Articles related to "Celtic Festivals"

Beltane is an important moment in the Wiccan Calendar. Fires, socializing and being in nature are all fitting celebrations for this time of celebration!

Imbolc marks the end of Winter, and the beginning of growth and expansion in the Celtic Calendar.

Lughnasadh or Lammas falls when the first of the grain is harvested at the beginning of August, naturally an important moment for traditional agricultural communities

The Eve of Samhain, the 31st October, was an important fire festival for Celtic Peoples and the origin of many modern day Halloween customs.

What is now known as Halloween used to be an ancient festival called Samhain, when the Celts celebrated the end of the light phase of the year and the start of the dark.

Halloween is one of the most popular holidays of the year, The light-hearted observances of today have mystical origins dating back 2000 years.

British eccentricity reaches a zenith in Helston on the Lizard Peninsula in southwest England. That's where, on or about May 8, the Furry Dance is held. Strange, but fun.

We may no longer realize it, but many of our celebrations are time-keepers on an old agrarian calendar.

The shortest day and the longest night is a time for Wiccans and Pagans to celebrate the return of the light in the depth of midwinter.

The Celtic origins of the Winter Solstice, or Yule, lie behind many of today's Christmas rituals. A look at the ancient meanings of Yule and how to celebrate Yule today.

All Hallows Eve, All Saint's Day, and All Souls Day are well-known Christian holidays of autumn, but the significance, meaning, and origin behind them may surprise you.

A favorite American Holiday, Halloween, or All-Hallows' Eve, has its roots in Pagan Celtic traditions, Roman occupation, and the Catholic Church

Irish Fiddler Kevin Burke and guitarist Cal Scott performed in concert at the Arts Center in Elkins, West Virginia on March 30, 2008.

Reno, a cultural melting pot since its beginnings in the 1850s, celebrates its varied ethnicity in festivals held throughout the year.

There is more to Halloween than costumes, masks and pumpkins, although this may not seem the case, given the increasingly commercial appropriation of its celebration.

The origins of Halloween, a secular holiday observed by millions of people every year, can be traced back to ancient Celtic, Roman and Christian rituals.

One of the most significant days in the Pagan Calendar, the Summer Solstice, is a time for celebration of the abundance of summer, and a time to prepare for the darkening

Is April 1st your most mischievous day of the year? If so, you're not alone. Get the scoop on the history behind the day of "All Fools".

The Author of "Fertility Goddesses, Groundhog Bellies and the Coca-Cola Company" explores the surprising origins of this holiday about a little rodent

Halloween is characterized by fun costumes, candy, jack-o-lanterns, and trick-or-treating. However, Halloween's origins were not so light-hearted.

Halloween was originally the celebration of Samhain, an important Celtic feast which marked the beginning of winter.

Spells and rituals to celebrate the reawakening of the earth and to manifest desires at the Wiccan Festival of Imbolc.

Millions of people still celebrate the Halloween festival that takes place on October 31st, and this article describes its history and traditions.

Ancient and potent symbol, chalices are used in Wiccan ritual to represent fertility, emotion and the element of water.

The Celtic party band introduced by 1997's Titanic releases a CD full of upbeat songs inspired by Irish, Scottish, Australian, and American music.

Rocks, a river, lakes and a mountain feature prominently in Reno-Sparks area parklands. More than 100 miles of hiking trails make it a natural for outdoor enthusiasts.

Jack o' lanterns, bobbing for apples and trick or treating are just some Halloween customs which have been around for centuries.

Since time immemorial, on Twelfth Night a kind witch riding a broomstick fills stockings left hanging for her by Italian children, with sweets, toys and lumps of coal.

In certain regions of Central America, the Aztec Day of the Dead has survived Christianity's attempts at assimilation.

Links to printable kids' activities & holiday worksheets. Free printable Halloween coloring pages for children include bat, ghost, pumpkin & witch coloring sheet images.

The origins of Halloween can be traced back to the New Year celebrations of the Celts 2,000 years ago. November 1st was the beginning of the long, harsh winter.

For children, Halloween is all about costumes and candy. While some view it as anti-Christian, All Hallows Eve is a time of giving thanks and remembering dead loved ones.

Pagan Wiccan Halloween celebrations mark the descent of darkness, alongside a retreat within for communion with the spiritual realm, and for personal regeneration.

The Wheel of the Year includes many sabbats celebrated by Wiccans and Pagans to mark the changes in the seasons

Halloween conjures up visions of witches, pumpkins and kids in cute costumes. But there's a darker side to the holiday. Here are the top places to see real ghosts.

In this unique book, Ole M. Høystad analyses the construction of the Western heart throughout the ages, and its continuing importance today.

Many believe Halloween is evil, which is why many Christians don't celebrate Halloween. How should Christians treat Halloween? What does the Bible say about Halloween?

For pagans, Halloween is not just spooky fun. They celebrate Samhain, sacred time of honoring ancestor and spirit, marking a New Year as it passes into death and rebirth.

Halloween lore and religious persecution have cast a long shadow over feline history, and superstitions surrounding black cats persist to this day.

To liven up adult Halloween parties, play some of these traditional Halloween fortune telling games with your guests.