January
Hecate’s Feast Day, 31st January
The Greek goddess of magic, witchcraft, the moon, and divine femininity, Hecate rode on a chariot pulled by dragons and became known as the Queen of the Witches during the Middle Ages. She protected the practices of midwives, healers, and seers, and is now celebrated on the 31st of January with a sacred feast.
February
Imbolc, 1st February
The Gaelic word ‘Imbolc’ means ‘in the belly’ – as Spring nears, the Earth is full of potential and the land is buzzing with renewed fertility. The Celtic Fire Goddess Brighid brings fertility back to the farming Pagans and is closely associated with new life and babies in February. Modern Pagans celebrate Brighid and the returning of Spring as their ancestors did: with crafts, candle lighting, stone gathering, and snow hikes.
March
Eostre/Spring Equinox, 21st March
Ostara is the goddess of Spring and is celebrated during the festival of Eostre – adopted into the Christian Easter – over the Spring equinox.
The original tale of Eostre begins with the Goddess visiting the creatures of the forest. Each animal was desperate to find the perfect gift for the Goddess and took their finest honey, herbs, jewels, gold, and silver. The Hare lived in poverty, and all he could find was a single egg in a dusty corner, so he decorated it with grass, buttercups, and the like. When the animals gathered to meet the Goddess, Hare was the very last to give her a gift, and anxious of its modesty. Ostara smiled and saw the true spirit of Hare, appointing him the spirit of Eostre because he had given away everything he had for another. Since then, each Easter night, Ostara sends Hare to place an egg in the corner of poor houses so that families in poverty have something to eat during her festival.
April
Serapia, 25th April
Serapia is the holiday dedicated to the Lord Seraphis, God of the afterlife and destiny. This God’s cult was introduced in 300 BC to unify Greece and Egypt – he is often Greek in appearance but bears many similarities with Egyptian icons and clothing. Serapia is celebrated with music, philanthropy, and feasting.
May
Beltane, 1st May
This is the night of the Greenwood Marriage – the May Queen and the May King fall in love at Spring’s peak and the Queen falls pregnant, symbolising the Earth’s conception. Beltane is a festival of sexuality, sensuality, passion, vitality, and joy; Pagans celebrate with the Fire Festival, where maidens, crones, and couples leap over bonfires to cleanse and purify themselves.
June
Litha/Summer Solstice, 21st June
Midsummer (Midsomar) represents the middle of the year, whilst the Solstice is the longest day of the year. This big celebration prefixes the descent into winter by lighting wheels of straw and rolling them down hills to represent the balance of nature.
July
Neptunalia, 23rd July
In honour of the Roman sea God, Neptunalia is a two-day festival with drinking and feasting on the Tiber River. Pagans thank Neptune for the rivers and seas and pray for a mercifully short drought season. Neptune was often portrayed as a short-tempered ruler of oceans: you may also know him as Poseidon, Earth Shaker, or Horse Tamer.
August
Lammas, 1st August
Now at high summer, Lammas is the festival of the first harvest. For most Pagans, the Earth Mother is honoured; for Greeks it is Demeter, while for Celtics it is the fae (for Irish Celtics, specifically leprechauns). Traditionally, the first bread of the harvest is left in offering and then Pagans take up festive circle-dancing and light bonfires.
September
Mabon/Autumn Equinox, 21st September
Named after the Welsh God of light, Mabon is a celebration of the second harvest, the fruit harvest, and the great feast of thanksgiving. It is a time of reaping what has been sown and enjoying the rest
that comes with it. Pagans spend this time hiking, spring cleaning, and planting bulbs. The apple is an important symbol of Mabon, as it represents regeneration and healing, and is used during the festival in crafts, altars, and feasts.
October
Samhain, 31st October
More commonly known as Halloween, Samhain is one of the most important festivals of the year. It is seen to be where the veil between worlds (life and death) is at its thinnest. This is the time Pagans honour the deceased, practice divination, carve pumpkins, light bonfires, and connect with the supernatural.
You can read more about the festival of Samhain here.
November
Women’s Merry Making Day, 25th November
In Greece, some rituals could only be performed by women because they were considered to be gifted with the secrets and knowledge of the Gods. Historically, this was celebrated by giving women a rest from labour, but now it tends to be associated with the Greek Goddess Persephone, Queen of the Underworld and wife of Hades.
December
Yule/Winter Solstice, 21st December
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, when daylight can last for as little as seven hours, and Pagans celebrate, on this day, the rebirth of the Sun. Christmas is heavily influenced by Yule and the Solstice celebrations – it’s where we get the Christmas fern tree, gift-giving, carolling, Santa Claus, mistletoe, the wreath, and holly!