Libations for Ritual Gatherings

Whether it is a high holiday or a humble family get-together, festive beverages add to the celebratory aspect of the occasion and bring people together in joy and appreciation of each other. How many times have you been to an event where, after you were introduced to a food, dessert, or drink that was completely new to you, you loved it and were asking for the recipe? Parties and group rituals are a wonderful way to share delightful treats with the special people in your life. These gatherings make our lives meaningful and will become memories you will treasure.

Major and Lesser Sabbats

Four Major Sabbats

Candlemas—February 2 

Beltane—May 1 

Lammas—August 1 

Samhain—October 31

Four Lesser Sabbats

Vernal Equinox—March 20 

Summer Solstice—June 24 

Autumn Equinox—September 23 

Winter Solstice/Yule—December 21

December Festivals, Ceremonies, and Rituals

December 1, Festival of Pallas Athene (Ancient Greece) 

December 2, Festival of Shiva (Hindu)

December 3, St. Xavier’s Feast Day

December 4, International Hug Day

December 5, International Volunteers Day 

December 6, St. Nicholas Day, precursor to St. Nick

December 7, Burning the Devil Night in Guatemala, La Quema Del Diablo

December 8, Festival of Ix Chel, Mayan lunar goddess 

December 9, Virgin of Guadalupe first appears (1591) 

December 10, International Human Rights Day 

December 11, Pilgrimages at Tortuga, New Mexico

December 12, Pilgrimages at Guadalupe in Mexico, Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe

December 13, Saint Lucia Day in Sweden

December 14, Feast of St. John of the Cross

December 15, Consualia in Rome

December 16, Las Posadas in Mexico, procession commemorating the Holy Family’s search for lodging

December 17, Saturnalia begins

December 18, Virgin of Solitude Day in Oaxaca, Mexico

December 19, Feast of Saint Boniface, the apostle of Germany

December 20, Commerce God Festival in Japan

December 21, Winter solstice

December 22, Saint Chaeremon Day

December 23, Laurentalia, Roman festival of hallowing the home

December 24, Mother Night (Anglo-Saxon) 

December 25, Christmas Day

December 26, First day of Kwanzaa (Afro-American)

December 27, Freya’s Day (Teutonic)

December 28, Holy Innocents Day (Mexico) 

December 29, Saint Thomas of Canterbury’s Day

December 30, Nia, or Purpose Night during the celebration of Kwanzaa

December 31, Hogmanay (Scotland)

Nearly every solar god is celebrated in December—Baal, Attis, Adonis, Apollo, Ra, Baldur, and Mithra, to name a few. Scots celebrate Hogmanay, a secular holiday with roots in the worship of the ancient solar god, Hogmagog. Yule is one of the pagan sabaats, or the eight holidays of the wheel of the year, and is celebrated on December 21, the shortest day of the year. The word Yule comes from the Germanic jol, and means midwinter. The old tradition was to have a vigil and a bonfire from dusk to dawn to make sure the sun does indeed rise again on this longest night of the entire year. 

Diwali in India: The Cluster of Lights Festival

Diwali, one of the most beloved holidays in all of India, is another moveable feast that generally takes place around mid-November. People will circumnavigate the globe to return home to be with their family during this special time. The Hindus treasure this late-autumn festival week and dress up their homes and themselves. All the streets and windows are brightly lit with special diwali lamps, small ceramic affairs filled with oil and cotton wicks that twinkle like stars, in every home and even on fences, garden walks, and porches.

Diwali is like a New Year, when everyone can start again, forgiving quarrels, wearing new clothes, and starting life anew with a fresh attitude and bright hopes. In the village and mountainous regions of India, bonfires are going strong, warming up the landscape along with fireworks that light up the night skies.

Diwali honors the victory of Rama, an avatar aspect of Vishnu who battled a ten-headed demon that stole Rama’s wife, Sita, with devotional music, lamp-lighting rituals, feasting, games, gambling, gift giving, and special foods, such as sweets, fruits, candies, and pastries that are constructed into temple- like towers.

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 

Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year

This Jewish holiday is a moveable feast and occurs in September (sometimes in very early October). Rosh means “head” and Hashanah means “New Year.” It is a rather somber holiday when participants pray for forgiveness and undertake ten days of penitence, ending in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. During Rosh Hashanah, Jews begin their new year with a new outlook and hope of good health, a good year, and a long and happy life.

One ritual aspect of Rosh Hashanah is the sounding of the shofar, the ram’s horn, by the rabbi. This custom is the signal for Jews to repent and think about their people and the current state of affairs with all Jews. Perhaps the most important aspect of this holiday is the three sets of prayers that are recited during the ten days that remind people of God’s omnipotence, his response to the shofar, and that God always remembers good works and kindness.

You can use these Jewish themes of meditating on your current state of affairs, your family, and the blessings of the gods and angels in a fall equinox ritual. 

March Festivals, Celebrations, & More

March 1, Matronalia, Roman day of honor for all women 

March 2, Saint Ceadda’s Day

March 3, Hina Matsura, Japanese Doll Festival, a celebration of girlhood

March 4, Saint Casimir’s Day, patron saint of Lithuania.

March 5, Navigium Isidis festival honoring Isis as navigator (Greco-Roman)

March 6, Kuan Yin’s birthday (Buddhist)

March 7, Bird and Arbor Day, established 1909 by Luther Burbank

March 8, International Women’s Day

March 9, Forty Saints Day in Romania

March 10, Tibet Day

March 11, Johnny Appleseed Day

March 12, O-mitzutori, “Receiving the Water Day” (Buddhist Japan)

March 13, Las Fallas Day in Valencia, bonfires to burn away the winter

March 14, Pi Day for mathematicians everywhere

March 15, Roman Ides of March; Japanese Phallus festival

March 16, Festival of Dionysus, the first day of the wild Roman Bacchanalia

March 17, Saint Patrick’s Day; Roman Libernalia

March 18, Sheelah’s Day in honor of Sheela-Na-Gig, goddess of fertility (Ireland)

March 19, San Giuseppe Day for Jesus’s father 

March 20, Spring equinox

March 21, No-Rus (Iranian New Year)

March 22, World Day of Water

March 23, Lildienas or Mara Day, named for the great goddess of Latvia

March 24, Feast of Saint Gabriel, patron saint of communications

March 25, The Annunciation, nine months before Christmas Day

March 26, Prince Kuhio Day, for the last royal prince of Hawaii

March 27, Easter, a moveable feast

March 28, Pesach, or Passover, a moveable feast

March 29, Festival of Ishtar (Babylonian)

March 30, Salus Day, also known as Hygieia, goddess of cleanliness, health, and the moon

March 31, Culture Day (Micronesia)

In March we see the more tangible signs of sprig—grass and trees begin to green, birds return from where they have wintered, and we breathe in the warmer breezes that herald summer ahead. Be careful, however—March can be a month of surprises and changes. Celebrate spring by bringing fresh flowers into your home, and take advantage of the first fruits and vegetables in the markets. March marks the vernal (or spring) equinox, one of only two days of the year where the hours of daylight and the night are balanced equally. The vernal equinox, like its partner, the autumnal equinox, exemplifies the concept of equilibrium and the idea that two halves create a whole: only with the darkness can light be seen and appreciated. 

February Holidays

February 1, Saint Brigid’s Day

February 2, Candlemas

February 3, Folklore Day (South Korea)

February 4, Porridge Day in Latvia

February 5, Fiesta de la Alcaldesa (Sicily)

February 6, Waitangi Day (New Zealand)

February 7, Ghost Exorcising Festival (Tibet)

February 8, Youth Day (Congo)

February 9, Chingay Procession (Singapore)

February 10, World Marriage Day

February 11, Kurban Bairam (Islam)

February 12, Chinese New Year (moves according to the lunar calendar)

February 13, Parentalia (ancient Rome)

February 14, St. Valentine’s Day

February 15, Lupercalia fertility festival (ancient Rome)

February 16, Heritage Day (Canada)

February 17, Tanis Diena, ancient Latvian festival honoring pigs

February 18, Spenta Armaiti festival of cultivators (Persian)

February 19, Copernicus birthday, 1473, revolutionary astronomer of the heliocentric theory—honor the sun!

February 20, Museum Day, commemorating to opening of New York’s Metropolitan Museum

February 21, Feralia, Roman festival to honor the dead 

February 22, St. Lucia’s Day (Christian)

February 23, Terminalia, honoring the Roman god of boundaries

February 24, Gregorian calendar begins, as established by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582

February 25, Day of Nut (Ancient Egypt)

February 26, Purim

February 27, Ayyam I Ha, Day of Service and Giving (Baha’i)

February 28, Kalevala Day, commemorating the first publication of the Finnish mythological poem in 1835

February 29, Leap Day and Ladies Day

Although February is the shortest calendar month, it holds many rich festivals from several cultures. Celtic Pagans celebrate Imbolc, or Brigid’s Day, as the first sign of spring in the Wheel of the Year. Imbolc translates as “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. 

365 Days of Ritual

January

January 1, New Year’s Day, Gantan-sai (Japan)
January 2, Kakosome, the Japanese Day of First Writing: Ancestry Day (Haiti)
January 3, Saint Genevieve Day
January 4, Our Lord of Chalma Day
January 5, Festival of Befana (Italian)
January 6, Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day
January 7, Greek Orthodox Christmas
January 8, Midwife Day
January 9, Feast of the Black Nazarene
January 10, Seven Lucky Gods of Japan
January 11, Carmentalia, Day of Prophecy in Rome
January 12, Seijin no Hi, Coming of Age Day (Japan)
January 13, Glaedelig Jul, Norwegian Twentieth Day
January 14, Feast of the Donkey in Paris
January 15, Martin Luther King’s birthday
January 16, Festival of Ganesha
January 17, San Antonia Abad
January 18, World Religion Day
January 19, Baha’i Feast of Sultan
January 20, Portuguese Breadbasket Festival
January 21, Saint Agnes Day
January 22, Burgundian Winemaker’s Holiday
January 23, Buffalo Dancer’s Holiday
January 24, Bolivian Ekeko Fair for Prosperity
January 25, Robbie Burns Night (Scotland)
January 26, Indian Independence Day
January 27, Mozart’s Birthday
January 28, St. Thomas Aquinas Day
January 29, Martyr’s Day (Nepal)
January 30, Three Bishops Day
January 31, Feast of Hecate (Ancient Rome)

Any discussion of rituals for the month of January must include New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. I remember the drama that ensued as people around the globe stood by to witness the sunrise on January 1, 2000, perceived as the beginning of the new millennium. While many other cultures observe their New Year at other times during the year, January 1 has also become a time of celebration, reflection, and an opportunity to embrace change.

For many millennia, indigenous peoples have celebrated their own New Year in unique ways. One common element is the use of fire rituals by North, Central, and South American peoples. The Pilgrims who arrived in what was to become New England observed and documented that the Iroquois and other tribes they encountered had a New Year’s Council Fire, a time when the tribe gathered to review the past year, listen to the elders, and speak their hopes, dreams, and visions of the coming year.

In addition to your personal New Year’s ritual with the significant people in your life, I recommend the Mayan Fire Ceremony as a powerful way to bring positive change of the New Year into your life.

The Mayan Fire Ceremony was considered to open a door or portal into the spirit world that held the promise of receiving the blessings of spirit—love, healing, prosperity, peace, and anything you need for personal transformation. This ritual is also an opportunity to pay respects and make homage to your ancestors and loved ones you have lost. For this reason alone, I suggest enacting the Mayan Fire Ceremony: our culture is losing the important connection to the older people in our lives. Involving them in the rituals, ceremonies, and passages of our lives could heal a cultural rift and bring deep wisdom to all. Mayan shamans could “read” the fire in a divinatory fashion, and I hear that some modern metaphysicians can do the same. If you are fortunate enough to know anyone with such skills, invite them to your fire ceremony to share what they divine from the flames. 

Mulled Medieval Merriment for Holidays & More

Start this special mixture brewing by pouring a cup of unfiltered sweet apple cider into a big pot. Go for organic fruit at the farmer’s market, but it is even better if you can make it yourself from apples you have gathered or harvested. Take a bottle of your favorite low-cost red wine and gently heat with the cider in a medium saucepan on a low flame. Add sugar, cinnamon, and cloves to your taste, but at least a tablespoon of each, and stir every six minutes. Notice how your entire home fills with the spicy sweetness of merriment. After thirty minutes, your brew should be ready to serve.

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.

Sabbat of Samhain – October 31st - All Hallow’s Eve

Halloween stems from the grand tradition of the Celtic New Year. What started as a folk festival celebrated by small groups in rural areas has come to be the second largest holiday of today. There are multitudinous reasons—including modern marketing—but I think it satisfies a basic human need, to let your “wild side” out, to be free and more connected with the ancient ways. This is the time when the veil between worlds is thinnest and you can commune with the other side, with elders and the spirit world. It is important to honor the ancestors during this major sabbat and acknowledge what transpired in the passing year as well as set intentions for the coming year.

This is the ideal time to invite your circle; the ideal number for your gathering is thirteen. Gather powdered incense, salt, a loaf of bread, goblets for wine and three candles to represent the triple goddess for altar offerings. Ideally on an outdoor stone altar, pour the powdered incense into a pentagram star shape. Let go of old sorrows, angers and anything not befitting of new beginnings in this New Year. Bring only your best to this auspicious occasion.

Light the candles and say:

In honor of the Triple Goddess on this sacred night of Samhain, 
All the ancient ones 
From time before time 
To those behind the veil. 

Rap the altar three times and light the incense. Say this blessing aloud:

For this bread, wine, and salt, 
We ask the blessings of Mother, Maiden and Crone, 
And the gods who guard the Gate of the World. 

Sprinkle salt over the bread, eat the bread and drink the wine. Each of the celebrants should come to the altar repeating the bread and wine blessing. After this, be seated and everyone in turn should name those on the other side and offer thanks to ancestors and deities. This can and should take a long time as we owe much to loved ones on the other side.