Pagan Celtic holidays were a significant part of the ancient Celtic calendar. These holidays, also known as festivals, were celebrated throughout the year and corresponded with various agricultural and astronomical events. The Celts followed a lunar-solar calendar, which means that their holidays were based on both lunar phases and the positions of the sun. The most famous of these holidays is Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It was believed that on Samhain, the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead was at its thinnest, allowing spirits and other supernatural beings to cross over. People would light bonfires and perform rituals to honor and appease the spirits, as well as to protect themselves from evil.
St. Brigid's Day - Imbolc.
Ancient Celtic tribes lit bonfires to welcome the longer days and warmer weather of the summer season, and young people and travelers leaped across the bonfires for luck. Ancient rituals include decorating the home with evergreens like mistletoe to encourage fertility and life within the home, a 12-day feast, lighting a fire, and deep cleaning the home.
People would light bonfires and perform rituals to honor and appease the spirits, as well as to protect themselves from evil. Another important Celtic holiday was Imbolc, which celebrated the start of spring and the return of the sun's warmth. It was a time to honor the Celtic goddess Brigid, who was associated with healing, poetry, and smithcraft.
The eight sacred Celtic holidays of the year
There are eight special sacred days, holidays, and festivals in Ireland that date back to the old Celtic world.
Christianity adopted many of their feast days to match the old Celtic traditions - learn about them below:
St Brigid's Day - Imbolc
St. Brigid's Day - Imbolc.
The year's first sacred holiday, the feast day of Saint Brigid, is celebrated on February 1, marking the beginning of Spring.
The Bogha Bríde or Brigid's Day Cross is the symbol of the day. Traditionally, reeds or straw are collected from the fields and crafted into a cross. St. Brigid is Ireland’s first native saint, the most celebrated Irish female saint, and was the Abbess of one of the first convents in Ireland.
Read more
- The enduring traditions of St. Brigid's Day
St. Patrick's Day - Spring Equinox
The most well known and widely celebrated of all the Celtic traditional holidays. Photo source: Tourism Ireland.
Around the globe, Irish people and those of Irish descent celebrate St. Patrick's Day on March 17, which is one of Ireland's biggest holidays.
The special holiday is devoted to the patron saint of Ireland. The religious day is marked by a special mass for the feast and traditionally everyone wears green. This is considered the middle of the Spring season and is also referred to as the Spring Equinox.
Celebrate everything Irish this March with IrishCentral's global community.
May Day - Bealtaine
Celebrate May Day at Uisneach Fire Festival.
May Day, the 1st of May, is a Holy Day in Ireland that marks the start of the summer season.
Centuries ago, bonfires were lit to welcome the arrival of summer. In Ireland, depending on what day the holiday falls on, the feast is marked by a public holiday.
In towns around the country, May Day fairs are held where farmers and traders all gather in towns to sell their wares.
Read more
- Ancient Celtic festival of Bealtaine begins May 1
Midsummer - Summer solstice
Summer Solstice at Hill of Tara.
The summer solstice is marked in parts of Ireland by bonfires on the side of the road. It is usually celebrated on June 23, the longest day of the year. In rural Ireland communities gather and for their local bonfire and celebrate the longest day of the year with song and dance.
Read more
- How to celebrate the Summer Solstice the Irish way
Lughnasa
In ancient times this sacred day marked the beginning of harvest on August 1. It honored the Celtic God of Lugh.
In Gaelic folklore, it was the time for hand-fastings or trial marriages that would last a year and a day, which could then be renewed. Many celebrate the holiday today with reunions, bonfires, and dancing.
Read more
- Lughnasa recipes, rituals, traditions and symbols for the ancient Celtic festival
Autumnal/Fall Equinox
Apple orchard in Armagh during the harvest. Image: Tourism Ireland.
Similar to the St. Patrick's Day festival, the Autumn/Fall Equinox celebrates when night and day are of equal duration and usually falls in the middle of Fall, around September 21.
The symbol of the sacred day is the cornucopia as all the harvest is collected and the stocks for winter is hoped to be plentiful.
Read more
- Welcoming the autumnal equinox at one of Ireland’s most magical ancient sites
Imbolc was also a festival of purification, where people would clean and purify their homes and light candles to symbolize the growing light of the sun. Beltane was another significant holiday in the Celtic calendar, celebrated around May 1st. It marked the arrival of summer and the fertility of the land. Beltane was a time of joy and celebration, with bonfires being lit and people dancing and singing around them. It was also a time for couples to come together and may even participate in a symbolic marriage ceremony, known as "handfasting." Lughnasadh, or Lammas, was a harvest festival that took place in early August. It was named after the Celtic god Lugh, who was associated with skill, craftmanship, and the harvest. Lughnasadh was a time to give thanks for the bounty of the land and to celebrate the hard work and skills of the community. Games, contests, and feasting were common during this festival. Overall, pagan Celtic holidays were an essential part of the ancient Celtic culture and held great meaning for the Celtic people. These festivals allowed them to connect with nature, honor their gods and goddesses, and mark important agricultural and astronomical events. Today, many modern pagans and spiritual seekers continue to celebrate and observe these ancient Celtic holidays, keeping alive the rich traditions and beliefs of the past..
Reviews for "The Mythology behind Pagan Celric Holidays"
1. Jane - 2/5 - As someone who follows a different religious tradition, I found "Pagan Celtic Holidays" to be uninteresting and irrelevant. The book didn't provide any meaningful insight into the history or significance of these holidays, and instead, seemed to focus more on how to celebrate them in a modern context. I was hoping for a more scholarly and objective perspective, but this book felt more like a personal guidebook for practitioners of Paganism. If you're not interested in practicing or learning about Paganism, I would recommend looking for other resources.
2. Mark - 1/5 - I purchased "Pagan Celtic Holidays" out of curiosity, hoping to gain a better understanding of Celtic traditions and their historical background. However, I was sorely disappointed. The book seemed to lack any substantial research or factual information, instead offering a mishmash of personal beliefs and new age ideas. There was no clear structure or organization, making it difficult to navigate through the chapters. Overall, I found the book to be poorly written and lacking in depth. I would not recommend it to anyone seeking accurate and reliable information about Celtic holidays.
3. Sarah - 2/5 - "Pagan Celtic Holidays" didn't live up to my expectations. While I understand that the author's intention was to provide a practical guide for those interested in celebrating these holidays, I was hoping for more historical and cultural context. The information provided felt superficial, and I didn't gain a deeper understanding of the traditions and rituals associated with these holidays. The book also seemed to focus heavily on the author's own personal experiences, rather than providing a comprehensive overview. If you're looking for a more scholarly approach to Celtic holidays, I would suggest looking elsewhere.
4. David - 1/5 - I found "Pagan Celtic Holidays" to be nothing more than a collection of vague and poorly explained rituals. The author didn't provide any background information or historical context, making it difficult to understand the significance of these holidays. The rituals themselves felt contrived and lacking in authenticity. Overall, I was disappointed by the lack of substance and would not recommend this book to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Celtic traditions.
5. Emily - 2/5 - I was intrigued by the idea of learning about Pagan Celtic holidays, but "Pagan Celtic Holidays" didn't do justice to the topic. The book seemed to rely heavily on personal narratives and subjective experiences, which made it difficult to distinguish between historical information and the author's opinions. I was looking for a more balanced and factual approach to understanding these holidays, but this book fell short. If you're interested in delving deeper into the traditions and history of Celtic holidays, I would recommend looking for alternative resources.