Ah, the merriest times of all... In Wicca, there are eight main holidays: Yule (Christian's 'Christmas'), Imbolc, Ostara (Christian's 'Easter'), Samhain (Christian's 'Halloween'), Mabon, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Midsummer. They have multiple names and multiple spellings. I found a blog called 'The Woodland Witch", and I loved her descriptions of them. So this is copied and pasted from her's, with added pictures (http://thewoodlandwitch.blogspot.com/2010/08/wheel-of-year.html):
The Wheel of the Year consists of the Celtic holidays which Pagans all over the world celebrate. How each Sabbat is celebrated varies from culture to culture.
Samhain marks the Celtic New Year. It is when the harvest comes to an end and the earth begins her long winter sleep. Leaves change colour and fall from the trees, the remains of the crops are burned or plowed back into the fields to nourish the soil for spring planting. It is a time to reflect on the past year, finish any old business, pay off any debts, let any grievances and ill feelings die. The idea being not to take any of the negativity from the previous year into the coming one so you can start a new. It is also the time for the Day of the Dead when we honor the memories of those who passed on to the Otherworld. It is a time to remember that the end of one thing, though it may be sad, leads to a beginning of something new.
Yule is the winter solstice and the longest night of the year. It's significance is that even though everything appears dead and is covered under a blanket of snow or mud depending where you live, we are to observe that new life will come forth in the spring and we look forward to the days of growing light and warmth. Incidentally Christmas trees really have nothing to do with the birth of Christ. It was a tradition brought to England and Ireland by the Norsemen who in their land would cut boughs of fir trees and other evergreen trees and bring them inside to decorate and brighten their homes and great community halls as a symbol of life amid the death like grip of winter. No doubt the pine fragrance would also serve to chase away the stale smells of so many people being forced to stay indoors out of the bitter cold for so many months. At solstice the ancient Celts were already having bonfires with the purpose of driving the cold winter away and the beckoning Sun God to rise triumphantly and defeat the long dark winter gloom.
Imbolc is also known as the Feast of Bridgid. We honour the Triple Goddess for it is at this time still during the dead of winter that Earth has renewed her virginity yet even so she bears the seed of the coming Spring within the warmth of her womb. At this time of the winter is loosing it's grip on the earth and warmer days are drawing near. It is a time for us to say a blessing over and prepare any seeds or bulbs that will be planted in the spring to ensure they will grow and flourish.
Ostara is also another name for Easter the Pagan Goddess of Spring. The Christian holiday remembering the day Jesus ascended to heaven after being crucified still today bears the name of a pagan fertility goddess. Many of the Christian holidays fall on or very near to the old Pagan celebrations because the Pagan people were so unwilling to relinquish their own festivals so the Church began to give different Christian meanings to the Pagan ritual days. At this time the Goddess transforms from being the Maiden to the Mother once more giving birth to the sun and to all life. The egg is a symbol of new life about to be manifest. The tradition of painting Easter eggs began as a way of manifesting wishes. A single fertile egg was taken from a nest and painted with a representation of a wish one wanted to manifest be it for prosperity, a good harvest, new love, or such. It was then hidden or buried in the ground the idea that the life of the unhatched chick would be transferred to the wish that was painted on the shell. Since then this practice has now been abandoned and transferred to hard boiled eggs which are then eaten. The Easter bunny refers to the March Hare which is also the symbol of the spring time Goddess.
Beltane is the beginning of summer. Winter's chill is but a distant memory and the sweet fruits of summer are just becoming ripe for the picking. Life as a whole seems sweeter too. The sun is warm and bright but is not yet too hot. The grass is green and not yet turned brown. Flowers are in bloom and colour and sweet fragrances are everywhere. It is often a time when couples plan to wed and children anxiously await the closing the of school for the summer. The earth is coming into her fullness and the promise of bounty is in sight. Traditionally it is a time for building a bonfire and gathering round with friends to share the first bounty of the year. Among Pagans this a time for handfasting. A handfasting traditionally lasted for a year and a day and then the couple can renew their vows to each other or choose to let their marriage expire.
Litha (Summer Solstice) is the height of the year. The Earth is in her prime, crops are high and the sun shines longest on this day. This time of year is full of folly and mirth, a time where a certain giddiness is felt, an unrest that leads us to thoughts of love and pleasure.We feel the effects of the warm weather and the lazy days of summer today. We are beckoned to enjoy the warm days and sweet fruits that come into ripening, to not take life for granted. Perhaps deep in our minds we are aware that even though the days are warm and the sun is high, on this day the days begin to get shorter. For as this is the time the God reaches His zenith it also marks the time when He must relent to the slow rise of winter. The God begins His retreat into the enchanted realm of the Goddess.
Lughnasadh is the feast of Lugh. He is the Celtic God of the sun and of agricultural fertility, since his foster mother died from preparing the lands of Ireland for planting. His festival is in Her honor. For it is through Her sacrifice that the people had grain to eat and to sustain their lives. Lughnasadh marks the beginning of the grain harvest and grain being a staple of the diets of nearly all civilizations around the world it is indeed a very important crop. It feeds not only us but the animals we raise for food and for milk. Grain is also very important to the making of beer and ale. During this time we are urged to give thanks for the bounty of what we have.
Mabon comes at the autumnal equinox when the day and night are at equal length. This time of year is the reaping time when we pause to reflect on the passing year and express our gratitude to Mother Nature for all our wishes that she has helped us to manifest. We also begin looking toward the coming year and possibilities of what might lay before us, our dreams and wishes yet unrealized and things we never even imagined. Mythicly, this is the day of the year when the god of light is defeated by his twin and alter-ego, the god of darkness. It is the time of the year when night conquers day.~
So ends the calendar but only to begin again. The Wheel is forever turning.
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