Imbolc --The Feast of Brighid is at the heart of the Abbey. As the daughter of The Dagda, she is honored as the primary Hearth Goddess, trusted with the incredible honor and responsibility of fostering royalty, and teaching those in her care everything they must know in order to take their place in society as leaders.
When the Sisters at the Abbey suggested I compose the Easter Menu, and that I outline some of the religious traditions that support the choices listed in the menu, I thought it was an interesting idea. --Sir Donald
May Day, or Beltane, was also the original Easter Day. Over time, the holiday was moved over to Oestara, which was the Spring Equinox, then finally moved again to rest on the calendar in such a way as to avoid the full moon of Oestara. Easter is now officially on the first Sunday following the full moon of the Spring Equinox, which is why the date is never the same year to year. However, Beltane remains as it always has been since pagan times, on the first day of the merry month of May.
The festival at Midsummer (also called Litha) celebrates the ease and romance of soft summer nights, perfect for chasing fireflies and storytelling. In many ways, the festival resembles the Scottish ceilidh, or "kay-lee" which has been variously spelled in modern times, but practiced in much the same way in places where gatherings of village folk are still respected as a way to pass an evening.
Mabon, son of the Dark Lord, son of Modor, the Great Mother. Lord of the Wild Hunt, riding night skies. Close your shutters. Bar the door. But feast with friends and kin, keeping them together; drink a toast this night to the health of all of them. Do not let them out. Do not send them into the night of Mabon.
Lamas is a festival of harvest, with many interesting customs associated with it, both culturally and spiritually. The grain that has come to seed is ready for cutting and threshing, and when the work is finished in the fields, it's time for a celebration. Traveling Revelers Troupes went from village to village in England, Scotland, and Ireland and France (at the least) to bring fun, song, storytelling, and theatre to townsfolk who were ready to relax, and enjoy the end of a backbreaking task of bringing in the harvest.
The feast of the dead is also known as Samhain, All-Saints Day and Hallows. In olde Irish tradition, it is also a day that marks the beginning of a new year, and is sometimes celebrated somewhat the way an Irish Wake is celebrated. In Wicca, it is also considered a New Year's Sabbat, according to some of the denominations.
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Of the stories of Yule, and of the Christmas Season, few compare to the Romance stories of King Arthur and his Court at Camelot. A fabulous tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Beheading Game, is set at Arthur's Court during the Christmas Eve Feast.
The description of the feast is no less impressive than the description of the Faery Knight, whose every inch is somehow a luminous green and who, as an inhabitant of the Otherworld, easily picks up his head which has been struck from him, and carries it away with him as he departs for The Green Chapel. For a retelling of the story from a pagan point of view, click the button.
