Pagan Holidays and the Wheel of the Year are often celebrated by Pagans, Witches, Wiccans, and anyone interested in Nature Spirituality. There are many different ways to honor the seasons! The choice is entirely up to you.

There is some debate around the names, dates, and which spiritual practitioner celebrates each holiday. However, there’s no wrong way to celebrate the seasons and cycles of Nature. It’s a very personal part of your spiritual practice.

I deeply want beginners to start by letting go of these “rules” placed on us by others. You don’t need to celebrate every holiday to be a “real” Pagan, Witch, Wiccan, or spiritual person. Focus on the meanings and symbolism behind each holiday and incorporate the holidays and practices that resonate with you.

At the bottom of each Pagan Holiday, I linked an article that will go more into depth if you’re interested in learning more about that specific holiday and how I celebrate!

Please note that I make every effort to ensure this information is correct and accurate through my own experiences and referencing sources throughout AND at the bottom of this article.

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What is a Pagan Holiday?

Pagan holidays consist of celebrating and honoring the seasons of Nature wherever we live. It can be as easy or complicated as you choose to make it, just like any other holiday.

I like to find ways to connect with Nature in my area and incorporate the spiritual intentions each pagan holiday represents. This can be a simple meal with a loved one, meditating alone with a candle, journaling, or simply walking outside.

If you only get one thing out of this article, I hope you understand each Pagan holiday is a time to slow down and be present. Every holiday symbolizes the changing of seasons, representing an important time of transition.

Sit and feel what’s happening inside yourself. What transitions or changes are you feeling? What more do you want from life? What are you most grateful for?

Then notice the themes you see reflected currently in Nature and use them to inspire your life! For example, I often feel as if my worth is attached to my level of productivity, so I feel guilty when I rest or binge the first season of White Lotus (Have you seen it? The music? I’m obsessed). Yet, Nature rests every Winter because it’s crucial for real growth.

…for if there is one point on which all religious historians agree, after many useless quarels, it is the obvious fact that Christianity was not invented on its own in the West and that it was not constructed out of whole cloth.

This imported religion was compelled to inscribe its doctrine and commemorations in the pagan calendar predating its arrival in order to better assimilate the preexisting beliefs…

…The sixteenth-century Reformation restored order to the Christian dogma and eliminated what is considered suspect, including the worship of the Virgin and the saints – precisely where the Christian mythology of the Middle Ages took shelter…

Walter, Philippe – Christian Mythology

What is the Wiccan Wheel of the Year?

The Wheel of the Year term and concept was adopted and used by Gerald Gardner from Jacob Grimm (yes, as in Grimms’ Fairy Tales) when creating Wicca, along with other coven members during the early 1950s. They were attempting to modernize ancient Pagan traditions and pulled from Celtic and Middle East celebrations, among many others.

Gerald Gardner did not initially want to include the solstices and equinoxes in the Wheel of the Year and only wanted to focus on the four Celtic fire festivals (Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain).

However, Druidism was celebrated by most of Gardner’s coven, including the High Priestess Doreen Valiente and the solstices were a part of their spiritual practice. So naturally, they wanted to continue this spiritual belief and include it in their Wiccan faith.

They were left with six holidays which felt irregular, so they added the equinoxes to create a harmonious balance. This is why you’ll see the equinoxes with additional names (Ostara and Mabon), but I’ll go more in-depth for each holiday listed below.

You do not need to be Wiccan to celebrate the Wheel of the Year or Pagan holidays. There’s no right or wrong way to celebrate Nature and the seasons, so feel free to choose what resonates with you most!

The modern-day Wheel of the Year was first suggested by the scholar and mythologist Jacob Grimm (1785-1863 CE) in his 1835 CE work, Teutonic Mythology, and fixed in its present form in the 1950s and early ’60s CE by the Wicca movement.

World History – Wheel of the Year

Wiccan Holidays and Sabbats

Wiccans celebrate the Wheel of the Year, which consists of eight holidays called Sabbats which are roughly six weeks apart. The northern and southern hemispheres typically celebrate the Wheel of the Year during different months due to the seasonality of each holiday.

Four of these festivals (Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain) are rooted in Celtic history and origins. The day of celebration lands on the same date every year.

The other four, Ostara (Spring Equinox), Litha (Summer Solstice), Mabon (Autumn Equinox), and Yule (Winter Solstice), represent the sun’s location, so the celebration date can vary each year.

This can often confuse beginners because Pagan holidays also celebrate these seasonal cycles and festivals. Depending on your spiritual path, you may choose to celebrate some, all, or none of the holidays in the Wheel of the Year.

Wiccan Esbats (Moon Cycles)

Many spiritual paths celebrate and honor the cycles of the Moon. However, Wiccans refer to the moon cycles as Esbats.

Here’s a breakdown of each monthly moon, their 2023 schedules, and a few more important points of interest if you’d like to dig a bit deeper. I update these yearly in case there are supermoons, eclipses, etc.

• January Full Wolf Moon January 6th, 2023, reaching its peak at 6:08 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
• February Full Snow Moon – February 5th, 2023, reaching its peak illumination at 1:29 pm EST.
• March Full Worm Moon March 7th, 2023, reaching its peak illumination at 7:40 am EST.
• April Pink Moon April 6th, 2023, reaching its peak illumination at 12:34 a.m. EST
• May Full Flower Moon May 5th, 2023, reaching its peak illumination at 1:34 p.m. EST
• Black Moon 2023 May 19th, 2023
• June Full Strawberry Moon June 3rd, 2023, reaching its peak illumination at 11:42 p.m. EST
• July Full Buck Moon July 3rd, 2023, reaching its peak illumination at 7:39 a.m. EST
• August Full Sturgeon Moon August 1st, 2023, reaching its peak illumination at 2:31 p.m. EST
• What is a Blue Moon and How To Celebrate August 30th, 2023, reaching its peak illumination at 9:36 p.m. EST
• September Harvest September 29th, 2023, reaching its peak illumination at 5:57 a.m. EST
• October Full Hunter Moon October 28th, 2023, reaching its peak illumination at 4:24 p.m. EST
• November Beaver Moon November 27th, 2023, reaching its peak illumination at 4:16 a.m. EST
• December Full Cold Moon December 26th, 2023, reaching its peak illumination at 7:33 p.m. EST
• What is a Dark Moon?
• New Moon Rituals and Intentions
• Full Moon Rituals You Need To Know
• How To Make Moon Water That’s Simple Yet Powerful
• 50 Creative Ways to Use Moon Water

What are Pagan Holidays?

Many Pagans and Witches are not Wiccan and do not celebrate The Wheel of the Year. However, they may celebrate the seasonal holidays Gerald Gardner pulled from Celtic and Middle East holidays, among many others, when creating the Wiccan religion.

Depending on each practitioner’s spiritual beliefs, they may choose only to celebrate the Celtic fire festivals. Some may choose only to celebrate the solstices and equinoxes, and some may mix and match.

I typically focus on the spiritual intentions of the Pagan Holiday and modernize it to fit into my spiritual practices today (this is sometimes referred to as Pagan reconstructionism).

Slow down and fully immerse yourself in the season around you. If you feel stuck, remember the wonder and excitement for the seasons you felt as a child. Did you love swimming at the local lake, catching snowflakes on your tongue, or running barefoot across the grass? Nostalgic memories are the best place to begin when deciding how you want to celebrate the Pagan holidays.

Saturnalia

Saturnalia was a wild and riotous Roman festival honoring the god of agriculture, Saturn. However, it expanded over time from very humble beginnings.

Early on, Saturnalia began with farmers who undertook gift-giving customs and offerings to the gods during the Winter sowing season. These activities were thought to gain favor with the gods, enabling farmers to reap a bountiful harvest.

The holiday was first observed on a single day, but due to its popularity, it grew and expanded. Due to popular demand, a seven-day festival was established, and Saturnalia was observed from December 17th to December 23rd.

Eventually, the celebrations began with a massive and publicized sacrificial ceremony at Saturn’s temple. Following that, there were many days of feasting, drinking, entertainment, and gambling. Saturnalia is a holiday intended to disrupt social rules. The most famous example is the role reversal between slaves and their owners. Slaves were encouraged to eat with their masters, defy them, and in some cases, slaves were served dinner by their masters.

If you’d like more in-depth information about Saturnalia including traditions and influence on modern Christmas celebrations, check out this article.

The Pagan Holiday of Winter Solstice

The Winters Solstice is also called Yule or Yuletide. Winter Solstice typically lands around December 21st in the Northern Hemisphere (June 21st for the Southern Hemisphere) but can vary based on the sun’s location.

This Pagan holiday celebrates the arrival of the longest night, and from this point forward, each day will grow longer and warmer. The light is returning, and you’ll see this symbolized in many of the symbols and decorations like a Yule log.

The Pagan holiday of Winter Solstice finds its roots in many cultures throughout history, including the Roman celebration of Saturnalia. The Egyptians honored the return of Ra (the sun god), and the Old Norse people celebrated Jól (Yule), which consisted of a twelve-day feast. It was common for many celebrations to last several days.

Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday?

Which came first, Christmas or feasts and celebrations during the dark Yuletide season? I think the answer to this one is pretty obvious. Christmas and many other Christian celebrations were built on top of pagan beliefs in an effort to convert them.

Many people want to know how the date December 25th came to represent the birth of Jesus. Long story short, it was believed Jesus was conceived on the Spring Equinox. Which makes sense when you consider the symbolism around that time of year.

The calendar used at the time placed the Spring Equinox on March 25th; nine months later is December 25th. The oldest written record of this can be found in the book Chronography (354 AD), according to Mark Forsyth in his book, A Christmas Cornucopia.

Just to recap: there’s nothing in the New Testament about what day Jesus was born. There was even an idea that his birth was so mysterious that it must be outside time.

The early Christians didn’t celebrate birthdays, they celebrated death days. There was even an idea that birthdays were pagan and that only pagan gods would have something so mundane as a birthday. The only birthday mentions in the Bible is Pharaoh’s, and he celebrates by hanging a baker.

Mark Forsyth – A Christmas Cornucopia – The Hidden Stories behind our Yuletide Traditions

If you’d like more in-depth information on Winter Solstice and Yule, including Traditions, How To Celebrate, Rituals, Correspondences & Decoration Ideas check out this article

Imbolc

The Pagan holiday of Imbolc (pronounced im-olk with a silent B) begins at sundown on January 31st and lasts until sundown on February 1st. Remember, the ancient Gauls celebrated the start of a new day once the sun went down.

Imbolc is Old Irish meaning in the belly or milking, and refers to pregnant ewes (female sheep over one year of age) this time of year. Imbolc is a Celtic fire festival that honors the halfway point between Winter and Spring. It also celebrates the hearth, home, sheep giving milk again, and themes of renewal.

Imbolc’s Midwinter celebrations are centered around the coming of Spring and are associated with the Celtic goddess Brigid. There may still be snow on the ground or cold days ahead, but you’ll notice that the light lasts a little longer each day, and Nature is beginning to stir.

If you’d like more in-depth information on Imbolc including Traditions, How To Celebration, History, Correspondences, and Simple Ritual Ideas check out this article

Lupercalia

There’s some debate regarding Lupercalia, with many scholars having various stances regarding its origin, traditions, and influence. Like many Pagan holidays, Lupercalia was a big feast with lots of drinking and sexual escapades.

Lupercalia was a Roman festival symbolizing purification, fertility, and removing evil spirits. It can be traced back to at least the 6th century BC, and its name derives from the word lupus, meaning wolf.

The ancient Pagan Lupercalia festival took place every year on February 15th in Rome. However, it’s important to note some scholars believe the Lupercalia festivals took place on February 13th and lasted through the 15th.

Is Valentines Day a Pagan Holiday?

Some people believe Lupercalia to be the origin of Valentine’s Day, but it’s probably unlikely. Valentine’s Day is believed to originate in France and England during the Middle Ages, where it was believed February 14th marked the beginning of the mating season for birds.

This popularized the idea the middle of February should be a day of love. In his 1375 poem Parliament of Foules, English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was the first to mention St. Valentine’s Day as a day of love.

If you’d like more in-depth information about Lupercalia, including Traditions, Rituals, and Origins check out this article

Spring Equinox

The Spring Equinox, also called the Vernal Equinox or Ostara, begins around the 21st of March in the Northern Hemisphere (September 20th or 21st in the Southern Hemisphere) but can vary based on the sun’s location. The Spring Equinox is a time of balance since night and day are equal right now.

This Pagan holiday is associated with fresh beginnings, optimism, and hope! Our ambitions and aspirations appear to be within reach, and we set out to accomplish them enthusiastically!

Wiccans refer to this holiday as the Ostara sabbat (pronounced ah-star-ah) after the Germanic goddess of Spring. There is debate about whether or not her origins are from the goddess Eostre (pronounced ee-ah-stray or ee-ah-ster).

Is Easter a Pagan Holiday?

In 725 CE, a monk named Bede (pronounced bee-d) mentioned Eostre for the first time. According to Bede, Pagans celebrated and honored Eostre with feasts before Christians celebrated Easter.

Every year the Paschal Moon (pronounced pa-skl) determines the date of the Christian celebration of Easter. The Easter holiday occurs on the Sunday following the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. This full moon can appear in March or April, depending on the year.

If you’d like more in-depth information on the Spring Equinox and Ostara including History, Traditions, Ritual Ideas, Correspondences, Journal Prompts, and How To Celebrate check out this article.

Beltane

Beltane begins at sundown on April 30th until sundown on May 1st (October 31st – November 1st in the southern hemisphere) and marks the halfway point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice.

Many cultures celebrated the anticipated longer days ahead. Still, Beltane can be traced back to Roman’s annual celebration of Floralia, which began in 238 BCE and was held at the end of April and early May and honored the goddess Flora (the goddess of fertility, flora, and flowers).

From those early Roman celebrations of Floralia, the Irish and Scottish adopted a blend of spiritual practices known as Bealtaine and Bealltainn, respectively.

Beltane is Celtic for bright fire. While we are limited on the observed celebrations, we know it was focused on protecting their cattle, crops, and families. Bonfires were also heavily used in celebration, probably to symbolize the sun and destroy any evil spirits that may try to harm crops or livestock.

Though Beltane celebrations have evolved, they generally are associated with sexuality, prosperity, protection, and lust. You can see why it’s a popular Pagan holiday and why phallic symbols, like Maypoles, are often incorporated into decorations and rituals.

If you’d like more detailed information on Beltane Traditions, History, Rituals, Correspondences, and Celebration Ideas check out this article.

Summer Solstice

The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. It may also be called Midsummer, Alban Heflin, or Litha. It typically lands around June 21st (December 21st in the Southern Hemisphere) but can vary based on the sun’s location.

We know many structures and spiritual locations align with the Summer Solstice, and ancient pagans would travel to sacred wells and waters to worship. The Summer Solstice is the end of the planting season; the following three Pagan holidays focus on harvesting and reaping the benefits of your hard work.

Although the Summer Solstice marks the sun’s highest and most powerful point, the Wheel of the Year has turned, and darkness will begin to triumph over light. Each day will become shorter and the nights longer. Summer’s spiritual intentions are associated with love, creativity, growth, joy, and empowerment.

If you’d like more detailed information on the Summer Solstice Rituals, Traditions, History, Correspondences, and Celebration Ideas check out this article.

Furthermore, the Celtic and Germanic calendars were most likely superimposed on two ancient apportionments of the year: two large seasons – summer, which runs from May 1 to November 1, and winter, which runs from November 1 to May 1.

Phillippe Walter notes that these apportionments “have undergone a more or less marked Christianization by virtue of being fixed to specific periods in the calendar”

– in other words, originally movable feasts became fixed when “integrated into the Christian calendar.” Certainly this recuperation explains the plethora of dates, often quite close to each other.

Claude Lecouteux – Phantom Armies of the Night

Lughnasadh

Lughnasadh (pronounced LOO-nah-sah) is a Pagan holiday celebrating the arrival of the late summer season and enjoying the abundance all around us right now. Lughnasadh typically starts on July 31st at sundown and continues through August 1st until sundown (January 31st through February 1st in the southern hemisphere).

Some Pagans and Witches prefer to celebrate around August 5th or 6th due to the sun’s location, which is called Old Lammas.

Lughnasadh celebrates the halfway point between the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. It represents the beginning of the harvest season, which is why you’ll see many grain and corn correspondences.

This Pagan holiday’s name comes from the Celtic god Lugh. Lughnasadh means Lugh’s Gathering. Lughnasadh’s spiritual intentions are gratitude, renewal, giving, and reaping what you’ve sown.

If you’d like more detailed information on Lughnasadh Traditions, Rituals, Correspondences, and Celebration Ideas check out this article

Autumn Equinox

The Autumn Equinox is a special time when night and day are equal. Welcome the transition from summer to autumn by celebrating the season and honoring the crops. It typically occurs around September 21st (March 21st in the Southern Hemisphere) but can vary based on the sun’s location.

Some of the spiritual intentions of the Autumn Equinox are home protection, transitions, gratitude, shadow work, and preparation for Winter.

The name Mabon was added to this day of celebration by Wiccan author Aidan Kelly in the 1970s. He researched many Greek, Hebrew, and Germanic myths looking for possible names they may have used to celebrate the Autumn Equinox. He eventually decided on the Welsh story of Mabon.

so I picked “Mabon” as the name for the holiday in my calender. It was not an arbitrary choice.

Aidan Kelly – About Naming Ostara, Litha, and Mabon

Is Thanksgiving a Pagan Holiday?

Many harvest and feast celebrations take place during the Autumn season! Many Pagans (not all) celebrate the Autumn Equinox, Druids celebrate Alban Elfed, Norse Pagans (Heathens) celebrate Winter Finding, Celtic Pagans celebrate the Feast of Avalon, Hellenic Pagans celebrate Boedromion, and Wiccans celebrate Mabon.

Since the Autumn Equinox represents the second harvest, it’s sometimes referred to as the Witches’ Thanksgiving.

Due to the obvious problematic history behind Thanksgiving, many modern Pagans choose to celebrate a day of gratitude and abundance with a feast on the Autumn Equinox instead. Obviously, you can feel free to celebrate however you like.

If you’d like more detailed information on the Autumn Equinox Traditions, Correspondences, and Celebration Ideas check out this article.

Samhain

Samhain is a cross-quarter fire celebration and the halfway point between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice. Samhain is (pronounced SOW-in or sometimes Sah-Win). Some people believe it means “summer’s end,” while others debate it means “fire of peace.”

Since ancient Celtic people recognized sunset as the start of the day, Samhain is typically celebrated at sundown on October 31st until sundown on November 1st. (May 1st in the Southern Hemisphere).

However, some spiritual practitioners are passionate about celebrating the exact halfway point between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice, which will vary yearly. Other practitioners choose to celebrate on the full Moon closest to Samhain.

Samhain represents the ending of one year and the beginning of another, which is why it’s often called the Witches’ New Year in modern times. We say goodbye to the past year and honor our lost loved ones.

Is Halloween a Pagan Holiday?

So many Halloween traditions originate from the Pagan holiday of Samhain! Samhain became associated with death due to the slaughter of animals and because Samhain marked the beginning of Winter and the end of a season.

Every year at Samhain, witches, Pagans, and spiritual practitioners commune with ancestor spirits, celebrate the harvest, honor deities, and decorate altars with symbols and correspondences.

The Gauls marked the year into just two havles, the dark or winter half being Sam or Samonios, the light half Gam or its Latinized form, Gamonios.

….Samonios, the dark half of the year, was reckoned first in the Celtic calendar. The festival marking the beginning of Samonios was Samhuinn (Samhain), a three-day feast celebrated on the new moon closest to the autumnal equinox.

The Book of Celtic Myths

If you’d like more detailed information on Samhain History, Traditions, Correspondences, and Celebration Ideas check out this article.

Pagan Holidays and Wheel of the Year Dates 2023

Pagan Holidays and Wheel of the Year Dates 2024

(Northern Hemisphere)

I hope this post on the Pagan Holidays was helpful!! Lots of love to you and remember as always…

Sources

Forsyth, Mark. A Christmas Cornucopia: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Yuletide Traditions. Penguin. 3 November 2016.

Hillerbrand, Hans J. “Christmas”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Oct. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Christmas.

Lecouteux, Claude. Phantom Armies of the Night: The Wild Hunt and the Ghostly Processions of the Undead. Inner Traditions. 16 August 2011.

Mark, Joshua. Wheel of the Year. World History Encyclopedia. 28 Jan 2019. https://www.worldhistory.org/Wheel_of_the_Year/

Walter, Philippe. Christian Mythology: Revelations of Pagan Origins. Inner Traditions. 20 November 2014.

“The Book of Celtic Myths.” Adams Media, a division of F + W Media, Inc. 2017