There are 8 sabbats, or Wiccan holy days[phpbay] They are spread through out the year, and many fall on or close to Christian holy days[phpbay] They are divided into two groups, Greater Sabbats, fall on dates of high energy[phpbay] And Lessor Sabbats, which fall on the equinox and solstice days[phpbay] These divide the year into eight more or less equal parts, like the spokes of a wheel[phpbay] And are generally though of in that concept[phpbay] The Wheel of the Year[phpbay]
Samhain, is the first of the Greater Sabbats, it falls on what the rest of the United States calls Halloween (All hallows eve, in the past)[phpbay] It marks the beginning of the Wiccan year[phpbay] It is a time to connect with our departed ancestors, as the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is at its thinest on this day[phpbay] It is also a celebration of a bountiful harvest[phpbay] It is a day of Thanksgiving, in the most traditional sense[phpbay] Samhain falls on October 31st[phpbay]
Yule, the first of the Lessor Sabbats, falls on the shortest day of the year, or the Winter Solstice[phpbay] When the Darkness of winter finally yields to the light of spring[phpbay] It is similar to the Christianized version of Christmas[phpbay] We celebrate the coming of the Son of the Goddess (the sun also), who brings the light and awakens the sleeping earth[phpbay] Yule is December 22nd this year (actually next year)[phpbay]
Imbolc, also a Greater Sabbat is celebrated on February 2nd[phpbay] It is also known as Groundhogs day in the US, and Candelmas by people of the Catholic faith[phpbay] It is a spring ritual, celebrating rebirth[phpbay] This is a time that many covens initiate members[phpbay]
Ostara, is the Lessor spring Sabbat, falling on the Vernal or spring equinox (the day when daylight and darkness are equal)[phpbay] It is celebrated on approximately the 20th of March (check your calendar as it is not a fixed day[phpbay]) It is a celebration of Spring, new life, and fertility[phpbay] Babies, animals and human were being born after the darkness of the winter, trees were in leaf[phpbay] And the fields were ready to be planted[phpbay] This is the closest we as Wiccans come to celebrating Easter[phpbay]
Beltane, a Greater Sabbat, is the last of the spring celebations[phpbay] It was the day that people could slow down, since the planting was done, and all the livestock had been born[phpbay] It was a day to rejoice in love, it was the day for handfasting[phpbay] Beltane, is also known as May Day, it falls on May 1st[phpbay]
Litha, is the summer Lessor Sabbat, falling on the Summer Solstice or Midsummer, it is celebrated on June 21st this year[phpbay] It is also a celebration of fertility, as this was the time when people could begin to see the fruits of their labor[phpbay] The oats, and rye were growing in the fields, and fruits and vegetables appeared on plants and trees[phpbay]
Lammas, is the first of the harvest celebrations, and a Greater Sabbat[phpbay] The earliest vegetables are harvested[phpbay] Food is plentiful[phpbay] Lammas is celebrated on August 1st traditionally the day that the first barley harvest was complete[phpbay]
Mabon, the final Lesser Sabbat of the year, is celebrated on the Autumnal Equinox, or the first day of fall, the 23rd of September[phpbay] It is a harvest celebration, when all the food has been brought in and the stores of food are being put away for winter[phpbay] It is the day that once again daylight and night are equal, and signals the coming of the dark as the days gradually shorten[phpbay]
For more information, I suggest the following books, “The Grandmother of Time” by Zsuzsanna Budapest, and “Ancient Ways: Reclaiming Pagan Traditions” by Pauline Campanelli[phpbay] They are both packed with information, celebrations and traditions that I will not delve into in this blog, and great resources[phpbay]
A Celebration of the Heart, is the only True Celebration[phpbay] Let your heart sing and dance to it’s music[phpbay]
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on Thursday, August 27th, 2009 at 7:28 pm and is filed under halloween.
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