The Christian holiday known as Ash Wednesday is the first day of the season of Lent, a 40-day (not counting Sundays) period of repentance and fasting before celebrating Easter. Invariably occuring 46 days prior to Easter, it is - like Easter - a movable date....
Every year, approximately 190 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged, not counting all the flowers (typically red roses), chocolates and candy that are given on this 'day of romance'. The question is, how did it all begin - and who was St Valentine? The Mystery of...
Disfest, or Dísablót, is a day on which sacrifices are made to honour the Disir, who are thought to oversee and protect living family members. Celebrated on the 31st of January, it is a day of honouring female relatives who have passed over; thanksgiving for...
In the Chinese Zodiac, every year is associated with an animal sign based on a 12-year cycle. 2017 is a Year of the Rooster, as are 1909, 1921 and 1933; 1945, 1957 and 1969; 1981, 1993 and 2005; 2029, and so on. The Year of the...
Epiphany falls on the 6th of January and marks the end of the festive season. It is however, more than just the 12th and final day of Christmas. Here is what this day means to devout Christians all over the world. The Beginning of Epiphany The Christian...
Different cultures have their own way of celebrating the coming of the New Year. Some burn scarecrows; others present family, friends and neighbours with bread, salt and lumps of coal; others still practise metal casting to get a glimpse into what the New Year may...
Observed by many Christian communities (predominantly Catholics and many Anglicans) all over the world on the 8th of December, the Feast of Immaculate Conception is a holy day in the Christian calendar. On this 'day of obligation', special services (masses) are held in churches around...
Every year, the Advent period is marked by colourful special calendars and evergreen (fir, holly and/or ivy) wreaths adorned with four or five candles. Churches hold special services, often known as Christingle services, and members of the clergy will usually wear royal blue or purple...
Having discussed the meaning and traditions of Halloween in previous years, I thought I would take a closer look at how the Pagan festival of Samhain actually became Halloween. Let's begin with a short recap of what this festival is all about. The Meaning of Samhain An...
The Hindu Festival of Lights, Deepavali or Diwali (also occasionally referred to as Dipawali or Divali) is celebrated not only in India (where it is a public holiday), but also in cities around the world, including cities in the UK, USA and Canada, as well...
Known by Pagans as Mabon and celebrated by Druids as Alban Elfed, the Autumn Equinox marks the middle of the year's harvest and the half-way point between Summer and Winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, this day is celebrated on the 21st or 22nd of September (22nd...
Celebrated on the 1st of August (Northern Hemisphere; Southern Hemisphere: 2nd of February), the Lughnasadh Festival pays homage to the Sun god Lugh, the god of light and fire and patron of horses, and his wedding to the Earth Goddess, the goddess of fertility. It was...
Marking the beginning of the astronomical summer and the middle of the 'ancient' summer, Midsummer's Day, the Summer Solstice, or Litha (also known as Midsummer, Gathering Day, Alban Heffyn or Feill-Sheathain) will, here in the northern hemisphere, occur on the 20th of this month (June...
We are all familiar with the way the year turns; the process by which winter gives way to spring, which in turn gives way to summer, autumn, winter and then spring once more. Cultures throughout the world have for many centuries marked the turning of...
Next Monday is an extraordinary day – one that only happens every four years. I refer, of course, to the fact that it is the 29th February – the extra day in the Leap Year. The Leap Year is a relatively modern invention; the Gregorian calendar...
‘Tis the season to be merry, as they say; but in between the merry-making and gift-giving, the festive season carries many superstitions and ancient beliefs. Some are relatively well-known, while others are almost forgotten; some you may have never even heard of before! Festive Luck Traditions As...
Hallowe’en is, for many, a fun excuse to dress up in outrageous costumes, consume a prodigious amount of sweets and perhaps play a trick or two on the joyless individuals who refuse to provide treats. However, it is a festival with a much deeper meaning,...
The first of August marks the first harvest festival in the Northern hemisphere; it is the end of the hay-making season and the beginning of the first wheat harvest. It is known as either Lammas or Lughnasadh (pronounced “loo-nah-sah”), and it is one of the...
Friday the 20th March 2015 is a very special and unusual date, bringing together a trio of celestial events: the Spring Equinox, the Solar Eclipse and a Supermoon. For astrologers and other observers, it is a very exciting day! Of the three events, the Supermoon is...
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