The Sabbats

There are dozens of Pagan holidays and festivals, most of them are ancient ones, and the most major ones celebrated in modern days are listed below. The Quarters are the equinoxes and solstices, and the cross-quarters are the four days found exactly in between the quarters. The sabbats are solar and seasonal holidays, and are times for joyousness, and celebration. The Esbats usually happen on Full and New Moons (and to some people, not all, on Fridays, or on the 13th and 31st of a month), and are for Goddess celebrations, other rites, rituals, and magickal workings.
(Note: I doubt the ancients would have called themselves "pagan," so I generally prefer the term "Ancient Spirituality," though, I obviously call things Pagan, in this web site, and it's a good term.)

The Winter Solstice, or Yule -- happens around December 21; Yule Eve, or December 20th (usually) is Mother Night, the beginning of Yuletide, and when the Mother Goddess is in her birth-labor; the Sun-God (the Pagan deities are usually seen in both physical and spiritual aspects) is reborn of the Mother Goddess as the child god; the Sun begins waxing (growing) in light, i.e./which means, the days grow longer after this day of longest night; the Solar new year; the light half of the year begins; colors are red, green, silver, gold, purple, and white; yule trees, decked with silver, gold, and fruit decorations, holly, wreaths, mistletoe, red and green, bayberry, Santa or Saint Nicholas (i.e., Santa Claus), anciently an aspect of the god Odin, and his chariot (or sleigh) pulled by eight reindeer (as symbolizing the Wheel of the Year -- the eight, main Sabbats), the winter goddess Holda, a Snow-man, Jack Frost, a cooked goose, feasting, revelry, egg nog, nuts, raisons, man-shaped or sun-shaped cookies, etc., are traditional Pagan customs and traditions at this time.

Imbolc, or Candlemas -- February 2 (the actual cross-quarter might be February 3, or some other day, when the sun is at 15 degrees Aquarius) -- the first stirrings of spring in the womb of Mother Earth Goddess; colors are pink, red, white, light blue, and brown; love festivals dedicated to Venus, as an early Valentine's Day (coming from a festival for Venus) can be celebrated, if you wish; the Goddess has rested after her labor (giving birth, at Yule); a fire and candle festival to the goddess Brigid; sweep your home and magick circle clean, and/or you could turn on all the lights in your house, for purification/cleansing, and more.

Ostara or Spring Equinox -- around March 20 -- the return of the Green Goddess (or March 25, which is Lady Day); spring has sprung; colors are light, pastel springtime colors, especially light green; preparing any seeds for planting, or seeds of goals that you want to bring forth by the autumnal harvest; hours of day and night are equal; rabbits, the Easter Bunny (from the goddess Eostre, Ishtar, or Ostara), eggs, hard-boiled eggs decorated with Rune symbols, a cooked ham, young life, young animals, baby chicks, the Divine Conception, and so on.

Beltane or May Day -- May 1 (the cross-quarter, or sun at 15 degrees Taurus, is usually on May 5); or celebrate it on April 30, May Day Eve/Beltane Eve, called also Walpurgisnacht; celebrate all night long; the divine marriage or union of the Goddess and God; the young god has grown into young manhood by this time (again, Pagan myths symbol nature, as well as, often, the soul, and life cycles of all things, etc.); colors are red and white (symbolizing the first "union" of the Virgin Goddess), or green, or spring colors; maypoles; tie ribbons to trees; eat strawberries and red fruit punch by candlelight in the forest; and/or prepare a gift for the Deities' marriage; gather baskets of flowers, such as, trilliums; float white tea candles in a bowl, if you wish; bonfires can be lit on hilltops (or anywhere, one supposes); burgeoning, fruitful spring, at its height, is celebrated; weaving, sexual unions, and things involving uniting two things to make a third, a new being, are celebrated; Beltane oat cakes are a traditional food, as is ice cream, and the other foods mentioned; and et cetera.

The Summer Solstice or Litha (pronounced "Lee-tha") -- around June 21; the Sun-god is at the height of his powers, as well as is the Green Goddess, and the Lord of the Greenwood; colors are green and blue, and sunlight yellow, and gold, for the sun; branches for magickal wands harvested; all types of good magick performed; leaping balefires; the longest day of the year; the sunlight begins waning (decreasing) after this day, so the darker half of the year begins at this time, though, it's very light for at least three months yet; lots of feasting, and more.

Lughnasadh or Lammas -- August 1 (the actual cross-quarter around August 5); the first Harvest; colors are gold, green, yellow, goldenrod, light blue; the harvest Goddess gives of her bounty, and the harvest God gives of some of this strength and blessings through the food which sustains us; making corn dollies is traditional, as well as burning the old dolly from the past year; another sun-god festival; the new harvest year is here, thanksgiving, dancing, feasting, etc.

The Autumnal Equinox, or Mabon -- around September 22; hours of day and night are equal again; colors are red, orange, dark green and blue, purple, and yellow; the strength of the Green Goddess and God are waning, and they are seen as deities of the Waning Moon and Sun; they give of their strength and harvest bounty again, to see us through the winter; in some traditions, the descent of the goddess Persephone, or Proserpina, into the Earth or the Underworld, again, for six months of the year, which brings winter; this is the Second festival of Harvest; acorns, fallen autumnal leaves, pine cones, etc., are traditional decorations.

The Samhain and Halloween Sabbat -- October 31 and November 1; click on the preceding hyper-link for more information.

* Note: various Pagan and Wiccan traditions and groups (and individuals) have different myths or stories, or symbolism, or whatever, on the different holidays, and/or festivals, and may often have unique ways of observing them.

** See the Pagan Calendar page for more festivals!