens. Ornaments on trees are a form of sympathetic Magick, reminding the plants to bear fruit come Springtime. The word “solstice” loosely translates to “sun stands still,” conveying the idea that the Sun pauses at this point before resuming its travels across the Heavens.

Imbolc (February 2) - Also called Candlemas, February Eve (if marked as Jan. 31 instead) or The Feast of Torches, and sometimes spelled Imbolg, this is the beginning of Spring and first of three fertility festivals. The God is a young growing child, the Goddess His nurturing Mother. Now is the time of year that we begin to notice the lengthening days, and thoughts of misty dew-drop mornings come to us. The word "Imbolc" comes from the Gaelic "Oimelc," meaning "ewe's milk," since mother sheep are now able to nurse their lambs. We light torches to lead the young God on His quest for the passion-love of the Maiden Goddess rather than the maternal care of his Mother.

Eostre (on or about Mar. 21) - Alternately spelled Eostar, this is the Spring Equinox, also called Ostara, and the year's second celebration of fertility. The Latin "equinox" literally means "equal night," and this is indeed the first time of year when daylight and the dark of night last for the same duration. The God can be called a "young buck," hungry for the touch of his Maiden-Goddess love. It is now that fertility starts to be seen, as the first flowers, fruits, and vegetables can surely be planted. The old is banished for the new, spring cleaning on the physical level and beyond. Rabbits and eggs, ancient symbols of fertility and new life, are the calling cards of this Sabbat.

Beltane (May 1) - Sometimes called May Eve and observed on April 30 instead, this is the culmination of the year's fertility. The God and Goddess, as the King and Queen of the May, are joined and finally consummate Their love. This is a time of rejoicing, and celebrants dance around the Maypole, which itself represents not only the physical act of love but the Divine Union as well. The name of this Sabbat refers to the "Bel fires," great fires that were built and leapt over in the hopes of fertility, which is not limited to bodies but extends to ideas and endeavors as well.

Midsummer (on or about Jun. 21) - The Summer Solstice, sometimes called Litha. This is the height of the God's power. The Goddess, no longer His Maiden Bride, now moves to the position of Mother-to-be, pregnant with the Divine Child. The crops are growing steadily, and there is more time for both rest and merriment now. As at Samhain, the Veil is thin here too, and so the mischief-making ways of the Fae are readily seen. The days are at their longest, and while that means there is more light for both work and play, it also means that there is only one way to go - down. Soon the night will swallow the day once more, and it is time to make the most of the light while we can.

Lammas (Aug. 1) - The beginning of Autumn, sometimes called Lughnassadh, or marked as August Eve on July 31. This is the first of the harvest festivals, when the earliest crops are ready to be brought in for storage for the Winter months still ahead. It is now that the God begins His descent, makes His first sacrifice for the people and the land, and also to honor all that His Mother, the Goddess, has thus given. Her belly continues to swell with both bounty as the crops come in, and with child as She carries He Who will be the Winter-Born King. "Lammas" comes from Gaelic, meaning "loaf mass," a feast of bread made from the freshly gathered wheat. Symbols of this Sabbat range from grapevines and apples, to cornstalks and sheaves of wheat, to cornucopias, to the first of the changing leaves.

Fall Equinox (on or about Sep. 21) - Also called Mabon. The second of the Harvest festivals, when more crops are gathered, more animals are slaughtered, and the God makes His second sacrifice. By some He is now called Lord of the Grain, as He dies a little more with each stalk that is cut down. The Goddess can be called the Grain Mother, as She still awaits the birth of Her Child, and presides over the Harvest in Her Consort's ever-growing absence. Again day and night are equal, just as it was at Eostre, but this time we are moving into the darkness instead of the light. The sickle, the curved blade used for the falling of grain, is an appropriate symbol now. It is also time to think back on the year, see what we have accomplished, and what we have yet to do in the short time before Winter begins anew at Samhain.

Also important are the Full Moons, or Esbats, of each month. Those are the times to work Magick, casting spells for healing or prosperity, or doing other works (the Sabbats are generally not appropriate times, as the focus then is to turn the Wheel of the Year and celebrate the season). It is the specific time also to honor the Goddess and to attempt connection with Her, either through meditation or channeling, or both.