Anyone of you celebrating pagan festivities...

[AnsuzAstral]

would be interesting to know, it seems there are some around here that are interested in either paganism or something similar - do you celebrate such days like solstices? What kind of pagan "holidays" are still let around where you live?

Here, in Germany, there are not much festivities left from the Pagan times I think - most of them are either normal working days or have become "more christian". But I think carnival had its origins in some pagan festivity - to chase away the evil spirits in spring.

Or do you not bother about such festivals? Well, I mostly do not for myself - maybe the winter solstice, but it's more a get together with some pple that are familiar, somehow I don't give too much about such traditions. But I am curious what you think about it Or what different kinds of holidays do you have apart from other countries. Thanks for your attention

 

[Fleischwolf]

i do celebrate Winter and sommersonnenwende(whatever that is in english)! yule goes well with celebratintg chrismas! and i go out into the woods on every full moon! but only because i don't like all the fur lying around at my room when i chance back in the morning!

 

[Morgana]

Sonnenwende = solstice

Well I follow my own path, but I do celebrate i.e. Imbolc, Spring Equinox/Ostara, Beltane, Summer Solstice/Litha, Lughnasadh, Autum Equinox/Mabon, Samhain, Winter Solstice/Yule

 

[mousewings]

In Canada, there are no pagan holidays celebrated by the majority of citizens. There are, however, holidays from the old religions of other countries that are celebrated by the groups of citizens from those countries.

My family celebrates holidays which are not pagan festivities, but have been around since the ancient times of the old religions. We celebrate the Mid-Autumn and the Chinese New Year. We don't practice these very strictly and do not have huge celebrations though. (My family are not very spiritual.)

Another old custom I partcipated in (although not a holiday) was a ceremony to honour my ancestors. This was done while I was in Hong Kong. I do not think many people do this much in Canada since it involves some actions which may be seen as being very unwholesome and strange by the majority of people.

 

[AnsuzAstral]

Morgana: Most of those festivities aren't know to me... are they some celtic ones? I bet samhein is? Or more Irish?

mousewings: Chinese New year? Cool What do you do on a chinese New year? Is there something else than on the "common" New year?

 

[Morgana]

these are celtic / pagan ones...
most catholic holidays have pagan roots and Eire which turned into a very catholic country use to be very celtic!!!
And the Scots are from Eire that's why they have the same mother tongue...

 

[AnsuzAstral]

Ok, thanx for enlughtening Yeah, the Irish kept most things, besides their belief... the tongue, above all

 

[mousewings]

On Chinese New Year and the New Year's Eve, my parents give me gifts of red envelopes with money. We also have lots of great food those two days (the two days are supposed to represent the whole of the next year). We also wear new clothes on those days. We must clean up the house and finish everything that needs to be finished before the New Year.

There are also many things which can and cannot be done on those days, but my family ignores the large majority of them.

 

[AnsuzAstral]

Aha, so, it's some sort of cleaning ritual? Like, brushing the dirt of the old year away?

 

[mousewings]

The preparations before the new year are a cleansing ritual and are supposed to bring good luck.

Strangely enough, if you clean the house on the new year you will get bad luck, as it washes away good fortune.

 

[FatherVic]

Originally posted by Morgana
Sonnenwende = solstice

Well I follow my own path, but I do celebrate i.e. Imbolc, Spring Equinox/Ostara, Beltane, Summer Solstice/Litha, Lughnasadh, Autum Equinox/Mabon, Samhain, Winter Solstice/Yule

when you say "I do celebrate" what does it actually imply???
you don't go to work because it's sumer solstice?? or is it that you make some special dinner or smth like that???

 

[AnsuzAstral]

Heheh, some solstices we just gathered, made a fire, drank a whole lot, had lots of fun, and eventually sacrificed some of our food and drink Barbaric!

Well, as said, I'm not really fond of any traditions like these... earlier it seemed more important to the people, maybe they wanted to please the gods for better weather, so they'd get a better harvest? Anyone knows why solstices were celebrated originally? Or just cause it's some "special" date in the calendar?

 

[Thanatos]

Originally posted by mousewings


Another old custom I partcipated in (although not a holiday) was a ceremony to honour my ancestors. This was done while I was in Hong Kong. I do not think many people do this much in Canada since it involves some actions which may be seen as being very unwholesome and strange by the majority of people.

What do you mean unwholesome? what was exactly the ceremony like?

 

[mousewings]

It was a bit strange... we went up to the graves and lit candles and incense and put them in a holder on the graves we were visiting and the other graves around them.

We then offered some food by placing it nearby, and burned paper objects. We also poured wine on the foot of the grave...

The ritual has been around for thousands of years and the people there still do it... even if most people no longer worship the ancient religions. The people who are Buddist and even Christian still perform the ritual out of tradition...

 

[Morgana]

Originally posted by FatherVic


when you say "I do celebrate" what does it actually imply???
you don't go to work because it's sumer solstice?? or is it that you make some special dinner or smth like that???

Most pagan festivities turned into christian holidays, so here in my country we do have holidays then. On some days I take off work, 'cause I meet up with friends to celebrate.
Sometimes I celebrate for myself, nice and quiet...

I did a quick search on the net, this page looks ok to explain the pagan holidays:
http://www.geocities.com/lavenderwater37/holidays.htm

 

[FatherVic]

damn nice!!!!!!!!!! really....Beltane and the whole thing of it kicks major ass.... you really clebrated Beltane as supposed to be??? that must be overwhelming...

fathervic (beltanist)

 

[Fjelltussa]

i celebrate the traditional festivals up here (which follow the norse calendar):

-Sommerblót (Summer blót) 13-14 April, which is the last day of Eínmaánudur/first day of Harpa, the summer and the new year. Welcoming the new year and summer, and wish for fertility......
-Midtsommersblót (Mis Summer blót) 12-13 July, which is the last day of Sólmánudur/first day of Heyannir. Celebrating summer and fertility.....
-Vinterblót (winter blót) 13-14 October, which is the last day of Haustmánudur/first day of Górmánudur and winter. Welcoming winter, honouring our ancestors........
-Torreblót/Midtvintersblót (Mid Winer blót) 12-13 January, which is the last day of Mörsugur/first day of Torre, the night between is called Höggunótt. To honour our ancestor Torre, celebrate winter and wish for a good year and peace (norse: árs ok frithar).......

In addition to this, comes Jol (=Yule - pronounced the same way)/Jul and Summer Solstice, pluss equinoxes...... But the ones above are the most important ones.....

 

[AnsuzAstral]

Hmmm, I'm not familiar with those festivities, Fjelltussa. What are you doing on these days? Any kind of rituals? And, where did you read baout those? I never really bothered striving through books or peices of writing looking for specific fesitvities or traditions...

 

[Allison]

I observe the sabbats and esbats.

 

[Fjelltussa]

Originally posted by AnsuzAstral
Hmmm, I'm not familiar with those festivities, Fjelltussa. What are you doing on these days? Any kind of rituals? And, where did you read baout those? I never really bothered striving through books or peices of writing looking for specific fesitvities or traditions...

The four first ones I celebrate together with a hethen organisation, or smth like that, based on norse/nordic beliefs and customs (called Foreningen Forn Sed, btw). Got to know about this through there. It's the normal way of celebrating blóts, drinking, mead fro the gods/goddesses/persons (dead or alive) you want, and if you want to, you may give a sacrifice to, either put it on the fire, or, if it's a pond or smth near, in the water. After that "ceremony", there's a "gilde", which is just as important as the ceremony, and which is a symbol for the living celebrating and having a good time, together with the gods/goddesses/vetter/forefathers and so on.

The other four, I celebrate with friends, and Jol, of course, with my family.