Pagan holidays, also known as ancient or pre-Christian holidays, are celebrations that originated in ancient cultures and were associated with pagan beliefs and practices. These holidays were typically based on natural cycles, such as the changing of seasons or the movement of celestial bodies. Many of these pagan holidays were later incorporated or reinterpreted by various religions throughout history. One example of a pagan holiday is the winter solstice, which falls around December 21st in the northern hemisphere. This holiday marks the shortest day and longest night of the year and was celebrated by ancient cultures as the return of light and the rebirth of the sun. In many modern traditions, this holiday has been adapted into the celebration of Christmas.

How Irish Holidays Blend Catholic and Pagan Traditions

Many Irish holidays blend the Catholic faith with ancient Celtic tradition and mythology. Some original pagan holidays are still practiced in Ireland today.

At Christmastime, we often hear protests about the “real meaning” of the season from people eager to emphasize the Christian elements of Christmas. Others point out that America’s favorite winter holiday owes much to its pagan predecessors. In reality, this blending of Christian and pagan traditions is nothing new, nor is it unique to America.

In the late 1800’s, while Ireland was still struggling against British rule and recovering from the Great Famine, an American ethnographer named James Mooney published a study on the culture of the people of Ireland. What he found was a series of holidays that blended the Catholic faith with ancient Celtic tradition and mythology. Many of the traditions Mooney documented are still practiced in some regions of Ireland today.

Interestingly, the holiday most strongly associated with Catholicism in Ireland also has strong ties to the country’s indigenous traditions.

St. Bridget’s Day, for instance, is a fire festival that is linked to the pagan Candelmas celebration. It is also associated with the Celtic diety Brigid or Breej, who may have originally been the protectress of cattle and dairy. Celebrations of this day varied, but a procession that traveled from house to house gathering treats was one commonality.

Possibly the most famous Irish holiday is St. Patrick’s Day. In the United States, this holiday is often associated with drinking, but in 1800’s Ireland it was more closely associated with farming. St. Patrick’s Day was considered a good time to begin planting a garden, or as in Connemara, the date by which you should already have done half of your planting. Still, the day was not all work, in the evenings on St. Patrick’s Day many locals would celebrate by “drowning the shamrock” or dipping a clover in a glass of whiskey and making a toast to the community’s continued prosperity.

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Another, more familiar, pagan holiday that continues to be celebrated both in Ireland and abroad is Samhen, Hallow E’en (Halloween), or All Souls’ Day. Originally a harvest festival that celebrated the collection of seeds and the final fall crops, this holiday was so popular in ancient Ireland that the Catholic church decided to change its name to All Souls day and keep it, rather than try to convince people to give it up. Because this holiday was said to occur during a time when the veil between the living and the dead was thin, it was also a popular time for divination, a practice the Catholic church was strongly against.

The end of the year brings Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Twelfth Night. Interestingly, the holiday most strongly associated with Catholicism in Ireland also has strong ties to the country’s indigenous traditions. The use of evergreen decorations and collecting of mistletoe, was initially associated with the pagan holiday Yule. This winter festival, a celebration of the rebirth of the sun, was often celebrated with feasting and general merriment, a sentiment that still holds true for this holiday season. Evergreen decorations, including the tree, were seen as a symbol of the return of spring and the natural abundance that comes with it. The mummers, fantastically dressed young men who parade through town (sometimes in costumes made of straw) performing traditional songs and dances, are also associated with this holiday. These customs remain to this day, both in Ireland and the world over, and prove how intertwined our various traditions have become.

In many modern traditions, this holiday has been adapted into the celebration of Christmas. Another pagan holiday is Beltane, which takes place on May 1st. Beltane is a Gaelic festival that celebrates the beginning of summer and the fertility of the land.

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Your Year-Round Guide to Pagan Holidays

The wheel of the year is an important symbol in Pagan tradition and the basis for Pagan holidays. It is an annual cycle of seasonal festivals, with the sun’s equinoxes and solstices leading the division of the year into four parts and their midpoints. The wheel is made up of eight unique celebrations which are deeply tied to the seasons and all involve celebrating with a holiday full of rejoicing, festivity, food, and ritual.

Yule

Winter Solstice, December 21st

The wheel of the year begins in the darkest part of the year: the winter solstice. The festivities for this holiday are centered around light, hearth, and home and include feasts, bonfires, and decorating with traditional plants such as holly and mistletoe. Decorating evergreens with trinkets for the spirits of the trees is widely practiced and a yule log is made each year and burned in the first bonfire of the year.

Imbolc

February 1st through 2nd

Imbolc is also known as Saint Brigid’s Day, and she is the goddess of fire, blacksmiths, springs, poets, motherhood, fertility, and abundance. This time of the year, halfway between the winter solstice and spring equinox, is the awakening of the natural world. This is the time for preparing **beds for sowing seeds **and celebrating the first shoots of spring. To celebrate Imbolc, dolls are made of corn and Brigid crosses are made of straw, as it is the time to start cleaning the garden bed of all the golden husks from last year.

Celebrated on the Spring Equinox, March 20th

Spring has arrived! Ostara and Easter are named after Eostre, the goddess of spring, new beginnings, and fertility.** This is the time to do your spring cleaning! **Open your windows, open your doors, and sweep out and smoke cleanse all of the stagnancy of winter. Focus on the balance that equinoxes bring. Breathe new life into your home, days, and routines, and celebrate this holiday by decorating eggs to symbolize the fertility of spring and planting new life with your intentions of growth for the year.

Celebrated the First of May

Beltane is the Gaelic Mayday festival, which celebrates the end of spring and the beginning of summer with bonfires, dancing, maypoles, and warmth. Beltane is all about celebrating** fertility and the ripeness of the year.**

Celebrated on the Summer Solstice, June 21st

Also known as Midsummer, Litha is the summer solstice, celebrating the longest, hottest days and shortest nights. This is the other side of the Yule battle for light and darkness: bonfires are also lit on this holiday to assist the sun in its eternal battle against the dark. Gardens are beginning to be fruitful, and it’s the perfect time of year to make flower crowns and bouquets.

Lammas

Celebrated August 1st

Lammas is the first of three harvest festivals and the turning point from summer into autumn. This is celebrated by offering the first fruits of the harvest, which in turn starts the harvest season: it is not good luck to harvest food before Lammas! Celebrate this holiday by thanking the earth for the coming harvests, baking bread, and by making decorative crafts out of herbs and wheat stems.

Mabon

Celebrated near the Autumn Equinox, September 21st through the 29th

Mabon (pronounced may-bon) is the second of the harvest festivals and the true celebration of autumn. This is to honor the changing of the seasons and focuses on the balance between light and dark, similar but opposite to Ostara. This is the time to give offerings to the trees from your harvest, pick apples, and have feasts and fires with your community.

Celebrated Sunset October 31st through Sunset on November 1st

The final harvest festival, Samhain, is when the darkness starts to win the eternal fight with the light. This is when the** doors to other worlds are opened **and is the time to commune with the dead. It is celebrated with big gatherings, fires, and feasts before the coming winter. All of the harvest fruits such as apples, pumpkins, and nuts are eaten during this time, the cattle are brought down from the summer pastures. Everything left in the harvest at this time is stored for the winter.

###Get started celebrating the year the Pagan way with the** Wheel of the Year Sabbat Ritual Box! **

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What holidays are pagan holidays

Samhain is for witches and creepy pagans. Especially if you like ghost hunting, watching horror movies, and singing witchy songs at the top of your lungs. Or how about the pagan versions of Easter and Christmas? Yes, they exist. You can even celebrate fertility and passion on one of the many fire festivals occurring annually worldwide. So no matter the ancient culture, there’s a pagan holiday or two to explore. If you’re new to the world of paganism, or you’re just curious, we present some of the Wiccan sabbats and other pagan holidays here.

It involves the lighting of large bonfires and the practice of rituals involving purification and fertility. Today, some of these ancient traditions can still be found in modern-day May Day celebrations. Samhain is another pagan holiday that is celebrated on October 31st and was later incorporated into Halloween. Samhain marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It is believed to be a time when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest, and it was traditionally associated with divination and honoring ancestors. In addition to these specific examples, many other pagan holidays existed throughout history. These holidays varied depending on the specific culture and region, but they often revolved around the cycles of nature and the agricultural calendar. They were often marked by rituals, feasts, and communal celebrations. While these pagan holidays may have been originally associated with pagan beliefs, they have evolved over time and are now celebrated by various religious and cultural groups. For example, Christmas has become a major Christian holiday, while Halloween is widely celebrated by people of various religious backgrounds. Overall, pagan holidays provide a glimpse into ancient cultural practices and beliefs, and their influence can still be seen in modern celebrations and traditions. As society continues to evolve, these holidays will likely continue to adapt and change, reflecting the ever-evolving nature of human spirituality and culture..

Reviews for "The Pagan Roots of April Fools' Day"

1. John - 1 star

I found "What holidays are pagan holidays" to be extremely misleading and filled with inaccurate information. The author seemed to have a strong bias against pagan holidays and presented them in a negative light without acknowledging their historical and cultural significance. The book lacked proper research and relied on baseless assumptions, making it difficult to take any of the content seriously. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking genuine information about pagan holidays.

2. Sarah - 2 stars

As someone interested in learning about different traditions and their origins, I was disappointed with "What holidays are pagan holidays". The author seemed to have a limited understanding of paganism and failed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the subject matter. The book came across as biased and judgmental, dismissing the rich history and spiritual significance associated with pagan holidays. I would suggest looking for more well-rounded and insightful resources on this topic.

3. Emily - 1 star

"What holidays are pagan holidays" was a frustrating read filled with sweeping generalizations and misinformation. The author seemed determined to portray pagan holidays as inherently evil and deserving of contempt. The lack of balanced research and nuanced exploration of different pagan traditions made this book more of a propaganda piece than an informative resource. I would advise readers to seek out alternative sources for a more accurate and unbiased understanding of pagan holidays.

The Pagan Heritage of Thanksgiving