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Seasonal festivals
The Wheel of the Year
The Wheel of the Year is the cycle of eight seasonal festivals celebrated in modern Paganism and Wicca: four Celtic fire festivals and the two solstices and two equinoxes. Dates below are for the UK (Northern Hemisphere).
Next up: Samhain, 31 October – 1 November.
31 October – 1 November · fire festival
Samhain
Samhain (pronounced 'sow-in') is the Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest and the start of the darker half of the year.
around 21 December (winter solstice) · solstice
Yule
Yule celebrates the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, after which the days begin to lengthen.
1–2 February · fire festival
Imbolc
Imbolc marks the first stirrings of spring, halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
around 20 March (spring equinox) · equinox
Ostara
Ostara celebrates the spring equinox, when day and night are of equal length and the light is growing.
30 April – 1 May · fire festival
Beltane
Beltane is the Gaelic May Day festival marking the start of summer.
around 21 June (summer solstice) · solstice
Litha
Litha marks the summer solstice, the longest day.
1 August · fire festival
Lughnasadh (Lammas)
Lughnasadh, named after the Irish god Lugh, is the first harvest festival.
around 22 September (autumn equinox) · equinox
Mabon
Mabon is the modern Pagan name for the autumn equinox and second harvest, a time of balance between light and dark and of thanksgiving.