Pagan Holidays

A number of holidays are celebrated by pagans, those who do not believe in Christ. Most of these holidays are associated with seasons and cycles of nature and are sometimes referred to as the Wheel of the Year. A person may practice any form of paganism and that determines which holidays they celebrate throughout the year.

People belonging to the Wiccan religion are the most popular of the pagans in the US. Sabbat, the cycle of life between the God and the Goddess is the most celebrated. It consists of eight holidays such as Samhain, Imbolc, Yule, Lughnasadh, Beltane, Midsummer, Ostara, and Mabon. These are the main holidays celebrated by the pagans.

Samhain, considered the Celtic New Year, is now known in the name of Halloween. Usually, this ritual is observed on October 31st or November 1st. It is marked as the end of the summer months.

Imbolc goes by many names including Oimelc, Candlemas, or Brigid. It is either celebrated on February 1st or 2nd and marks the return of light and the start of the spring.

Another popular name of Yule is the winter solstice. It is usually celebrated when the sun reaches its southernmost point. This holiday normally falls around December 21st and is considered the shortest day and longest night of the year.

Lughnasadh, also called Lammas, is celebrated on the eve of July 31st. This is a pre-harvest festival mainly observed in honor of the Irish sun-god, Lugh.

Beltane is another sacred holiday of the pagans. It is a feast to celebrate the wedding of God and the Goddess. Bonfires and good luck rituals are the major activities of this holiday which comes on April 30th or May 1st.

Midsummer is also known as summer solstice and Litha. Harvesting healing herbs and eating honeyed foodstuffs are some of the traditional activities performed during this ritual. It normally occurs between June 20th and 23rd.

Ostara, the spring or vernal equinox observed on March 21st, is a day celebrating dawn and the new spring. On this day, the day and the night have equal lengths.

Mabon occurs between September 20th and 23rd when the sun crosses the equator moving southward. Another popular name of Mabon is autumn equinox and is regarded as the second of harvest holidays.

Many pagans also celebrate esbats which are celebrations associated with the phases of the moon.