holidays1

Wiccans celebrate the 8 ancient festivals during the year. These are the 4 major holidays, or Sabbaths as we call them, and the 4 lesser Sabbaths. I will go through the list of them and explain the deep symbolism involved in these sacred times.

Halloween: Or as some call it, Samhain, pronounced sow-ween. Most pagans see Halloween as the new year. It is a time of great jollity as we stock up on candy and other goodies for the trick-or-treaters. Pumpkins, long associated with Halloween, originally were to scare off Christians who were coming to burn down their houses. It is said that ghosts roam freely, and it’s best to stay indoors for the rituals, both because it’s cold and the ghosts can be scary.

Yule: Christmas! Yay! Everyone’s favourite party. Traditionally people give presents to each other and the god is reborn and kills the evil holly king. Pagans borrowed Yule off the Christians, because they needed cheering up as it’s so cold.

Candlemas: This is the time when all the little flowers are asleep under the earth. It is very cold at this time of the year and our ancestors used to make candles out of lard and snow, that’s where the name comes from.

Easter: the spring solstice. This is a lovely time when god and the goddess mate and the goddess is born as the new flowers. This time pagans have lots of parties to celebrate mother earth giving birth to a goat, who is the green man. I don’t really understand Easter : )

Beltane: May day. This is when pagans dance round a big pole with ribbons on singing songs about the summer that’s nearly here and the god who is maturing into a big green man and the goddess is pregnant, symbolising fruitfulness and abundance. It’s all about fertility and happiness.

Midsummer: This is the middle of summer. In England, every pagan goes to Stonehenge for a big party. It is the longest day of the year so everyone feels very tired at the end of it.
God falls in love with the goddess, or mother earth, who gets pregnant and gives birth to the holly king, after the oak king was taken ill and died.

Lammas: This is the time when the Lambs are fat and ready to be slaughtered to appease the evil oak king. The goddess is very tired and goes to sleep for the winter and the green man starts to look after all the trees and animals that get ready to hibernate.

Harvest festival: This the time when people take the cans of food that are out of date in their cupboards at home and give it to poor and old people. The green man dies and the Goddess is very sad so she descends into Hades for the winter to mourn him. The flowers bow their heads in respect and go to sleep. It is a very sad time.