In the mundane sense, Wiccans acknowledge December 25th as a holiday, just like the Jews, Hindus or Buddhists do in Canadian culture which is primarily Christian based. Our equivalent to Christmas is called "Yule". In fact, Yule is the Pagan holiday that the Christians renamed Christmas when the "new religion" became the governing power in society. Wiccans celebrate eight (8) "holy" days (hence the name "holiday") a year. They are:
YULE:December 20th/21st. The rebirth of the sun. The Winter Solstice.
IMBOLC: February 2. Candlemas/Festival of Light. First stirrings of Spring.
OSTARA: March 20th/21st. The Vernal/Spring Equinox. Egg Festival.
BELTANE: May 1st. May Day. Fertility Festival.
LITHA: June 20th/21st. Midsummer Night. The Summer Solstice.
LAMMAS: August 1st. The First Harvest. The first breads from new crops are baked.
MABON: September 20th/21st. The Autumnal Equinox. The Second Harvest.
SAMHAIN: October 31st. End of the Year. Summer's End. The Final Harvest.
The ancient people believed that by acknowledging the turning of the wheel and honouring the earth, the sun and the moon, the cycle of life would continue.
1 comment:
Hi Nancy & Graham:
Your cruise itinerary sounds wonderful!! A dream vacation/honeymoon of a lifetime! The only port of call Neil and I have been to on your trip is New York! We enjoyed that long weekend big time! Be sure to take in some theatre there and tour the Empire State Building if you haven't already! Night time isn't the best. Walk around the famous Park for sure! However, the Ground Zero area is very depressing and upsetting so I don't recommend it. Check out Macy's for sure! We found Neil's wedding band there. We loved NY!! Eileen & Neil
Post a Comment