April is a month that holds a significant place in the calendar of pagan holidays. Paganism is a term used to describe a variety of pre-Christian religions that were prevalent in ancient times. These religions typically worshipped nature, spirits, and deities. Many of their rituals and celebrations were based on the changing seasons and agricultural cycles. In April, there are several pagan holidays that mark the arrival of spring and the rebirth of nature. One such holiday is Ostara, which falls on the spring or vernal equinox.
April 1st Veneralia (Roman)
This is the holiday of Venus (Aphrodite to the Greeks), the Goddess of love and death, of orchards and sexuality, of the waters of the world. This holiday appears to be a practice for women, hoping for her help with good fortune, happy love, birth and joy in their lives. This goddess reminds us of love’s rule over logic. It was a time to ask your lovers to do senseless tasks and errands to prove their love and devotion. This is where the idea of our April Fool’s Day pranks originated.
April 1st Veneralia Roman This is the holiday of Venus Aphrodite to the Greeks , the Goddess of love and death, of orchards and sexuality, of the waters of the world. The woman s headress was usually the parta , a crescent decorated with pearls and shiny beads, with long streaming red ribbons cascading down the back.
One such holiday is Ostara, which falls on the spring or vernal equinox. Ostara is a time to celebrate the balance between light and dark as the days become longer and the weather gets warmer. It also symbolizes the return of life and fertility, as plants start to bloom and animals come out of hibernation.
Ancient April Celebrations and Holidays
The rites of Spring are rooted in the old ways of the world. Through mythology and god/goddess stories, Spring was celebrated as a time of renewal, rebirth and passion. The earth was now waking up from its winter slumber. Excitement and anticipation were tangible!
Here is a sampling of some of the ancient holidays celebrated in April, as taken from Zsuzsanna Budapest’s book, The Grandmother of Time.
April 1st Veneralia (Roman)
This is the holiday of Venus (Aphrodite to the Greeks), the Goddess of love and death, of orchards and sexuality, of the waters of the world. This holiday appears to be a practice for women, hoping for her help with good fortune, happy love, birth and joy in their lives. This goddess reminds us of love’s rule over logic. It was a time to ask your lovers to do senseless tasks and errands to prove their love and devotion. This is where the idea of our April Fool’s Day pranks originated.
April 3rd and 4th Megalisa (Phrygian and Roman)
Megalisa is a celebration of Cybele as the Great Mother. Worship of Cybele was passionate and sexual. Men who wanted to be her priests castrated themselves in her honour, to be more like the goddess. For women, this is another mother’s day, devoted to the Great Mother, Magra Mater, the creator of all things, gods and people. This is the sexual mother whose urge called forth life. She is celebrated with dance, games, rituals and feasts.
April 5th Festival of Kwan Yin (Chinese and Japanese)
The Goddess of Tolerance and Mercy, Kwan Yin, (known in Japan as Kwannon) is celebrated as the Great Mother of China with offerings of incense and visits to her shrines. Also known as, “The Lady Who Brings Children”, Kwan Yin embodies all that is female in the universe. She is the magnificent spirit that brings us the future, by means of happy, healthy children.
April 13th Ceralia (Roman)
The Goddess of the Crops was called Ceres. Her name is still in our breakfast cereal; she gave us the first foods, developed the acorn, and taught us the art of agriculture. Ceralia was celebrated by the simple folk. Farmers walked or danced around their fields with torches in honour of Ceres. An old custom of pagan men who blessed the fields of wheat by leaping around them was the inspiration for male ballet dancers who now do the “stag leap” across the stage.
April 22nd Festival of Ishtar (Babylonian)
Ishtar is the Babylonian great goddess, “The Star”, a derivation of Inanna – the Sumerian Goddess of Heaven. She was a sexual deity whose very fecundity was the life of her people. She appears in the Bible as Ashtoreth and Asherah. She was the major divinity before any patriarchal gods appeared. Ishtar was the soul of her people, the very essence of their power to live and love. It is interesting to note that we now celebrate Earth Day on this date.
April 27th Floralia (Central and Eastern European)
Floralia is the Goddess of Flowers and Flora. The ancients prayed to her for fruits that come from blooms. It used to be a 6 day celebration when men bedecked themselves with flowers and women dressed extra gaily. Men’s clothes were embroidered with flowers, bouquets and other natural motifs while women’s clothing had roses, wheat and morning glories. The woman’s headress was usually the parta, a crescent decorated with pearls and shiny beads, with long streaming red ribbons cascading down the back. Look to the current folk costumes of Eastern European folks for an idea of the fashions from ancient times.
April 30th Beltane (Celtic)
This festival of witches has a lot of tradition. Known as Beltane or Beltain (Celtic), May Eve (Central European) or Walpurgisnacht (Germany), this is a celebration of the power and sacredness of sexuality. The followers of the Old Religion met on mountaintops and danced the spiral dance. Men and women mated in the open fields – “enjoying” each other was expected! Babies that resulted from these celebrations were called sons and daughters of Pan, or Cernunnos, since all men represented him. The ancients believed that the Good Earth appreciated the sexual energy expended in her fields and that this stimulated the fertility of the crops and animals as well as the vitality of the community.
These holidays were but a few of the ways our ancestors explained and expressed their understanding and appreciation for the promises of Spring. This also helps to explain why our experience of “Spring Fever” can be so intense. Restless, excited and ready to take on the world. It must be in our genes!
Here is a sampling of some of the ancient holidays celebrated in April, as taken from Zsuzsanna Budapest’s book, The Grandmother of Time.
Another significant pagan holiday in April is Beltane, celebrated on May 1st. Beltane marks the beginning of summer and is traditionally a time of joy and abundance. It is a celebration of fertility and the union between the goddess and the god. Bonfires are often lit, and people dance and sing around them to ward off evil spirits. Beltane is also a time for ritualistic activities such as Maypole dancing, where a tall pole is erected and decorated with colorful ribbons, and people weave in and out in a pattern, symbolizing the continuing cycle of life and the union of male and female energies. It is important to note that these pagan holidays have been incorporated and reinterpreted by modern-day Wicca and other neo-pagan religions. Today, these holidays are observed by people who follow these spiritual paths as a way to connect with nature and celebrate the changing seasons. While these holidays may not be widely recognized or celebrated in mainstream society, they hold a deep significance for those who follow pagan traditions..
Reviews for "The Magic of Spring: Pagan Rituals for April's Awakening"
1. Amanda - ★☆☆☆☆ - I was really disappointed with "Pagan holidays in April". The whole concept seemed forced and the execution was lackluster. The plot was confusing and the characters felt flat. I was hoping for an engaging and suspenseful read, but I couldn't wait for it to be over. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for an interesting and well-written story.
2. John - ★★☆☆☆ - "Pagan holidays in April" didn't live up to my expectations. I found the pacing to be too slow, and the story lacked depth. The author attempted to incorporate pagan elements, but it all felt forced and didn't add much to the overall plot. The writing style was also mediocre, with repetitive phrases and clichéd dialogue. Overall, I wasn't impressed with this book and wouldn't recommend it to others.
3. Sarah - ★★☆☆☆ - I found "Pagan holidays in April" to be quite underwhelming. The plot seemed promising at first, but it quickly became predictable and uninteresting. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth. The author tried to explore pagan traditions, but it felt like a superficial attempt without any meaningful exploration. Additionally, the writing style was average at best, with no memorable passages or engaging prose. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating read.