The eight Wiccan Sabbats;
seasonal days of celebration

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There are eight Wiccan Sabbats, spaced about 45 days apart during the year.

	Four of these are minor Sabbats: the two equinoxes of March 21 and September 21st when the daytime and nighttime are each 12 hours long. The Saxons added the two solstices of December 21, (the longest night of the year) and June 21 (the shortest night of the year). Actually, the exact date of these Sabbats vary from year to year and may occur from the 20th to 23rd of the month.
	The major Sabbats are also four in number. They occur roughly midway between the minor Sabbats, typically at the end of a month. Different Wiccan traditions assign various names and dates to these festivals. Perhaps the most common names are Celtic: Samhain (Oct. 31), Imbolc (Feb. 2), Beltane (Apr. 30), and Lammas (Aug. 1).

Dates are approximate. Some Wiccans observe the Sabbat within a few days of the nominal date. The Sabbats are believed to have originated in the cycles associated with hunting, farming, and animal fertility.

The sabbats:

	Samhain (OCT-31)
	Winter Solstice (±DEC-21) - Alban Arthan, Saturnalia, Yule, Christmas...
	Imbolc (JAN-31 to FEB-02) - Bride's day, Candlemas Day, Groundhog Day...
	Vernal Equinox (±MAR-21) - Alban Eilir, Eostar, Eostre, Lady Day, Ostara...
	Beltane (APR-30)
	Summer Solstice (±JUN-21) - Alban Hefin, Gathering Day, Midsummer, Vestalia...
	Lammas (AUG-1)
	Fall Equinox (±SEP-21) - Alban Elfed, Mabon, Autumn Equinox, Harvest Home...

Copyright © 2002 to 2012 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally written: 2002-AUG-7
Latest update: 2012-JAN-28
Author: B.A. Robinson

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