The vernal equinox, also known as the spring equinox, is a significant event in pagan traditions. It marks the moment when day and night are approximately equal in length, and it symbolizes the balance between light and darkness. In pagan religions, this is a time of celebration, renewal, and fertility. Many different traditions and customs are observed during these festivities. One common practice during vernal equinox celebrations is the lighting of bonfires. These fires are believed to purify and cleanse the environment, as well as bring luck and prosperity for the coming year.
As it was the end of the harvest season food was abundant, with many wild crops such as mushrooms, berries and nuts supplementing more traditional ones. Harvests like apples and grapes would be split between food and wine or cider production. A previous year’s vintage would be on standby to be enjoyed alongside the first ale from Lammas’ harvests during the evening’s feast.
In Cornwall, Elder leaves were incorporated for protection, with Rowan wreaths placed over the doorways to cattle pens to keep them safe through winter. If this is how springtime can make us feel today, imagine what it must have been like thousands of years ago before the invention of central heating or supermarkets.
These fires are believed to purify and cleanse the environment, as well as bring luck and prosperity for the coming year. People gather around the bonfires and dance, sing, and engage in other communal activities. There may also be rituals performed, such as chanting or offering prayers to deities associated with spring and fertility.
5 pagan traditions for celebrating the autumn equinox
Mabon, or the autumnal equinox, nestles neatly between the sun-ripened cavorting of Lammas and the darker death-tinged feasts of Samhain. While the specific date of the Equinox shifts slightly each year it occurs around 20th-22nd September and marks the second point in the year when both day and night are of equal length.
It’s both the second Equinox and second harvest festival in the Pagan party calendar, so from Hedgewitch to High Priest there’s really no excuse for a faux pas. Without further ado, prepare to celebrate this autumn equinox like an expert!
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Ancient rituals that mark the start of autumn
1. Dusters at dawn
Being a celestial event means two things, firstly it’s going global. As with the solstices, there is evidence documenting equinox celebrations from all over the world for thousands of years. Secondly, the party at sites such as Stonehenge and Avebury start at sunrise. Is it even a Pagan sabbat if someone isn’t up at the crack of dawn?
Similar to Lammas, this Equinox is primarily a celebration of thanksgiving; but one key difference is that, traditionally, people would also take stock of what no longer serves them, physically and spiritually. In the same way that spring cleaning is associated with the spring equinox, people would declutter at Mabon making way for the necessary resources and resilience to take them through the approaching winter.
Read more about: British History
Mabon: The pagan festival that marks the autumn equinox
2. The guest list
There are many players in the Pagan pantheon, and even when only considering those from the UK, it can be hard to know who to give a sacrificial shout-out. American author Aidan Kelly named this sabbat ‘Mabon’ in 1970 and many Pagans globally refer to it as such. Mabon is the Welsh God of Youth, also hailed as the divine child. Perhaps more relevantly the son of Modron - the name many British Pagans use for this celebration, as she is the Goddess of motherhood often depicted with bread, fruit, and babies. Ireland’s Earth Mother is Banba (Banbha), who ruled with her sisters Fodla and Ériu.
The triumvirate of Goddesses reigning through the year is a repeating theme across British Paganism with Maiden, Mother, and Crone aspects welcomed and worshipped in turn. At the autumn equinox when harvests draw to a close, the bountiful Mother aspect prepares to give way to the harsh wisdom of the Crone.
Many British Pagan Gods are linked with growth and sunlight and so play a smaller role in autumnal sabbats. But there are those such as Arwen, Welsh God of stags, dogs, and hunting or Cernunnos, the horned Celtic God of hunting, fertility and wild things, wwhoseimportance increased at this time, particularly before people had livestock to sustain them through winter.
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When is the autumn equinox in 2023?
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3. Nail the decor
The theme for this sabbatical shebang is one of balance between light and dark both physically, with the equality of day and night, and spiritually. The double spiral has been used since neolithic times to represent this and is often partnered with the cornucopia or overflowing horn of plenty on the altar.
Trees would be left outside for the time being but were still decorated with hanging bells, chimes and ‘clooties’. Beautiful wreaths of grape vines, ivy, and autumn leaves would be attached to doors. In Cornwall, Elder leaves were incorporated for protection, with Rowan wreaths placed over the doorways to cattle pens to keep them safe through winter.
Read more about: Ancient History
The Wheel of the Year: the calendar of pagan festivals explained
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4. Don’t forget the nibbles
As it was the end of the harvest season food was abundant, with many wild crops such as mushrooms, berries and nuts supplementing more traditional ones. Harvests like apples and grapes would be split between food and wine or cider production. A previous year’s vintage would be on standby to be enjoyed alongside the first ale from Lammas’ harvests during the evening’s feast.
With this abundance comes the need for some precautions to be taken. This food still needed to last through the winter and so it was a time when fruits and vegetables would be preserved. Herbal tinctures and remedies such as rosehip syrup, which is still used today for coughs, would also be prepared in large batches.
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Samhain and the pagan roots of Halloween
5. Slaughterhouse rules
This was seen as an auspicious time for animals to be slaughtered not only to provide meat and blood sacrifices for the equinox celebrations but to be preserved for winter rations. It also helped ensure that there would be enough food for the remaining livestock.
The ritual of cakes and ale was also repeated across many Pagan cultures. It was a ritual for health, prosperity, and fertility with the cakes and ale first being blessed. The cake represented earth and the material world while the ale embodied the spirits of fire, water, and air.
Every pro-party planner knows to get the next event in quickly and our Pagan predecessors were no different. For all the celebrating at equinox, it also marked the approach of something much bigger. Preparations would begin for the late October/early November full moon when the Crone held sway and the sacred feast of Samhain kept all manner of nasties away.
Similar to Lammas, this Equinox is primarily a celebration of thanksgiving; but one key difference is that, traditionally, people would also take stock of what no longer serves them, physically and spiritually. In the same way that spring cleaning is associated with the spring equinox, people would declutter at Mabon making way for the necessary resources and resilience to take them through the approaching winter.
Another important aspect of vernal equinox festivities in pagan traditions is the honoring of nature. This is a time when people acknowledge the rebirth and renewal happening in the natural world. They may visit sacred sites, such as forests or bodies of water, to connect with nature's energy and give thanks for the abundance it provides. Offerings of food, flowers, or other items may be made to honor the earth and its cycles. One well-known pagan tradition associated with the vernal equinox is the practice of egg decorating and rolling. Eggs have long been a symbol of fertility and new life, and they are often used in rituals and festivities during this time. People may decorate eggs with vibrant colors, designs, or symbols, and then participate in egg rolling competitions. The egg rolling represents the rolling away of the old and the welcoming of the new. Overall, vernal equinox festivities in pagan traditions are a time to celebrate the arrival of spring, embrace the balance between light and dark, and honor the cycles of nature. They involve rituals, ceremonies, and communal activities that foster a connection with both the earth and the divine. These celebrations serve as a reminder of the renewal and growth happening all around us, and they provide an opportunity to express gratitude and joy for the gifts of this season..
Reviews for "Traditional Foods and Symbols of the Vernal Equinox in Paganism"
1. Mary - 1 star: I attended the Vernal equinox festivities in pagan traditions and I have to say, it was a huge disappointment. The event lacked organization and felt like a disorganized mess. The supposed rituals and ceremonies were poorly executed and seemed more like a haphazard display of random actions than any kind of meaningful tradition. The lack of coordination and planning was evident throughout the event, and it felt like a complete waste of time. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic and meaningful pagan celebration.
2. John - 2 stars: I was really excited to attend the Vernal equinox festivities in pagan traditions, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The whole event felt superficial and commercialized, lacking any real connection to the pagan traditions it claimed to represent. The organizers seemed more concerned with attracting a large crowd and making money than honoring the significance of the equinox. The performances were lackluster, and it felt more like a cheap tourist attraction than an authentic spiritual gathering. Overall, I was disappointed with the event and wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a genuine pagan experience.
3. Sarah - 2 stars: I had high hopes for the Vernal equinox festivities in pagan traditions, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The event seemed more focused on entertainment and spectacle rather than on honoring the spiritual significance of the equinox. The rituals and ceremonies felt like staged performances rather than authentic practices, and I left feeling like I had witnessed a show rather than participated in a meaningful celebration. The lack of attention to details and the overall disorganized nature of the event were major letdowns. It's a shame that such an important pagan tradition was reduced to a shallow and unfulfilling experience.