High Day Meanings

The holiday dates given below are based on the ADF constitution; astronomers and calendar reformers may differ on the exact proper dates, of course. Examining the ADF Constitution, dates for the High Days are described in Article 4 without specific titles (Likely in order to offer flexibility in local naming as well as not lock in one calendar for both Northern and Southern hemispheres.) beyond “Cross-Quarter,” “Solstice,” or “Equinox,” so I have chosen to follow approximate ADF/Neopagan naming conventions for the Northern Hemisphere, which focus on Celtic and Germanic names and aspects. Below I will outline ADF traditions that are more Indo-European, Neopagan traditions that are compatible with ADF cosmology, as well as Wiccan-derived God and Goddess elements that are popular in the Neopagan revival, though the holiday associations for this last set are not standardized. Why do I mention the last set? I mention them because with ADF’s role in providing public ritual, we are likely to encounter High Day attendees who are chiefly conversant in that duotheistic perspective. Though they are not my beliefs, I see utility in being conversant in that perspective, inasmuch as it can inform ADF practice.

Samhain

Samhain, “Summer’s End,” occurs for ADF purposes on November 1st. In common Neopagan lore, Samhain is a day of the Ancestors, especially familial Ancestors, and considered the start of the Celtic New Year (Jones and Pennick 90), an identification promoted by 18th Century Celtic Romanticists. Additionally, Samhain is often considered the final harvest festival of the season, when the final fruits of the field are taken and the slaughtering is being done before winter. The Ancestral aspect is based upon lore regarding the veils between the worlds being thin on this day due to the transition from Summer to Winter. Many traditions therefore focus on the Ancestors. Common practices include setting out a plate of food for the dead, or even a “dumb supper”, where a place is set for a dead person or persons and a meal, often saltless, is eaten in silence. Additionally, due to the veils being considered thin at this time (Bonewits 184), Neopagans consider Samhain a good day for divination. The Celtic Cross-quarters are often referred to as “fire festivals” (182), and so a bonfire is also a common aspect to celebrations.

From a Wiccan-derived perspective, Samhain is when the God dies (providing the harvest) and the Goddess, though pregnant with him, grieves. Alternately, the Goddess herself is passing into old age, to be returned to youth. Though these perspectives are not strongly associated with ADF, sometimes a crone goddess that has associations with death is honored as a Being of the Occasion at this time.

Yule

Yule, the winter solstice, occurs for ADF purposes on December 21st. Yule is often a festival of the return of the Light; related traditions involve the lighting of candles at this time as well as a vigil over the long night. Additionally, many Neopagans see it as a relevant time to reclaim folk customs of Christmas celebrations, such as the putting up of a decorated tree, as Pagan. This High Day takes its name from Scandinavian feast-celebrations (Jones and Pennick 124) that honored all their gods, sometimes themselves referred to as Yule-beings (Sturluson 133). These celebrations did involve the light – a burning Yule log being the most direct example. They also have harvest-related aspects, with the traditional consumption of pork. Additionally, the Scandinavian celebrations had a focus on a feast and oath- taking – potentially on the bristles of the boar, sacred to Freyr, that was the source of pork. I have found and participated in ADF Yule celbrations involving both the feasting and oathtaking aspects.

The theme of light continues in Wiccan-derived lore. Yule is associated with the rebirth of the God (Cunningham 65), bringing new light to the land. According to a different aspect of Neopagan lore, the Oak and Holly King battle, the Oak King winning this time (Sometimes this is reversed, so the Holly King wins and it is therefore cold.), so that the days get longer.

Imbolc

Imbolc occurs for ADF purposes on February 1st. Imbolc is frequently a festival for Brighid in the modern day (Jones and Pennick 91), as well as tying to the calving season via the etymology “lambs' milk.” are particularly strong. From the Neopagan perspective Brighid’s crosses are a craft some make at this time, including within ADF. With the days definitely increasing in length, it sometimes also takes on aspects of the light, a facet encouraged by Brighid’s involvement with Fire – and, like the other cross-quarters, an outdoor bonfire can take a role, though this is variable in early February! Goods involving milk are frequently consumed on this day as well – one Imbolc I celebrated had a homemade yogurt-derived beverage as the Waters of Life. Though this High Day is better attested in the Irish hearth culture, Norse reconstructionists and those who follow that hearth culture in ADF have varied practices ranging from the honoring of the Disir, female ancestral spirits, to preparation for plowing and asking Thor for the minimization of the remainder of winter (Paxson 111-112). Historically I have honored Brighid at this time; since I usually hold a public rite and Brighid (and her Celtic cognates) seems very popular among many Pagans, especially those with a deeper interest in the Irish hearth culture.

In the Wiccan-derived lore, this is the time of the God’s childhood, from his birth at Yule.

Ostara

Ostara, the vernal equinox, occurs on March 21st. Per the current approach to the calendar, it is common to have celebrations of Spring on this day. Dyed eggs and rabbits are popular at this time from a Neopagan perspective as Pagan aspects reclaimed. This can be a festival of planting, depending on local climate (and the attention paid to same); the eggs and rabbits can also be seen as a focus on fertility, though less lusty than that of Beltane. From a continental Germanic hearth culture perspective, Eostre is a goddess who may be honored; some modern Norse practioners see her as cognate to Idunn and so honor Idunn instead, relating a youthful goddess to Spring. I usually honor Eostre at this time.

With the advent of Spring, those who consider the Goddess to age through a Maiden-Mother-Crone cycle each year see her in the maiden phase now.

Beltane

Beltane, the “spring” cross-quarter, occurs on May 1st. From an Irish perspective, Beltane was a time of purification; cattle were driven between two fires to purify them before going out to pasture (Jones and Pennick 90), and so this is another fire festival. In contrast, Beltane as viewed by Neopagans has more to do with Germanic May Day/Walpurgisnacht celebrations, including Maypole dancing and various traditions relating to love and sex. Fertility is considered to be a major part of the festivities from a Neopagan viewpoint, ranging from that of the fields and cattle to human fertility and its ties to sex. With May 1st significantly warmer than the previous holiday, sex outdoors (to encourage the fertility of the fields or for its own sake) is considered very relevant. As an additional aspect, Walpurgisnacht celebrations have a tie to magic, which may draw on the liminal time between halves of the year. I personally embrace the Walpurgisnacht/May Day aspects and celebrate personally on that front, with Freyja’s ties both to sex and to magic. For public celebrations, however, I have found good success with honoring the Gaulish Belenos and Sirona.

Wiccan tradition sees Beltane as the day the God and Goddess mate – marking, in some cases, the Goddess’s transition from Maiden to Mother.

Midsummer

Midsummer (sometimes Anglo-Saxon Litha, per Bede (122)), the summer solstice, occurs on June 21st in the ADF calendar. Neopagan traditions often focus on this day in its modern role as the start of summer, though the “Midsummer” title obviously draws on traditions that separate the year into a light and dark half. In Scandinavia, further north of Germany, folk celebrations such as Maypole dancing may occur now – indeed, a number of the aspects assigned to Beltane/May Day folk customs above occur in Scandinavia now. This hint of magic from folk custom – along with the sun at its height (a very auspicious time) – make some Neopagans consider this an excellent time for magic. With the tie to the Sun at its height, those following Scandinavian hearth cultures (including myself) frequently honor the sun goddess Sunna.

In the Oak/Holly king traditions, Midsummer is the day the Oak and Holly King battle again. This time the Holly king wins (Whitcomb 140-141), so the days begin to get shorter for the rest of the year.

Lughnassadh

Lughnassadh (sometimes Lammas, for “loaf-mass”), the “summer” cross-quarter, occurs on August 2nd. Neopagan tradition focuses on this as the first harvest festival, per Lammas Day being the first wheat harvest, and harvest implications do appear in ADF. Lughnassadh refers to a feast and games instituted by Lugh, so Lugh is honored at this time (and sometimes his foster mother Tailtiu, for clearing the forest to provide farmland – again, about a harvest) (Jones and Pennick 91). Drawing on Lugh’s many-skilled nature, games of skill are often played, and some Groves may hold a competition ranging from foot-races to board games. Baking bread is commonly done for this celebration, though this owes more to folk custom than to ancient practice. In general, Gods associated with the harvest, especially that of grain, are honored on this day.

With the start of the harvest, in Wiccan traditions the God begins to wane in power (with Samhain approaching).

Autumnal Equinox

The autumnal equinox (referred to by some Neopagans as Mabon, though this is a late naming even by Neopagan timeframes), is considered to occur on September 21st (per the ADF Constitution, not astronomy). It is the second of the three harvest festivals, and with the modern conception of it as the first day of fall, many celebrations honor the turning of the seasons, from leaves to the harvest shifting from summer fruits and vegetables to increasingly include grain and what is colloquially referred to as winter squash. The Scandinavian Winternights holiday was considered to be on the full moon after the Equinox; at it, particular honor was given to the Disir, female Ancestors who watched over the family. ADF celebrations here frequently focus on the harvest, as Samhain tends to focus on the Ancestors while Lughnassadh is frequently taken up by games and other celebrations relating to Lugh. I have historically held a Vanir-oriented harvest celebration for this holiday.

In Wiccan-derived lore, the God is well on his way to his death at Samhain.

Summary

In ADF, the eight High Days ritual calendar was chosen due to its familiarity from and ties to the Neopagan community. At the same time, as evinced above, no one source culture celebrated all eight of these holidays. ADF solitaries and groves do have a number of options, however, whether to create a new rite within a chosen hearth culture following the Neopagan meaning – or to celebrate rites from multiple hearth cultures (or both). In the end, the key is to understand how these motifs fit together in a cosmology that works for the group, as I have outlined my own views above.