Samhain

The Pagan festival of Samhain (pronounced SOW-in) takes place on October 31. Also known as Hallowmas, All Hallow's Eve, All Saint's Eve, Ancestor Night and Halloween, this holiday marks the Witch's New Year's Eve and is the second oldest known European holiday tracing its history back nearly 6,000 years!

Samhain, which means �Summer's End,� is a celebration to honor those who have gone before and to pay homage to the Goddess as she takes on the robes of the Crone and the God becomes the Hunter who will lead the Wild Hunt throughout the winter. On this night the veil between the worlds is exceptionally thin, making it an ideal night for divination and magic.

Yule

The sabbat of Yule takes place on December 20 or 21 depending on tradition. In the Teutonic tradition, Yuletide begins on December 20, Mother Night, and ends 12 days later on December 31 � hence the modern tradition of the �Twelve Days of Christmas.� Wooden pillars throughout Europe aligned with the rising sun of the Winter Solstice at least 5,000 years ago!

Yule falls at the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, and is subsequently a festival of light and fire. In many traditions, Yule is when the Holly King, who representing the death aspect of the God, is overcome by the Oak King, who embodies rebirth.

Candlemas

The festival of Candlemas falls on February second and is also called by the name Imbolc or Imbolg meaning �in milk,� Bride's Day, and Lady Day. This sabbat is set to coincide with the first visible stirrings of spring � new flowers and the first green grass peeking through the last winter snow, the birth of the first lambs, the first few warm days that chase away the long Winter gray.

This sabbat celebrates the rebirth of the Goddess as Maiden and marks the first stirrings of spring. It is a festival of banishing Winter, welcoming Spring, and celebrating those things that are yet to be born.

Ostara

The Pagan festival of Ostara falls at the Spring Equinox, around March 20. This Sabbat is a fertility festival celebrating the Goddess Eostar, also called Astarte, whose sacred symbols were the egg and hare. These symbols continue to this day in the tradition of celebrating with chocolate bunnies and colored Easter eggs.

Ostara is a time to turn out the old and bring in the new � the ancient roots of Spring Cleaning. For modern Pagans, this means a time of releasing old worries and finishing old projects to make room for new hopes, aspirations, and ideas.

Beltane

The sabbat of Beltane takes place on April 30, May 1 or May 5 depending on tradition. In ancient times, all unattached men and women would dress in green and spend the night in the woods on Beltane-eve to seek a partner. This tradition is known as �gathering in the May.� This sabbat is also known as May Day or Lady Day.

The word Beltane means �bright fire,� or �lucky fire.� This sabbat is a fire festival which celebrates the changing face of the Goddess from Maiden to Mother and the union of the Goddess and God as lovers. For this reason, Beltane often marks the time for Handfasting in most Pagan traditions. It focuses our attention on love, passion and sexuality. Like Samhain, Beltane is a time when the veil between the worlds is especially thin, making this an excellent time for divination and prophecy.

Litha

The Pagan festival of Litha takes place at the Summer Solstice, around June 21, and is at least 10,000 years old!

This sabbat marks the longest day of the year and celebrates the God in all his glory. It is a celebration of passion and success. This is the time when the Lord of Oak is replaced by the Lord of Holly as the days begin to once again grow shorter.

Lammas

The first autumn festival, Lammas, takes place on August 2. It is also known as Loaf-Mass, August Eve, and Lughnasadh.

Lammas celebrates the first harvest and represents a time of great rejoicing. The Mother Goddess and the God of the Sun would have been thanked for autumn's bounty at this time and great bonfires would have burned in their honor.

Mabon

The sabbat of Mabon takes place at the Autumn Equinox on September 20 or 21. This festival is also known as Harvest Home, Wine Harvest, and the Feast of Avalon. Mabon has been celebrated by Pagan people since at least 3,000 BC.

This is the second harvest festival, taking place at the height of the harvest when nearly all crops are to be gathered. This is a time of setting aside old grudges, disputes, and troubles to make way for the new year awaiting at the end of the harvest season.