Sacred Days

In his book Wiccan Beliefs and Practices, Gary Cantrell describes Wicca as "a spiritual awakening within one's self, recognizing the interrelationship between humankind and nature" (page 19).  Many Pagans would agree with such a characterization.  Our celebration of the holy is the celebration of Nature and her cycles.  There are differences in the holiday celebrations depending on which Wiccan or Pagan tradition one chooses, not only in how one celebrates, but also in terms of the name of the special day and when it is celebrated.  

What I have described here is what has become something of the standard for Wicca and/or Witchcraft traditions. It would be wise to do some research on the history of these celebrations! You'll quickly see how Christian leaders sought to merge Christian holy days and Pagan celebrations, and then eventually banned the Pagan rituals in favor of the Christian practice.  Some Pagan writers believe that Pagans went "underground" with their practice for hundreds of years, waiting until it was safe to let it surface again.  Other writers believe that the rituals we have today are fairly recent creations.  Either way, the important piece for now is to take what you can find regarding these special days and add your own elements. 

Study & Preparation

You'll find the typically observed sacred days listed below.  I would encourage you to spend time writing in your journal and your Book of Shadows as you develop  personal interpretations and rituals around these special times.  I have some questions you might try to answer as you research each special day:

• What is the name of the holiday? 

• Does the holiday have more than one name?  (many do!) 

• Which name do you prefer?  Why?

• How do you pronounce the name of the holiday?  (Samhain isn't 'Sam Hane')

• When is the holiday celebrated and how is that determined?

• What is spiritual meaning of the holiday?

• What are typical ways of celebrating the holiday?

• What decorations and colors are associated with the holiday?

• What myth(s), Goddess(es) and/or God(s) are associated with the holiday?

• How might you celebrate the holiday in your mundane life?

• What components would make up a solitary ritual for this holiday?

Wheel of the Year

The information I have below on Sabbats, followed by Esbats, is minimal. There are so many wonderful internet sites and basic books on Paganism now that for me to cover it would just add to the repetition.  Good places to start your search for ideas in planning holiday rituals are:

Sabbats

There are 8 Sabbats spread across the year, which brings a sacred day around about every 7 weeks.  The Sabbats are rich in symbolism.  They bond us to Nature, reminding us of the spiral of the year and the spirals of our own lives.

*Note: This calendar reflects the Sabbats for the Northern Hemisphere.  The holidays are shifted 6 months for the Southern Hemisphere.

Esbats

Generally an Esbat ritual takes place at a full moon.   My experience has been that Esbats are times for personal reflection and personal magic.  While some Pagan distinguish each moon with its own name and ritual, such as the December full moon as a celebration of the Oak Moon, others perform a similar and familiar ritual for each full moon.

The Moon is often associated with Goddess energies and with personal magic.  I took the name "Lavender-Moon" because I find the phases of the moon to be inspiring and powerful. (And, just for the record, "Lavender" is in honor of the herb.)  The following description, taken from the introduction in Dorothy Morrison's book, The Craft, gives a common view of the symbolism in the moon phases.

Sacred Days in Your Tradition

 Are drawn to a particular culture, mythology, pantheon, Goddess, God, or Sacred Other?  Are there days which, historically, have represented special or holy days? 

P.S.

How about celebrating holidays by planting a tree, taking food to a local homeless shelter or pet food to the local animal shelter?