November Ceremonies, Festivals, and Rituals

November 1, All Saints Day

November 2, All Souls Day, Dia de los Muertos

November 3, St. Hubert’s Day, celebrated with a hunter’s Mass

November 4, Mischief Night in England with bonfires and firecrackers, a “festival of chaos”

November 5, Guy Fawkes Day in England since 1605, also known as Bonfire Night

November 6, Leonhardi-ritt in Bavaria, for St. Leonard, patron saint of cattle

November 7, Mayan ghost banquet

November 8, Fuigo Matsuri, festival honoring Hettsui no Kami, Japanese goddess of the kitchen hearth

November 9, Dia de Camana (Peru)

November 10, Martin Luther’s birthday (1483)

November 11, Remembrance Day, Armistice Day

November 12, Tesuque Feast Day for Pueblo Indians

November 13, Roman festival of Jupiter

November 14, South America’s Little Carnival before Advent

November 15, Recycling Day (United States)

November 16, Festival of Bast (Ancient Egypt)

November 17, The Leonid meteor shower is visible on this day

November 18, Saint Plato’s Day 

November 19, Pilgrimage Day for Islam

November 20, Ebisu-ko, Japanese ceremony to the prophet god

November 21, Presentation of the Virgin Mary

November 22, St. Cecelia’s Day, patron saint of musicians 

November 23, St. Clement’s Day, saint of blacksmiths

November 24, Feast of Burning Lamps for Isis and Osiris (Ancient Egypt)

November 25, Mange Yam, harvest festival (Haiti)

November 26, Thanksgiving if a Thursday and St. Peter of Alexandria Day

November 27, St. Maximus’ Day in Provence 

November 28, Baha’i Ascension of Abdul-Baha in 1892

November 29, St. Andrew’s Eve, a night of fortune-telling in Europe

November 30, Saint Andrew’s Day 

The First New Moon of the Year: Chinese New Year

This most special holiday for Chinese all over the world is a “moveable feast,” as it occurs on the second new moon after the shortest day of the year (the winter solstice, December 21) and lasts about two weeks. According to the Western calendar, this means the holiday begins sometime in either late January or early February. Tradition holds that homes must be cleaned from top to bottom in preparation for the festivities. On New Year’s Eve, families get together for a banquet, and at this feast fish is the dish of delight, as the Chinese word for “fish” sounds like yu, or “great plenty.” Red is the color of luck and all children receive red envelopes filled with money and bright, shining moon-like coins. Adults write “spring couplets” on red paper; these are short poems that are hung around the doorway to greet the New Year auspiciously. Oranges are placed around the house in bowls and plates and blooming plants adorn the home both indoors and out. All generations of the extended Chinese family, from great-grandmother to the tiniest toddler, stay up late playing games, telling stories and making wishes for the New Year. They call this most auspicious time of the year “Hong

Bau,” and apply the ancient and sacred principles of feng shui in a celebration of love and luck. Gather red envelopes, coins and paper money. The Chinese call the red envelopes lee sees.

On the actual day of the Chinese New Year, go around to your neighbors, friends and family with red envelopes containing money. If you are like me, bright, shiny coins are what you can easily afford to give instead of envelopes stuffed with paper money. With each gift, greet folks with Gung Hey Fat Choy, which means “Wishing you prosperity and health.”

Give every child two lee sees, because happiness comes in pairs. By taking care to provide the children you know with lee sees, you are making sure the next generation has good luck. Business owners also give lee sees to employees, important partners and associates. When you hand a lee see to anyone you may have a grudge or grievance with, you should let go of the old feeling and refuse to drag the new you down with emotional baggage in the New Year.

A Lovely Night for a Moon Dance - Saturn Day Night Fever

Here is a pagan party plan which is wonderful for weekend evenings. You can add many embellishments such as important astrological or lunar happenings, but you should gather your friends or coven and celebrate life any Saturday night of your choosing. If the weather is warm enough, have the festivities outside. Otherwise, make sure to choose an indoor space with enough room for dancing, drumming and major merriment. Ask each of your guests to bring cake, cookies and sweets of their choice along with their favorite beer, wine, mead, cider or ale and sitting cushions. Place the offerings on a center table altar and light candles of all colors. Once everyone is seated and settled, the host or designated circle leader chants:

Gods of Nature, bless these cakes. 
That we may never suffer hunger. 
Goddess of the harvest,
Bless this ale,
That we may never suffer thirst. Blessed be.

The eldest and the youngest should serve the food and drink to all in the circle. Lastly, they serve each other and the leader chants the blessing again. Let the feasting begin!

Lammas Day, August 2 – Harvesting Happiness

This major sabbat denotes the high point of the year; the crops are in their fullness, weather is warm and the countryside is bursting forth with the beauty of life. Pagans know we have the heavens above to thank for this and the gods of nature must be acknowledged for their generosity with a gathering of the tribe and a feast, ideally in the great outdoors. Ask invitees to bring harvest-themed offerings for the altar: gourds, pumpkins, bundles of wheat stalks and corn, or fresh pickings from their garden, and food to share in thanksgiving made from the same, like pies, tomato salads, cucumber pickles, green beans, corn pudding, watermelon, lemon cakes, berry cucumber, apple cider and beer brewed from wheat, hops and barley. This celebration of the reaping from summer season should reflect what you have grown with your own hands. Fill your cauldron or a big beautiful colored glass bowl half-full with freshly-drawn water. Get packets of tiny votive candles for floating in the water. At the feast table, make sure to have a place setting for the godly guest Lugh who watched over the plantings to ensure this bounty. Place loaves of Lammas bread by his plate.

When all guests have arrived, everyone should add a food offering to the plate of the god and light a candle to float in the cauldron. Cut a slice of Lammas bread for Lugh and begin the ceremony with this prayer of thanks:

Oh, ancient Lugh of the fields and farms, 
We invite you here with open arms, 
In this place between worlds, in flowering fields of hay. 
You have brought the blessings we receive this Lammas Day. 

Begin the feast and before the dessert course, everyone should go around the table and speak to their gratitude for the gifts of the year. Storytelling, singing, spiral dances and all manner of merriment is part of Lammas Day.

Beltane Eve

Beltane is without a doubt the sexiest of pagan High Holidays and is anticipated greatly throughout the year. Witchy ones celebrate this holy night which falls on the last eve of April, and it is traditional for celebrations to last the entire night. This is a festival for feasting, singing, laughter and lovemaking. On May Day, when the sun returns in the morning, revelers gather to erect a merrily beribboned Maypole to dance around, followed by picnicking and sensual siestas. The recipe below is befitting for this special time of the year when love flows as freely as wine.  

Imbolc Invocation: Calling Forth the Guardians

Candlemas, also known as Imbolc, is the highest point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. This festival anticipates the coming of spring with banquets and blessings. Tradition holds that milk must be served, and modern pagans have expanded that to butter cookies, ice cream, cheeses and any related foods. It is an important time to welcome new members of your spiritual circle and new witches into a coven. Candlemas is a heartwarming occasion, but it is still a wintry time, so kindling for the hearth or bonfire should include cedar, pine, juniper and holly along with wreaths of the same to mark the four directions alongside white candles in glass votives. Strong incense such as cedar, nag champa or frankincense will bless the space. The circle leader shall begin the ritual by lighting incense from the fire and begin by facing each direction, saying:

Welcome Guardians of the East, bringing your fresh winds and breath of life. Come to the circle of Imbolc.
Welcome Guardians of South, you bring us heart and health. Come to the circle on this Holy Day.

Welcome Guardian’s of the West, place of setting sun and mighty mountains. Come to us.

Welcome Guardians of the North, land of life-giving rains and snow. Come to our circle on this sacred day.

The leader should welcome each member of the circle and speak to the gifts they bring to the community. Everyone should acknowledge each other with toasts and blessings and break bread together in this time of the coming season.

Sabbat of Imbolc: A February Festival

Imbolc translates to “in the milk,” which reflects the lambing and calving season that begins around this time. The idea of purification also runs through February festivals such as Purim, Candlemas and Lupercalia. Take the opportunity to start “spring cleaning” a bit earlier than you usually do to help chase away the winter blues. And of course, February holds Valentine’s Day, a now-secular celebration of affection and friendship.