| A number of holidays are celebrated by pagans, | | | | the year. |
| those who do not believe in Christ. Most of these | | | | Lughnasadh, also called Lammas, is celebrated on |
| holidays are associated with seasons and cycles | | | | the eve of July 31st. This is a pre-harvest festival |
| of nature and are sometimes referred to as the | | | | mainly observed in honor of the Irish sun-god, |
| Wheel of the Year. A person may practice any | | | | Lugh. |
| form of paganism and that determines which | | | | Beltane is another sacred holiday of the pagans. It |
| holidays they celebrate throughout the year. | | | | is a feast to celebrate the wedding of God and |
| People belonging to the Wiccan religion are the | | | | the Goddess. Bonfires and good luck rituals are |
| most popular of the pagans in the US. Sabbat, the | | | | the major activities of this holiday which comes |
| cycle of life between the God and the Goddess is | | | | on April 30th or May 1st. |
| the most celebrated. It consists of eight holidays | | | | Midsummer is also known as summer solstice and |
| such as Samhain, Imbolc, Yule, Lughnasadh, | | | | Litha. Harvesting healing herbs and eating honeyed |
| Beltane, Midsummer, Ostara, and Mabon. These | | | | foodstuffs are some of the traditional activities |
| are the main holidays celebrated by the pagans. | | | | performed during this ritual. It normally occurs |
| Samhain, considered the Celtic New Year, is now | | | | between June 20th and 23rd. |
| known in the name of Halloween. Usually, this ritual | | | | Ostara, the spring or vernal equinox observed on |
| is observed on October 31st or November 1st. It | | | | March 21st, is a day celebrating dawn and the |
| is marked as the end of the summer months. | | | | new spring. On this day, the day and the night |
| Imbolc goes by many names including Oimelc, | | | | have equal lengths. |
| Candlemas, or Brigid. It is either celebrated on | | | | Mabon occurs between September 20th and 23rd |
| February 1st or 2nd and marks the return of light | | | | when the sun crosses the equator moving |
| and the start of the spring. | | | | southward. Another popular name of Mabon is |
| Another popular name of Yule is the winter | | | | autumn equinox and is regarded as the second of |
| solstice. It is usually celebrated when the sun | | | | harvest holidays. |
| reaches its southernmost point. This holiday | | | | Many pagans also celebrate esbats which are |
| normally falls around December 21st and is | | | | celebrations associated with the phases of the |
| considered the shortest day and longest night of | | | | moon. |